Evaluation for quality enhancement is about learning. It involves learning from our students about their learning, and learning about our teaching from our students, our colleagues and our selves, in order to make improvements that focus our practice on teaching for learning.

Evaluation occupies a central role in teaching and forms and shapes the professional practice of individual teachers. Effective teaching is not simply a matter of following a set of rules or applying a particular technique. Each teaching situation is unique and can be thought of as a form of problem solving requiring teachers to make judgements about how to best engage their students in the process of learning.

Evaluation as action-inquiry requires an ongoing process of collecting information, reflecting on one's teaching practice, and then taking actions designed to improve student learning (Figure 1). The process of evaluation is complex, requiring decisions about what to evaluate, what sources of information to use, and how to collect and interpret that information, as well as decisions about how the outcomes of the evaluation will be used and how actions will be developed and implemented.

Because the process is cyclic it is possible to begin the process at any of the stages. Completing one cycle initiates the beginning of the next cycle.

Feedback for quality enhancement

It needs to be flexible and tailored to the information needs of the individual or course/unit team.  Dissemination of outcomes needs to be kept confidential and under the control of those concerned. 

The Teaching and Learning Centre (TLC) has developed a suite of developmental evaluation tools that staff can use for QE purposes.  The tools may be modified to suit different contexts, and are designed for self-administration and analysis.  The tools are grouped into four categories, based on the source of evaluative feedback: students, self, peers and research and theory. 

1. Feedback from Students
2. Feedback from Self
3. Feedback from Peers
4. Feedback from Theory and Research
   

For further information:

Angelo, T. A. & Cross, K. P. (1993). Classroom Assessment Techniques, 2nd Edition. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.  UC Library LB2822.75.A54 1993 or see http://honolulu.hawaii.edu/intranet/committees/FacDevCom/guidebk/teachtip/assess-2.htm

Baume, D. (2002). Monitoring and evaluating teaching. Available at: http://www.brookes.ac.uk/services/ocsd/firstwords/fw4con.html

Brookfield, S. (1995). Becoming a Critically Reflective Teacher. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass. UC Library LB2331.B677 1995.

Fink, L. D. (1999). Evaluating your own teaching. Available at: http://honolulu.hawaii.edu/intranet/committees/FacDevCom/guidebk/teachtip/evaluate.htm

Learning Technology Dissemination Initiative (2008). Evaluation cookbook. A practical guide to evaluation methods for lecturers. Available at: http://www.icbl.hw.ac.uk/ltdi/cookbook/contents.html

McCormack, C. (2003). Evaluating Your Teaching - The Process of Evaluation. Canberra: Centre for the Enhancement of Learning, Teaching and Scholarship, University of Canberra
 

|For more information email - Coralie.McCormack@canberra.edu.au|