Reframing Students' Contribution to Assessment and Enhancement of Teaching Quality

• In Event: 51.039 - Exploring the Contested Narratives of the Value of Student Evaluations of Teaching

Abstract

A major project on teaching quality has been undertaken at the University of XXX, first launched in 2015. The institution was considering a change in its then called, student evaluation of teaching instrument. Rather than pursuing the selection of a new instrument in isolation of other teaching quality considerations, the decision was made to begin with an examination of what was meant by teaching quality at the university. A process of analyzing institutional strategy and policy documents led to the development of a teaching quality framework along with a recognition that there was a need for better alignment between what we said about teaching quality and how we assessed and rewarded it, and a need to improve the quality and extend the breadth of evidence utilized for these purposes.

These findings, along with a comprehensive literature review, lead to the development of a set of principles that were used to guide our selection of a new student evaluation of teaching instrument (and system). A key principle was that student contribution to teaching quality processes should be focused on input regarding their experience of teaching and learning. This approach positions students as contributing meaningful information about teaching practice which they are well positioned to provide.

Using this principles based approach, an instrument was selected and piloted for one year, including local validation and evaluation by students and faculty. The instrument was ultimately presented and unanimously approved by our university academic governance body. We are now in the process of phased implementation.

This session will provide an overview of the approach taken at the University of XXX and our progress in implementing what we are now calling the student learning experience survey, including the outcomes of our pilot and early implementation. Central to this will be consideration of the shifting foci and intent of student contribution to assessing and enhancing teaching quality and how this reframing has taken place at the institution.

Author

• Nancy Turner, University of Saskatchewan