Web Enhanced Course Evaluation at Columbia University

1
Web Enhanced Course Evaluation at Columbia
University

• Jack McGourty
• Columbia University

2
Overview

• A little history
• How does course assessment fit into the big
  picture?
• Why use web technology?
• How is it being done?
• Does it work?

3
History

• Columbias Fu Foundation School of Engineering
  and Applied Science began using the web for
  course assessment about four years ago starting
  with a student administered web site for results
• Designed and developed state-of-the-art system
  using student teams
• Now building on current infrastructure to include
  on-line tutorials and increased flexibility for
  administration

4
Student Web Site

• Search by course or faculty
• Current and past results
• No comments

5
The Big Picture

• Why are we assessing courses and programs?
• Continuous improvement of the education process
• What are we doing right, and what can we do
  better?
• Integral part of our ABET EC2000 Compliance
• Develop a process
• Collect and evaluate data
• Close the loop
• Document/Archive results
• Course evaluation one of several outcome
  assessment measures such as senior exit surveys,
  enrolled student surveys, and alumni surveys

6
How WCES Fits in
7
Using Technology

• Pro
• Students have the time to consider their
  responses
• Timely feedback
• Responses are easily analyzed, archived and
  distributed
• Less paper
• Lower cost/efficient administration

• Con
• You lose the captive audience
• You cant guarantee a diversity of opinions
• Motivated/Non-motivated
• Like course/Dislike course
• Not necessarily less effort

8
Course Assessment Details

• 10 Core Items
• Course Quality
• Instructor Quality
• Relevant ABET EC2000 Items
• Pre-selected by faculty member
• Customized questions for specific course
  objectives

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Selecting EC2000 Questions
10
Monitoring Faculty Usage
One of our culture change metrics is the
percentage of faculty who are capitalizing on the
system and adding custom and EC2000 questions.
Currently around 15.
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Course Evaluation Results

• Web page access
• Current terms assessment
• Limited time window
• Limited access
• Secure site
• Previous terms results
• Open access to numerical results not comments
• Email Results
• Individual faculty
• Aggregate Data Department Chairs

12
Reporting
13
Promoting Responses

• Student-driven results website
• Multiple targeted emails to students and faculty
  from Dean
• Announcements in classes
• Posters all over the school
• Random prize drawing

14
Closing the Loop
15
Does it Work?

• Student response rates have steadily increased
  over past two years from 72 to 85
• More detail in student written comments in course
  assessments
• Data is available that we have never had before
• Faculty use of ABET EC2000 and Customized
  question features increasing but still limited
  (15)