Students’ evaluation of university teaching: a comparison of four American world-class universities

• In Event: Higher education evaluation

Proposal

Students’ evaluation of university teaching: a comparison of four American world-class universities

Abstract
This paper explores the student-based course evaluation systems of four world-class universities in the United States: Harvard, Yale, Stanford, and Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). The data were publicly available online documents found at the universities’ websites regarding how students evaluate the courses they have taken. A qualitative thematic analysis of the data indicates three common features across these institutions, namely, designing content authentically reflecting teaching and learning, following a procedure mimicking that of conducting scientific research, and using evaluation results in appropriate ways. The analysis of the four institutions’ course evaluation systems provides useful implications for Chinese universities in improving their own systems.

Key words
world class universities; course evaluation; student evaluation of teaching

Background
The United States began its student-based course evaluation in the mid-1920s.Since then, the system experienced rise and prevalence, and presently it is entering a stage of comprehensive reflection (Hu, 2017). Since the 1980s, China has been looking at the American model in establishing its own student-based course evaluation system. Yet in practice, there have been problems and challenges such as unscientific design, indifference in student attitudes, and mis-use of evaluation results (Lu & Wang, 2016). While the United States is reflecting on its course evaluation system, China needs to reflect on its own system as well as learn from other systems. Also, Harvard, Yale, Stanford and MIT are among the best universities in the world, which all provide students with excellent teaching. Analyzing their course evaluation systems will provide invaluable insights for Chinese universities in improving teaching quality, an important indicator for world-class universities.

Methodology
The top four universities in the United States were selected based on the teaching scores under the Times Higher Education World University Rankings in 2018. Then documents regarding students’ evaluation of courses were obtained from the official websites of the universities（such as policies,questionnaires and instructions）. The paper used thematic analysis in coding the documents.


Findings
There are commonalities among the four universities’ students evaluation systems. In terms of evaluation contents, the four universities are concerned about the learning effect of students, teaching behaviors of teachers and key elements of classroom teaching. In terms of evaluation procedures, all four universities adopt appropriate evaluation methods, formulate explicit and clear evaluation schedules, and focus on improving the reliability and validity of evaluations. In using evaluation results, all four universities set access conditions for evaluation results, consult experts to help teachers analyze the results, and make improving teaching the ultimate purpose.
The common characteristics across the course evaluation systems of the four universities indicate that, students, universities and teachers are the main stakeholders in course evaluation; student evaluation of teaching is an important part of the teaching quality assurance system in higher education; thus the evaluation content and procedures should be designed to improve teaching and effectively enhance the learning experience of students. In contrast, most Chinese universities do not seem to be designing their course evaluation systems scientifically, students are not taking evaluation of teaching seriously enough, and the evaluation results are not being used appropriately and effectively.

Drawing on the American universities’ course evaluation systems, this paper attempts to propose a model of student-based course evaluation system linking a university, its students and teachers. In this model, the university has a database of evaluation indicators according to the characteristics of individual courses and applies a standardized evaluation process that is collaboratively completed by different academic units; students are clear about their responsibilities in the process and are willing to express their real voices and teachers are aspiring to research on teaching and reflect on the evaluation results.

Contributions
Unlike the existing literature, which tends to study student evaluation system from the perspective of school management (Golding & Adam, 2014), this study focuses on the perspectives of three main stakeholders: universities, teachers and students. By exploring their specific roles in the course evaluation system, the study aims to construct a model of students' evaluation of teaching that is more suitable for practice and the needs of teachers, students and higher education institutions.

References
Blair, E., & Noel, K. V. (2014). Improving higher education practice through student evaluation systems: Is the student voice being heard?. Assessment & Evaluation in Higher Education, 39(7), 879-894.
Golding, C., & Adam, L. (2016). Evaluate to improve: Useful approaches to student evaluation. Assessment & Evaluation in Higher Education,41(1), 1-14.
Hu, L. (2017). Ninety years of research on student evaluations of teaching in US colleges and universities: History,controversies and reflections. Journal of Higher Education,39(2), 91-109.
Lu, L. & Wang, H. (2016). Qualitative evaluation: Rational choice to get out of the difficult situation of students' evaluation of teaching. Modern University Education(2), 93-98.

Author

• Yajing Jiang, ShanghaiJiaotong University