Reviewing Evaluations

Course evaluations written by students are one way to get direct feedback about what aspects of a course design or your teaching practice are successful, and which aspects may need an adjustment. It is good practice to regularly review course evaluations and use them to assess how the course is performing.

Reviewing Feedback from Past Semesters

You can view your past evaluations through MyASU Home Page > Teaching & Student Support Tools > Course Evaluations or by directly visiting www.asu.edu/evaluate. Note that evaluations for all SOLS courses will not be released until all instructors submit their final grades.

Analyzing your Evaluation Data

• Prepare yourself: It can be difficult to read some students' evaluations. If reviews that critique your personality or use extreme language affect you strongly, partner with another instructor to filter through each other’s evaluations. Decide with your partner if you want the harsh bits entirely redacted or a summary of what those comments said.
• Self-reflection: Take a few minutes before opening the evaluations to reflect on your performance as the course instructor. Write down aspects that you felt you did well and other areas that may need improvement. 
• Categorize comments: When reading students' comments, it may be helpful to copy them into a separate document. Separate these comments into several categories, such as actionable feedback on teaching style, content, or assignments. 
  • Keep a library of positive feedback for you to use in promotion or award applications, or to read when you need a reminder that your work as an instructor is meaningful to students!
• Identify actionable feedback: Once you have your categories of comments, read each category. 
  • On your first pass, identify any easy-to-complete actions. This might include shifting due dates, moving files to make them more navigable in Canvas, or turning up your microphone in class. 
  • On each pass after that, identify more complex tasks or tasks you might need to ask your TAs or the Instructional Design team for help with. This might include rewriting learning objectives for each module, creating study guides or exam review PowerPoint slides, or realigning the assessments with the course learning outcomes.
• Prioritize changes: Assess which of these improvements you can make for the upcoming term and which will require more time to complete. Reach out to the different SOLS or ASU offices that can help you accomplish these goals. 

Additional Resources

• University Office of Evaluation and Educational Effectiveness: Course Evaluations Instructor FAQs
• University Office of Evaluation and Educational Effectiveness: CoursEval Archived Reports
• University Office of Evaluation and Educational Effectiveness: Explorance Blue FAQs