Results: Closing the loop
The timing of the teaching evaluation is designed in such a way that the results can still be discussed during the course time. This timing follows the approach to close the loop in order to reflect the feedback by the students accordingly.
The evaluation results are only handed out to the instructors if the response rate has been reached according to the faculty's implementation regulation(currently mostly in German only).
Discussing the evaluation results together with the students has the following advantages:
- Queries can be made by the lecturer
- The students experience an appreciation for their hints and suggestions
- The motivation of the students for future evaluations is increased.
The following framework is suitable for discussing the evaluation results together:
Plan about 20min for the discussion of the results and announce it. This can also be implemented in the run-up/follow-up to a (synchronous) event.
At the beginning, present the main findings from the survey in about 2-3min, the following guiding questions can be helpful for this:
- Which result surprised me?
- Which feedback is unclear to me?
- What do I want to keep?
- What do I want to change?
- How and by when do I want to change it?
Pick out 2-3 aspects and discuss them with the students for 10-12 min. Use the opportunity to ask the students about unclear points or to explain your approach and the design of the course, if necessary.
Finally, summarize the joint findings and give an outlook on which points you want to change and how, but also explain which aspects you will not change.
Use student feedback to validate your proposed actions or to get suggestions from the students themselves.
Feedback that concerns a higher level, e.g. the module, the study program, the faculty or the university, should be forwarded to the relevant departments (person responsible for the study program, faculty management/quality manager, university management) or students should be informed about the departments to which they can direct the information themselves.
Feel free to use the Protocol Teaching Evaluation template to document the discussion with students.