Evaluations
| Cover Sheet for Evaluation Processing |
| Cover Sheet for Subgroup Summary (for Student Perception of Instruction Evaluations only) |
Most departments and colleges do instructor evaluations, usually using the standard Testing & Data Services evaluation opscan sheets for this purpose. Results are used for promotion and tenure decisions, teaching awards, faculty activity reports, etc.
Departmental Liaison
Each Department/College has a liaison who handles the class evaluations, filling out the processing forms, collecting the completed forms from classes and delivering them to Testing & Data Services. Results are returned to the liaison.
Anyone who needs a copy of results must request it from the department or college liaison. Testing & Data Services does not deal directly with an instructor without the permission of either the liaison, department head, or dean of the college. Testing & Data Services archives results for three years.
When administering evaluations, we suggest you bring extra #2 pencils to class. Testing & Data Services gets many student sheets that have been filled in with a pen and cannot be processed.
The scanner "sees" a mark when graphite blocks the passage of light. Most inks contain dye, not graphite. Since class results are based directly on your students' responses, it is in your interest to make sure that the students use a #2 pencil for the most accurate results.
Student Evaluation Forms
Standard Blue Student Perceptions of Instruction (SPOI) Opscan - This opscan contains 15 preprinted questions. It also has an area devoted to 20 supplementary questions that can be class- or instructor-specific. There is space for the student to write in comments.
Green Opscans - Some groups use their own questions on the generic green form. Contact testscr1@vt.edu if you would like to do this.
Red Class Header Opscan - This form is filled out by the instructor or by the liaison for each class. It has areas for Instructor Name, Course Abbreviation, Course Number, and Course Reference Number (CRN). There is an area for the Instructor's ID number and Instructor Code (if either is required by your department).
If students are using the Blue SPOI form and the instructor has included his own questions, the supplementary question section will have to be completed. (If the only supplementary questions are pre-printed by the department/college, then the supplementary question area does not have to be completed.)
Output
Output is returned to the liaison electronically. In general, the results contain frequencies (counts) and means (averages) for each preprinted and supplementary question. Other information may be compiled depending on the Department/College.
Online Course Evaluation System
Learning Technologies is developing an online course evaluation system, VTORS. For more information, contact Tom Head at tom.head@vt.edu or 1-6822.College and department staff can save considerable time by administering evaluations online. Other universities using these systems have found that faculty and students also appreciate saving class time that used to be devoted to filling out paper forms. Students often produce more thoughtful responses and value the confidentiality the computer offers over handwritten comments, while faculty find it much easier to read them in an online format.
Faculty often express concern that online evaluations are not comparable to paper-based opscans. Studies at other schools have not found consistent differences, and there has been no predominance of negative comments. Another concern is response rate, but periodic e-mail prompting and early attention to ensuring that students understand the importance of participation and the value placed on it by faculty and administrators can improve response rate considerably. It is worth noting that Testing & Data Services often sees opscans that have no marks or marks in decorative patterns that indicate the student had no interest in completing the evaluation, so a higher response rate doesn't necessarily produce good data.
The new Virginia Tech system controls the process at an administrative level which can be a college or department, as in the opscan system. Administrators choose questions and authorize faculty to add questions if desired. Administrators also control access time for students and faculty and the frequency of e-mails sent to non-responders. They may produce standard analysis reports or download data to a comma-delimited file.