Types of course evaluations

Time of data collection

The interim evaluation takes place in the first half of a course. 

The person who sent you the link to the survey can tell you how long the survey will run. Usually this is your lecturer or an office in the faculty.

Content

Unlike the final evaluation and the evaluation of performance assessment, the interim evaluation does not include target criteria for Good Teaching, but focuses instead on the three conditional factors that we have identified for Good Teaching:

• Conditional factors - course

  • Content and structuring

  • Assist learning with course material

  • Level: Over-demanding

  • Level: Under-demanding

• Conditional factors - instructor

  • Defining learning outcomes

  • Conveying the content

  • Learning-level related suggestions

  • Interaction with students

• Conditional factors - students

  • Active participation

  • Independent learning

  • Rhythmized learning

To see which questions we defined for each of these factors have a look at the sample questionnaire.

Purpose

Because the interim evaluation focuses on the critical factors for Good Teaching and takes place in the first half of the course, it offers you and your instructors the opportunity to make adjustments while the course is still ongoing. Therefore, factors can be optimized so that you can learn even more successfully during the rest of the semester.

The interim evaluation allows you to tell your instructors how you are doing in the course and what difficulties you may have in understanding the material. Interim evaluations are designed to provide your instructors with specific feedback on the course, your learning needs, and your preferences.

In addition, the inclusion of the conditional factor «students» in the interim evaluation allows you to assess your own behavior in the course: Are you actively participating and studying autonomously, thus contributing to a high quality of teaching?

Another goal of the interim evaluation is to promote a feedback culture in the courses taught at the University of Bern. This allows students and instructors to learn how to regularly and mutually exchange opinions regarding their performance, expectations, and behavior, and to give and receive feedback openly and safely. This makes it possible to identify potential problems and disruptive factors at an early stage and to optimize learning processes. Plus, a feedback culture promotes trust and cooperation between students and lecturers.

Usage & alternative methods

The interim evaluation is voluntary in most cases and can be used by instructors to identify potential necessary changes to the didactic concept.

This kind of feedback can also be collected using other quick and easy instruments, so that you do not necessarily have to fill out a questionnaire. An overview of available instruments (in German) can be found here.

In some cases an interim evaluation with our questionnaire is obligatory for instructors. This is the case if the instructor received an «insufficient» result in the previous final evaluation. You can learn more about this here.

Time of data collection

The final evaluation takes place toward the end of a course.

The person who sent you the link to the survey can tell you how long the survey will run. Usually this is your lecturer or an office in the faculty.

Content

Unlike the interim evaluation and evaluation of performance assessment, the final evaluation does not include any conditional factors of Good Teaching, but focuses on two of the three target criteria we have identified for Good Teaching:

• Target criteria of Good Teaching / Output:

  • Satisfaction

• Target criteria of Good Teaching / Outcome

  • Learning progress

To see which questions we defined for each of these criteria have a look at the sample questionnaire (online).

Purpose

Because the final evaluation focuses on the achievement of the target criteria of Good Teaching, two main goals can be pursued with this evaluation: the improvement and the appraisal of teaching.

Your feedback in the final evaluation provides instructors with information about how «good» you perceived the course to be: To what extent did the course help you develop your skills? And how satisfied were you with the course overall, the instructor and your own behavior in the course?

The overall results of all evaluated courses at each faculty can also be used to take stock of the quality of teaching at the University of Bern. Based on the insights gained from these evaluations, the quality of teaching at the University of Bern can be maintained at a high level and its advancement can be initiated.

Usage

Many instructors use final evaluations on a voluntary basis in order to find out which changes to the didactic concept might be necessary, or because they want to include the evaluations in their personal dossiers.

In addition, the conceptual framework stipulates that every course and every instructor must be evaluated at least once every three years. Based on the faculty QM guidelines, a number of courses are therefore selected each semester by the faculties for a mandatory final evaluation.

A final evaluation is also obligatory if the course in question was rated «insufficient» in the previous final evaluation.

Time of data collection

The evaluation of the performance assessment takes place after a performance assessment, but before grades are released.

It is opened in the evening of the performance assessment and remains open 24h for oral, or 4 days for written performance assessments.

Paying special attention to the compliance with data protection regulations, the results of the evaluation will not be released to your instructors until after your assessments have been graded. This way mutual interference between your feedback and the grading process can be avoided.

Content

The questionnaire for the evaluation of performance assessments is based on the Impact model for Good Teaching and covers the topics of constructive alignment (matching of learning outcomes, teaching methods and exam content), the suitability of the form of the exam, your preparation for the exam and your learning success. This helps to determine the extent to which a course allowed you to acquire the skills and competencies that are examined in your performance assessments. Thus, this evaluation covers two of the three conditional factors of Good Teaching as well as the third target criterion of Good Teaching:

• Conditional factors - performance assessment

  • Suitability of the type of exam (4.1-4.5)

  • Coherence of learning outcomes - activities - contents of exam (2.1-2.10)

• Condition factors - students

  • Exam preparation (3.1-3.8)

• Target criteria of Good Teaching / Outcome

  • Learning success (5.1-5.6)

To see which questions we defined for each of these factors and the target criterion have a look at the sample questionnaire.

Purpose

The evaluation of performance assessments has several goals, including the improvement of performance assessments and reflection on your own behavior. 

On the one hand, the evaluation of the performance assessment offers instructors the opportunity to review and, if necessary, improve the quality and suitability of their own performance assessments on the basis of your feedback. On the other hand, the faculty examination boards can use the overall results to develop recommendations for improving performance assessments.

Similar to the final evaluation, the evaluation of performance assessments allows you to reflect on your own behavior by including the conditional factor «students». This time, however, this reflection refers to your exam preparation: Did you prepare and review course materials on a regular basis? Did you start preparing for the exam early enough?

Usage & alternative methods

Some instructors use the evaluation of a performance assessment on a voluntary basis to measure the extent to which the overall course concept is aligned constructively, to find out if the content of the course and/or the assessment should be adjusted and if the type of performance assessment is appropriate.

In addition, the conceptual framework stipulates that 50% of all performance assessments must be evaluated on a regular basis (at least every 3 years). Faculties plan evaluations accordingly and select the performance assessments to be evaluated, following the faculty QM guidelines.

This kind of feedback can also be collected using other instruments (e.g. analysis of grade point averages, self-evaluation reports by instructors), so you do not necessarily have to fill out a questionnaire. Which instrument is used for the evaluation of which performance assessments is determined by the QM officers of each faculty.