CIDR - Making Sense of Student Ratings

Making Sense of Student Ratings is a complex task that can be addressed in relation to both summative assessments (e.g., interpreting numerical end-of-quarter evaluations, drawing themes from students' qualitative feedback, deciding upon actions you will take in future courses) and formative assessments (e.g., experimenting with changes in your teaching based on student feedback collected via surveys of classroom assessment tasks during the quarter),

Ratings and other evidence of teaching may be used during departmental curriculum planning, as part of your promotion and tenure application, or as components of a teaching portfolio.

CIDR Resources

	CIDR Teaching and Learning Bulletins Using Your Student Ratings CIDR Teaching and Learning Bulletin, 9(2) Learning from Student Feedback CIDR Teaching and Learning Bulletin, 8(1) \ Classroom Assessment of Teaching and Learning CIDR Teaching and Learning Bulletin, 1(2) Classroom Observation CIDR Teaching and Learning Bulletin, 1(4)

	CIDR Web Guides Understanding and Using Your Student Ratings A CIDR web guide to working with your students rating data Administrative Guidelines and Resources for Evaluating Teaching Recommendations for the use of student evaluations in merit and promotion decisions, developed by the UW Faculty Council on Instructional Quality (FCIQ) Sources of Data for Assessment of Teaching “sources of information to consider when you are assessing your teaching, and links to ways that CIDR can help you gather and work with information from each source”

	Consult with CIDR CIDR consultants are available to meet with you and discuss your questions about teaching large lecture classes. See our Consulting pages on Classroom Observation, Videotaping Services, Midterm Class Interviews, Analysis of Student Ratings, and Collecting Student Feedback for more information. To schedule a consultation, call 206-543-6588, or contact us by email to arrange an appointment.

	Available in the CIDR Reading Room Angelo, T.A., & Cross, K.P. (1993). Classroom assessment techniques: A handbook for college teachers (2nd ed.) San Francisco: Jossey-Bass. Lewis, K. G. (Ed.). (2001). Techniques and strategies for interpreting student evaluations [Special issue]. New directions for teaching and learning, 87. McKeachie, W.J., & Svinicki, M. (2006). Vitality and growth throughout your teaching career. In W.J. McKeachie & M. Svinicki (Eds.), McKeachie’s teaching tips: Strategies, research, and theory for college and university teachers (12th ed., pp. 344-359). Boston: Houghton Mifflin.