Teaching Improvement

This handbook focuses on the use of feedback and evaluation forms to develop information about your teaching skills and style. Please recognize that evaluation and feedback forms are only part of an overall continuous teaching improvement process. Other methods for obtaining useful feedback to improve your teaching include, but are not limited to: soliciting verbal feedback from your students, having your lecture videotaped, or arranging peer or supervisor class observation. These and other methods are briefly summarized in the Handbook, but the focus will be on the evaluation forms and resources to help you improve.



For those of you familiar with the Plan, Do, Check, Act cycle and other quality improvement principles, you will notice the framework described above reflects this same cycle:

PLAN: As a teaching assistant, you prepare classroom instruction.

DO: You teach the class or lead the discussion or lab.

CHECK: You evaluate your own performance. The evaluation process outlined in this Handbook can be used to accomplish this step. During the "Check" phase, you'll discover things you do effectively, as well as opportunities for improvement.

ACT: To complete the cycle, you need to determine how to use the feedback and what steps you need to take to improve the teaching and learning associated with your class. The Resource Guide suggests books, articles, videotapes of past workshops, and future workshops.

At this point the process starts over. The concept is continuous improvement. As TA(Teaching Assistant) Fellows, we encourage you and all faculty to adopt a continuous improvement philosophy toward teaching. Note that once you have asked the students: "How can I improve?" they will expect you to improve, just as you expect them to learn.

In the spirit of continuous improvement and the environment of trust, accountability, and goodwill, the College of Engineering TA Fellows believe the following framework of feedback forms and corresponding resources will help TAs continuously improve undergraduate education in the College.


Evaluation and Improvement Process Overview


Fast Feedback
Several types of fast feedback exist, ranging from informal conversation with students to the use of fast feedback forms. Some forms are designed to be used on the first day of class, others are designed to be used after a few weeks of class, or at various times throughout the semester. The use of fast feedback forms is quite flexible. With fast feedback, you can familiarize yourself with your class and their expectations, and you can identify and correct simple problems in areas such as style, presentation, or facilities.

Mid-Semester Evaluations
Mid-semester is an ideal time to obtain feedback from your class to help you improve. At this point in the semester, students in your class or lab have been exposed to homework, exams, labs, projects, and your grading, and may have useful feedback on your teaching in these contexts. The objective is to attempt a midsemester correction that leads to high final quality performance indicated by the end-of-semester evaluations.

Classroom observation and TA evaluation by course supervisors is now required by the College of Engineering for all new TAs (first and second semester) by the seventh week. A sample mid-semester evaluation form is provided in this Handbook that you can provide to your course supervisor for this purpose. Even if you are not a new TA or if your department does not require it, you may wish to implement this step. Since all TAs are required by COE to be evaluated by their supervisor at the end of the semester, it isimportant that all TA's be observed in a teaching situation at some point during the semester in order for thesupervisor to assess teaching performance appropriately.



End-of-Semester Evaluations

The end-of-the semester evaluation is generally not as flexible as the previous two steps. Most departments require the use of a particular, standardized end-of-semester student evaluation form. The purpose of this evaluation is two-fold: (1) to obtain an overview of your strengths and weaknesses throughout the semester so you may improve next semester, and (2) to provide a formal performance assessment so your department can both ensure high teaching standards, and in some cases, determine whether to reappoint you.

A standardization of the forms is necessary for fair TA assessment. The TA Fellows have spent considerable time developing an end-of-semester form specifically for TAs that combines the best aspects of the existing forms. Teaching evaluations have been separated from course evaluations, and distinction is made between laboratory and lecture/discussion environments. The Academic Planning Council will review the TA Fellows' recommended forms in the Fall of 1994.


Advice for effective use of evaluations

· Give the evaluation forms out at the beginning of class
Giving the forms at the end of the lecture is an invitation for the students to rush through the form so they can leave sooner. Reserving time at the beginning of a class for evaluations shows that you are serious about receiving feedback and can lead to increased participation.
· Clearly state the purpose of the form
Honestly explaining exactly what the evaluation form will be used for and who sees it can lead students to provide the most useful information. For example, it might be useful to explain when a form will be seen only by the TA versus when the form will be analyzed by faculty or the department administration.
· Read the instructions aloud to your class
Quality of the feedback is ensured only if students fully understand the form. For example, you should clearly explain the "grading" scale on any form that has one. A score of "1" may mean "excellent" on one type of form while it may mean "needs much improvement" on another. While the forms in this Handbook should be consistent in this respect, you must remember that students fill out forms for different departments and colleges all over campus.
· Review important comments from previous forms with the class
If a noteworthy point or issue is raised on a particular in-semester form, it may be helpful to specifically raise the issue during a subsequent class. This will show the students that you read the forms and that you are prepared to act on the information in them, or at least comment on the particular issue.
· Develop alternative questions and comments
You are strongly encouraged to develop your own evaluation forms to suit your needs and teaching style. Appendix II to this Handbook contains a list of alternative questions and comments that you might find useful in developing your own types of feedback or evaluation.