Student Ratings of Instruction
At Grand Valley State University, all students are asked to fill out a Laker Impressions of Faculty Teaching (LIFT) evaluation at the end of each course.
Not sure what to make of your student's feedback? While receiving feedback can sometimes be encouraging and energizing, it can also be confusing and even disheartening. The Pew FTLC is here to consult with faculty on the results of their LIFT evaluations. Together we can help you decode numerical ratings, identify qualitative patterns, and provide recommendations for how to use the feedback in your future teaching.
Interpreting Student Feedback
For additional resources related to interpreting student feedback, visit the following well-curated sites and documents:
- Student Evaluations of Teaching, Center for Teaching, Vanderbilt University
- Administering and Interpreting Course Evaluations, Indiana University Bloomington
- Interpreting and Using Student Ratings of Teaching Effectiveness, Syracuse University
- Interpreting and Working With Your Course Evaluations, Stanford University
- Recommendations for the Use of Student Feedback Form (SFF) Data at Temple University, Temple University Assessment of Instruction Committee Recommendations
IASystem Interpreting Reports also provides information on individual Course Summary Reports including Statistical Adjustment Options; Administrative Reports; Computing Medians, Adjusted Medians, and the Challenge & Engagement Index; and guidelines in using the results to make decisions. For additional assistance, visit the Faculty User Guide.
ARTICLES
Benton, S. and W. E. Cashin. (2012) Student ratings of teaching: a summary of research and literature, IDEA Paper #50: https://www.ideaedu.org/Portals/0/Uploads/Documents/IDEA%20Papers/IDEA%20Papers/PaperIDEA_50.pdf
Benton, S. and K. R. Ryalis (2016) Challenging misconceptions about student ratings of instruction, IDEA Paper #58: https://www.ideaedu.org/Portals/0/Uploads/Documents/IDEA%20Papers/IDEA%20Papers/PaperIDEA_58.pdf
Berk, R. A. (2012) Top 20 strategies to increase the online response rates of student rating scales. International Journal of Technology in Teaching and Learning, 8(2), 98-107. Available at: https://www.ronberk.com/articles/2012_top20.pdf
Boysen, G. (2016) Using student evaluations to improve teaching: Evidence-based recommendations. Scholarship of Teaching and Learning in Psychology, 2(4), 273-284. https://dx.doi.org/10.1037/stl0000069
Caulfield, J. (2007) What motivates students to provide feedback to teachers about teaching and learning? An expectancy theory perspective. International Journal for the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning: Vol. 1: No. 1, Article 7. Available at: https://digitalcommons.georgiasouthern.edu/ij-sotl/vol1/iss1/7
Franklin, J. (2001) Interpreting the numbers: Using narrative to help others read student evaluations of your teaching accurately. New Directions for Teaching and Learning, no. 87: 85-100. DOI: 10.1002/tl.10001
Hodges, L. C. and K. Stanton. (2007) Translating Comments on Student Evaluations into Language of Learning. Innovative Higher Education, Vol. 31, No. 5, 2007, pp. 279-286. doi:10.1007/s10755-006-9027-3
Lewis, K. G. (2001) Making sense of student written comments. New Directions for Teaching and Learning, no. 87:25-32. Available at: onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/tl.25/pdf
Nasser, F., & Fresko, B. (2009). Student evaluation of instruction: What can be learned from students’ written comments? Studies in Educational Evaluation, 35, 37–44. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.stueduc.2009.01.002
Weimer, M. (2012) Rewriting the end-of-course ratings story. Inspired College Teaching. Hoboken: Wiley, pp. 49-73. Available as an ebook through University Libraries.
Linse, A. (2017) Interpreting and using student ratings data: Guidance for faculty serving as administrators and on evaluation committees
- A robust set of practical recommendations for faculty and administrators, supported by helpful citations to primary research and literature reviews; a must read for personnel committee members,