1517 - A Sociological Take on Course Evaluation Systems

Session Submission Type: Workshop

Description

Who doesn’t love the course evaluation system at their institution? The purpose of this professional development workshop is to share the analysis generated by one sociologist’s involvement in revising a university-wide “course evaluation” survey system. Working as a diverse team of faculty and staff colleagues, a small group did extensive research and data collection on end of term course evaluations and created a dramatically different form that was approved by the institution’s faculty in fall 2018. Sociological analysis of the process and outcomes from an organizational decision making framework may help other sociologists work as campus leaders in such projects and/or apply some of the ideas to their department or course level assessments. This active participation workshop will: present key findings from the research reviewed, particularly around issues of bias; have participants critique survey examples; share the new form with its distinct purpose; and highlight the ways in which the sociological perspective helped shape the outcome.

Sub Unit

• Workshops / Professional Development Workshop

Session Organizer

• Diane L. Pike, Augsburg University