Professional and Organizational Development Network in Higher Education
Date of this Version
1984
Document Type
Article
Citation
To Improve the Academy, published by The Professional and Organizational Development (POD) Network in Higher Education, volume 3, 1984.
Abstract
College teachers who make use of student surveys evaluating instruction frequently invite written comments, too. These remarks can clarify data gathered by use of a standard set of objective questions. Sometimes, however, the students' comments present a wide diversity of opinions. Statements in one class might range from "the material is interesting and very applicable" to a flat "the poorest teacher I have ever had." Instructors who venture to invite students to comment express frustration over seeming contradiction and consequently are tempted to dismiss the importance of written comments. Yet written comments can provide valuable insights leading to the improvement of teaching and learning in a course. As an instructional consultant, I was interested in helping instructors gain full value from students' written comments and therefore sought a means to give focus to this kind of data.
Comments
License: CC BY-NC-ND