Teachers evaluated online

by Jennifer Dodd
Staff Writer

In keeping in step with the information age, the University of La Verne is currently testing a new system for completing teacher evaluation forms online.

Al Clark, associate vice-president of academic affairs and professor of humanities, is hoping the new system will benefit both students and teachers by saving time in the classroom and eliminating the amount of paperwork involved.

The online system is currently being tested with CAPA cycles I and II, yielding a positive response so far.

The system, which is accessible through ULV's website, is simple to follow and allows students to take as much room as needed to write comments.

After logging on to the web site, classes that need to be evaluated appear on a pop up screen, making it very user friendly.

After completing each evaluation, a receipt is printed to return to the teacher.

"The current system takes a month or two for the data to be compiled and returned to the teachers, and it is only representing the students who showed up to class that day, not the class as a whole," said Gretchen Atkinson, research analyst for academic affairs.

Presently, teachers must go to the dean's office to read the comments on the forms, but now the comments will come with the statistics all in one report.

Research assistant David Arnold, who wrote the program, said that eventually the research could be put on a disk and given to the dean and department chairs for easy access.

"The new system will also allow the research staff more time to analyze the data rather than compile and produce it," Arnold said.

The faculty has raised some concerns about the online program.

They question how different the students' responses might be when taken individually and want reassurance that all students will complete the form. The most prominent concern has been ensuring that the evaluations will remain anonymous.

"Students will use their student ID number to access the forms and to ensure that they do not fill out more than one evaluation for a class," Atkinson said.

However, the program will not record the student identification number.

The idea of moving the evaluations to an online format was brought forth in November 2001, but was not explored until last summer.

"Right now, we have data stored everywhere, which makes it difficult for the research analysts, teachers and the dean to have access to it. With the new online program, we will now have the ability to make statistical comparisons and sort out the data," Clark said.

The first pilot will end this week. The results will be taken to the Faculty Senate on Nov. 11 to determine if the system will be used for traditional undergraduates.

For more information or questions call Clark at extension 4240. Or call Atkinson at extension 4284 or Arnold at extension 4287.