ERIC Number: EJ1136018
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2017
Pages: 14
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: EISSN-1812-9129
EISSN: N/A
Strategies for Increasing Response Rates for Online End-of-Course Evaluations
Chapman, Diane D.; Joines, Jeffrey A.
International Journal of Teaching and Learning in Higher Education, v29 n1 p47-60 2017
Student Evaluations of Teaching (SETs) are used by nearly all public and private universities as one means to evaluate teaching effectiveness. A majority of these universities have transitioned from the traditional paper-based evaluations to online evaluations, resulting in a decline in overall response rates. This has led to scepticism about the validity and reliability of the SETs. In this study, a large, US public university transitioned to online SETs in 2007 and suffered a decline in overall response rates from 73% for the paper-based evaluations in 2006 to a low of 43%. The aim of this study was to determine successful strategies used by instructors to improve their own SET response rates. A survey was conducted of faculty members who had high response rates, and the data were analyzed to determine which strategies were being employed. The study found that when instructors show students they care about evaluations, response rates tend to be higher. The results from the study have been turned into a FAQ on myths and suggestions that has been distributed to the faculty at the university to provide guidelines for increasing response rates on SETs.
Descriptors: Educational Strategies, Response Rates (Questionnaires), Online Courses, Course Evaluation, Student Evaluation of Teacher Performance, College Faculty, Teacher Student Relationship, Caring, Teacher Surveys, Validity, Reliability, Best Practices, Guidelines
International Society for Exploring Teaching and Learning. Web site: http://www.isetl.org/ijtlhe
Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Research
Education Level: Higher Education; Postsecondary Education
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A