Kiruthika Ragupathi, Johan Geertsema, Adrian Lee
Student feedback for instructors (or student evaluation of teaching, SET) is widely used to make personnel decisions, yet its strength lies in the instructors’ systematic interpretation of data. The National University of Singapore (NUS) introduced SET in 1992, and a new system with richer data analysis and reporting capabilities was implemented in 2016.
Though the purpose of SET is primarily to improve teaching by informing and stimulating instructor’s reflection about the strengths and weaknesses of their teaching practice (Alhija, 2017), it has been challenging for instructors and academic leaders to systematically engage in and use SET data to inform teaching development, and thereby student learning. And yet, they receive little or no guidance from the university on this process. Additionally, there are concerns around the potential impact of instructor perceptions on the institutional use of SET data for quality improvement, appraisals and promotion considerations. NUS recently set up a task force on evidence-informed evaluation of teaching to focus academic leaders’ attention on the quality of teaching and learning and the underlying systems and processes that support evaluation of teaching.
These initial concerns, strategic institutional initiatives and the recent introduction of a new online system with richer data analysis and reporting capabilities warrants for a rethink of the purpose and use of SETs at NUS. Chalmers and Hunt (2016) argue that SET is most effective when it is used by teachers for reflection and improvement of themselves and the courses they teach, and by course coordinators for improving programmes. This paper is part of a larger study that investigates the barriers involved in using SET as a reflective tool that is informed by evidence to provide improved opportunities for teacher development and students’ learning. In this paper, I set out to answer: How can academic development units support academics and academic leaders in systematically engage in and use SET data for reflection and improvement of teaching and learning on campus? The study hopes to address a key issue that the appropriate use of SET data is a key ingredient to ‘building a high-quality teaching ecosystem’ (Linse, 2017), and aims to provide guidelines and strategies to promote the appropriate, responsible and accurate use of SET data for improving teaching quality on campus.
