Empirical Research
Student Rating of Instruction: A Survey of Satisfaction and Uses
By Rhonda Magel and Charles McIntyre
Volume 6 - Issue 1
Jan 9, 2008 - 11:55:07 AM

Student evaluation of course work and instruction has become standard practice at virtually all institutions of higher learning. These evaluations typically take the form of end-of- the-semester surveys. Data collected from these surveys can be used for both formative and summative assessment and may be used to improve future course offerings, to improve teaching effectiveness, and for decisions related to promotion, tenure, and salary. The validity of student evaluations is often questioned. Due to the subjective nature of student ratings, it may not be possible to statistically validate the student data directly, but statistical analysis may be used indirectly. Measuring and analyzing the factors that motivate students to participate in the evaluations could be evaluated statistically. Statistical analysis of student motivation could serve as an effective measure of overall reliability of student evaluation of instruction and course work. This analysis could lead to an improvement in the administration of the surveys and the use of collected assessment data.