Other evaluation tools

There are many different evaluation tools which you can use to obtain feedback on your course and teaching. The evaluation tools presented here are those without the use of questionnaires.

These tools are designed for quick and easy use. They are useful for formative (data collected during the course) or summative (data collected at the end of the course) evaluation.

What are the tools?

One minute questions

A few minutes before the end of a session, ask your students one or all of the following questions:  

• What was the most useful/ best/ main idea in this session?
• What was the least useful/ difficult/ unclear idea in this session?
• This tool is useful to gather feedback about student learning as an indication of the effectiveness of your teaching (Chizmar & Ostrosky, 1998).

Application

You can use this method:  

• in a large or small class
• in groups or individually
• face-to-face or distance/ online mode

Suggested template

• One minute questions (DOC 27 KB)
• One minute question blank (DOC 24 KB)
  

3 clear points, 3 muddy points

This is a variation of the one minute questions. Ask your students for:  

• Three clear points about what they have learned
• Three 'muddy' points they are unclear about

Application

You can use this method in:

• a large or small class
• groups or individually
• face-to-face or distance/ online mode

Suggested template

• 3 clear, 3 muddy points (DOC 31 KB) 

Learning journal

• A learning journal is a reflective piece (Moon, 2006). When written by students, they can form a rich pool of evaluation data about your course and student learning, which is available to you throughout the course.
• Students are encouraged to keep and periodically submit their journals to the teacher for feedback.

• Topics of the journal should be kept strictly focused on pedagogical issues such as asking your students:
• What is your understanding of the subject/ topic?
• Which aspects of the course had worked well in terms of helping you learn?
• What did you learn from this piece of assessment?
• How did you fare in the last assessment? What worked or did not work well?
• How useful were the resources, recommended texts, and so on to your learning?

Application

You can use this method in:  

• large or small classes
• groups or individually
• face-to-face or distance/ online mode (e.g. blogs (PDF 69 KB), e-portfolios, etc.)

Concept map

• A concept map is a visual representation of relationships between concepts or information
• In a concept map, two or more concepts are linked by words that describe their relationship.
• This is a useful method to obtain feedback on students' understanding of a subject or topic.
• As your students create concept maps, they reiterate ideas using their own words. Misdirected links or wrong connections can alert you to what students do not understand, and the need to evaluate areas or concepts your students do not yet grasp.

Application

You can use this method in:  

• large or small classes
• groups or individually
• face-to-face or distance/ online mode
  

Structured interviews and Focus groups

• These are forms of conversation between an individual or a group of interviewees and an interviewer or moderator/faciliator.
• Structured interviews and focus group discussions are particularly useful for obtaining detailed information about students' opinions of your course and teaching.
• You may conduct the structured or focus group interviews yourself, but it is better advisable for an independent party to be involved as interviewer or facilitator. Ask another colleague or staff member from LTSU for assistance.

Structured interviews

• The format is that the questions are asked in the same way of your interview group(s) or individuals

Focus groups

• A variation of the structured interview method
• A similar interview process but facilitated by a moderator, while the students discuss their experience of the course and teaching.
• Useful for large classes or differentiated groups of students
  

Peer observation of teaching/ review of course materials

• In addition to obtaining feedback from your students, you may gather feedback from your peers
• Invite a colleague to observe your teaching or review your course materials
• Select a colleague whom you value and with whom you feel comfortable
• Agree at the outset that the observation or review is to remain confidential, and that the purpose of the evaluation is to assist you to improve your course and teaching

Suggested template

• Peer observation of teaching (DOCX 24kb)  
• Peer review of online courses (DOCX 53kb)  

'How to' flyer

• Formative peer review of teaching (PDF* 142kb) 

More resources

• Video interview on peer review of teaching with Associate Professor Michele Scoufis (University of New South Wales)
• Concept mapping
• Examples of other one minute questions:
• The one minute paper (Ross & Angelo, 2001)
• One minute paper/ notecard (Nutefall, 2003)
• Mind mapping - YouTube video by Tony Buzan, the developer of mind mapping
• A collection of resources on peer review of teaching and learning (Teaching and Educational Development Institute, University of Queensland)

How to collect the data

• Post-it notes
• Provide post-it notes or blank pieces of paper or index cards to students at the end of class
• Ask the questions and have students provide their feedback on the post-it notes/ paper/ index cards without identifying themselves
• Ask the students to stick the post-it notes on the wall or pass the paper/ index cards to you as they leave the classroom
• Collect the data and analyse the responses by grouping them into themes or patterns that arise

• Emails
• Using one-to-one email helps to maintain privacy for each student. This helps to maintain anonymity for students who are not comfortable with providing feedback publicly
• Ask your questions via email and invite them to respond

• Moodle discussion forum
• You can create an 'evaluation' topic in the Moodle discussion area.
• Encourage your students to use the evaluation area to post their feedback to questions about the course or your teaching, and for you to respond to their feedback at specific times during the course.
• Provide a clear evaluation and feedback schedule.
  

• Moodle question area
• You can create the evaluation questions in the Moodle quiz area of your course, by choosing the 'essay' option from the drop box
• Inform your students about the evaluation questions and where to find these, in your 'news' column
  

• More resources
• Classroom assessment techniques designed for technology (Mary Barone Martin, Middle Tennessee State University)
• Classroom assessment technique examples (Angelo and Cross) - includes step-by-step procedures for 'step-by-step' and 'muddy points'