51.039 - Exploring the Contested Narratives of the Value of Student Evaluations of Teaching

Session Type: Symposium

Abstract

It has been argued that few issues have been explored as in depth as the student evaluation of teaching, yet has resulted in as numerous conflicting perspectives on the value of student evaluations within the overall evaluation of teaching in higher education (Clayson, 2009). This symposium explores how these contested narratives are being unpacked at four Canadian research universities, and the varied ways those institutions are advancing a more productive and effective use of student teaching evaluation processes on their respective campuses. In particular, the symposium will inform how institutions might frame or reframe the narratives around student evaluations within this increasingly contested sphere.

Sub Unit

• Division J - Postsecondary Education / Division J - Section 4: Faculty, Curriculum, and Teaching

Chair

• Bradley James Wuetherick, Dalhousie University

Papers

• Focusing on the Process of Change: The Role of Campus Engagement - Donna Ellis, University of Waterloo

• Supporting the Valid Use and Interpretation of Student Ratings of Instruction Through Analysis, Open Dialogue, and Communication - Gregory Hum, University of Toronto

• Reframing Students' Contribution to Assessment and Enhancement of Teaching Quality - Nancy Turner, University of Saskatchewan

• Evaluating the Student Ratings of Instruction at XXX University: Unpacking Reliability, Validity, Bias, and Retention - Bradley James Wuetherick, Dalhousie University