8 Points You Must Communicate to Students In Order to Achieve A Successful Course Evaluation Process

To have a successful course evaluation process you need to have a high rate of student participation. In previous posts we examined how to increase your response and completion rates. An important variable in increasing participation is communication. It is recommended that you have a comprehensive communication plan that schedules content and messages throughout the course evaluation period.

It is crucial that you communicate the value of course assessments and how they contribute to student learning, course & program development, teaching improvement and institutional effectiveness. In today’s post we’ll focus on the messages to communicate to students and the channels for distribution.

What to communicate to students (key messages):

1. Anonymity:

   Explicitly state in communication materials that the feedback gathered is anonymous and will remain confidential. It is important that students understand that their answers cannot be attributed to them so they are encouraged to share openly.

2. Benefits:

   The value of course evaluations should be stated in your communication material. Students often have the misconception that the results have no effect and are not used by the institution. Clearly explain to students how they will directly benefit from the assessments. It is important that you outline how evaluations are used by the institution for the continuous development of programs and courses (share specific examples). Also explain to students how evaluations are used to improve teaching effectiveness.

3. Instructions:

   It is important that you provide students with detailed instructions on how to complete course evaluations. This includes any technical requirements and the course evaluation schedule (from beginning to end).

4. Frequently asked questions:

   Do not overlook creating a comprehensive FAQ, which includes answers to the most common student questions regarding evaluations. The FAQ can include a variety of questions such as: ‘Why should I complete a course evaluation?’ ‘How do course evaluations change an instructor’s teaching and course?’ ‘How can I be sure that my responses will be anonymous?’ ‘Does completing course evaluations affect my grades?’ etc.

5. Convenience:

   Another common student misconception is that course evaluations are inconvenient and time-consuming. Your communication materials should reflect how convenient and easy it is for students to complete questionnaires online. Also be sure to let students know the variety of ways they can complete evaluations: laptops, tablets, alternative input devices, etc. Be sure to accurately state the completion time so students are aware how quickly they can finish the assessment.

6. Incentives:

   If you’re offering any incentives to students to complete course evaluations, clearly advertise this in all materials. Some common incentives include a small grade increase, extra credit or prize.

7. Results:

   As we mentioned in a previous post on ways to increase student engagement, it is important to share evaluation results with students. Sharing the results with your students shows transparency and instructor commitment to the evaluation process. Depending on the timing of your evaluations, you can share the results in class or through your online system. Further, you should explain to students how the results will be used for instruction, course development and the institution as a whole. If the plan is to use the results for development and training share this with your students. Making the results tangible will increase student engagement and participation.

8. Reminders:

   It is very important that you pulse out reminders for students to complete evaluations throughout the course evaluation period. You should use a variety of channels to communicate reminders: in person, email, through the web portal, etc. Other communications channels you might want to consider using are listed below.

What communications channels to use:

• Campus papers, magazines and newsletters
• Campus radio and TV stations
• Printed posters & flyers
• Electronic display boards
• Computer lab banners
• In class: presentations/slides, handouts, syllabus, live demonstration
• Institution’s website: news announcements, webpage content, logo/icon associated with course evaluations, course evaluation tutorial (video)
• Online bulletin boards
• Social media (use appropriate social media accounts to engage students in course evaluations)
• Direct email campaigns (to announce course evaluations and remind to complete)
• Advertisements on student portals (pop-up windows)