The Online Evaluation of Courses: Impact on Participation Rates and Evaluation Scores

Canadian Society for the Study of Higher Education. P.O. Box 34091, RPO Fort Richmond, Winnipeg, MB R3T 5T5, Canada. Tel: 204-474-6404; Fax: 204-474-7561; e-mail: [email protected]; Web site: http://csshe-scees.ca/publications/canadian-journal-of-high

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Foreign Countries; Course Evaluation; Computer Uses in Education; College Students; Student Participation; Scores; Pilot Projects; Comparative Analysis; Student Satisfaction; College Faculty; Questionnaires

0316-1218

At one of Ontario's largest universities, the University of Ottawa, course evaluations involve about 6,000 course sections and over 43,000 students every year. This paper-based format requires over 1,000,000 sheets of paper, 20,000 envelopes, and the support of dozens of administrative staff members. To examine the impact of a shift to an online system for the evaluation of courses, the following study sought to compare participation rates and evaluation scores of an online and paper-based course evaluation system. Results from a pilot group of 10,417 students registered in 318 courses suggest an average decrease in participation rate of 12-15% when using an online system. No significant differences in evaluation scores were observed. Instructors and students alike shared positive reviews about the online system; however, they suggested that an in class period be maintained for the electronic completion of course evaluations.

As Provided

19

2017

EJ1154163