| Topic
4/Task: |
Undertake an inspection
and appraisal of methods of evaluating teaching in your own institution,
using checkpoints from Ramsden's Chapter 11. These are (you may add
others as you find them) ---
- Control:
who controls the process, the data, the usage? (pp217-218) Is evaluation
done ON you by others or BY YOU for yourself or BY YOU for others?
- The point of
it? (pp219-221). To what extent does
undergoing or undertaking each particular kind of evaluation address
the question "What do teachers concerned for student learning
really want, and need, to know about themselves?"
- Range and particularity: (221-223). Is it intended to provide information about groups
or individuals? teaching or programs?
- Managerial:
(224-229) To what extent does it comply
with or serve the function of performance appraisal for managerial
purposes?
- Student rating:
(229-233) To what extent does it depend upon, or is it dominated by,
student ratings? And how valid are the instruments used for that likely
to be? What other measures are used besides ratings?
- Minimal/duties-based?: (233-236) To what extent is it concerned with setting minimal
standards which all staff are expected to attain as part of their
contract obligations (duties); if it goes beyond that, where do these
higher standards inherent in the evaluation come from?
- Institutional
appraisal: Is the CEQ or some similar scale involved at some point as an
institutional measure? (236-239). If so, what use is made of the results
as feedback to departments? In what way does the CEQ's use either
enhance or detract from the development of collegiality and trust?
- Finally
test each method or instrument or scheme in use against Ramsden's
nine points (241) and find out which ones are superior on that scale
of comparison. Compare outcomes with others in your group who are
considering similar instruments or schemes to yours.
When you have interrogated
the evaluation methods in use in your institution, re-consider the case
studies Ramsden offers (242-246) and choose from Ramsden's cases one
method you are not at present using, or not at present available to
you, and appraise its suitability for possible use in one of your courses
or for some aspect of your teaching.
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