Student Summative Evaluation of Teaching

The following code of practice has been developed by the Association of University Staff (AUS) of New Zealand (Inc.) with Dr Cedric Hall, Director, University Teaching Development Centre (UTDC), Victoria University of Wellington. The code deals with the use of student evaluations of teaching for summative decision making (e.g. promotion, tenure, etc.). A draft of the AUS code was distributed to the centres responsible for academic staff development in each university and all committees of AUS for comment. We thank the individuals and groups concerned for their comments and advice. Appropriate changes have been made to the code to take account of the suggestions provided. The AUS code on student summative evaluation of teaching is for the use of AUSNZ members and New Zealand universities. The code is intended to encourage good professional practice in the use of student summative evaluation of teaching and teaching staff. AUS recognises that the contents of the code will need to be reviewed from time to time to take account of changing practices and educational developments within institutions. AUS recognises that student views can be a relevant consideration in overall evaluation of teaching quality, and that they can properly have a place in decision making in relation to tenure and promotion for teaching staff. However, varying practices in ascertaining student views have led (both in New Zealand and internationally) to instances of such decisions being based on invalid and unreliable data from student views. Bad practice in these areas reflects poorly on the institution(s), as well as being unfair to staff; in some instances, it may also be in breach of current legislation. This Code of Practice is based on the belief that any evaluation should provide valid (i.e. relevant and useful) and reliable (i.e. accurate) information on the quality of a person's teaching. AUS believes that teaching quality must be judged in context: the type and purpose of the teaching, the background of the students, the resources available and the voluntary/compulsory nature of the course, should all be considered. Validity and reliability, therefore, relate not only to the measurements that are made of a person's teaching performance, but also to the interpretation of the results

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• Multi‐dimensional evaluation for module improvement

  Karen Ellery•Assessment & Evaluation in Higher…•2006

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