At the recent TCCTA Fall Conference for Faculty Leaders in Austin, a major topic of conversation was the impact of HB 2504, a new statute that requires institutions of higher education to "develop a plan" to make student evaluations available online. (For background, please view this post.)
Soon colleges will likely begin finding ways to implement the new law. While there is no shortage of commentary on this issue from faculty, it is more difficult to find empirical evidence on the subject. Is there, for instance, a strong correlation between high grades and high student evaluations? Do evaluation results vary across disciplines? What are the best questions to ask students when they evaluate their instructors? What are the technical obstacles and alternatives? These and other questions are vital in addressing what appears to be a formidable challenge for Texas colleges and universities during the coming months.
Members are urged to share their specialized knowledge regarding any valid measurements, studies, pilot programs, etc., that have been conducted in recent years. Ideally, any studies submitted should be accessible in published form. Anecdotal or impressionistic narratives can be extremely useful and often compelling, but at this point the association is interested especially in statistical evidence that can be used by educators at the campus level. TCCTA will share such information on the association's Web site.
Please send any documents or pertinent information to snelson@tccta.org.
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