Course evaluations
Guide for course directors
Lund University School of Economics and Management, LUSEM, have common routines and terms for course evaluations on first and second cycle studies.
As course director, you are responsible for the activities that are within the course evaluation work for your courses. To your assistance, you have the administrator who works with course evaluations at your course/department.
A course evaluation is a documented compilation of students' and teachers' experiences of and views on a course. A course evaluation is normally done on an entire course, but can also be carried out on modules.
The following terms are used in the course evaluation work at LUSEM:
- Course evaluation – the entire process
- Course valuation (student survey) – the students' experiences and views
- Course analysis – the course director's experiences, views and reflections
- Course evaluation summary – the final report that is archived and published to the students
Student survey
You will receive a proposal for the design of the student survey from the administrator. The proposal contains the standard questions developed at LUSEM, as well as the survey's opening hours. Any changes should be submitted immediately so the construction of the survey can continue.
The administrator creates the student survey in Canvas Survey. The survey is created in the language of instruction and is conducted completely anonymously.
The student survey is sent out to the students with an email via Canvas as the survey opens. Reminders are sent automatically by the system. The survey is also shown in the student's calendar and under "to do" in Canvas.
If possible, set aside time in the schedule to give the students the opportunity to answer the survey during a lecture. Ask the scheduler to leave a comment about this on the current occasion in the schedule (do this well in advance – preferably in connection with the scheduling of the course).
When the student survey is closed, the administrator creates a compilation of the students' answers. The compilation will be available to you in connection with the course analysis.
Course analysis
The course analysis is a documentation of the course director's reflections and conclusions of the course evaluation and must describe what is to be carried out to further develop the course and to ensure quality.
The course analysis must contain:
- Summary of:
- the changes that may have been implemented since the course was last given
- students’ valuation of the course (based on the student survey and other feedback received during the course)
- teachers’ overall assessment
- The course director’s reflections on the course implementation and results
- The course director’s conclusions and any proposals for changes to e.g.:
- goals
- content
- literature
- forms for teaching and examination
- schedule
In the course analysis you, as the course director, should reflect on:
- the results from the student valuation
- pedagogical processes
- goal completion
- course conditions
- the views and experiences of the course director and teachers involved in the course
- students' examination results
The administrator creates the course analysis basis in SUNET Survey. The course director receives an email with a link to the course analysis and gets access to the compilation of the student survey. The course analysis must be written in the course's language of instruction and submitted as soon as possible (if necessary, the course director gets up to six weeks). Reminders are sent until the course analysis is completed.
What is written in the course analysis will be communicated to the students and LundaEkonomerna through the course evaluation summary.
Course evaluation summary
The course evaluation summary is the final report of the course evaluation work. The course evaluation summary is created by the administrator by combining the course analysis and the compilation of the student survey's quantitative questions, into one document.
The administrator publishes the course evaluation summary and archives it in LUSEM’s e-archive.
Publish and communicate the result
The course evaluation summary is communicated as soon as possible by the administrator to the students on the course (the respondents), the subsequent student group and to LundaEkonomerna.
The students on the course (the respondents) – The administrator publishes the course evaluation summary to the student group who have completed the survey, via the course in Canvas.
The subsequent student group – The administrator publishes the most recent course evaluation summary on the upcoming course in Canvas. At the start of a course, for example on the introduction meeting, it is recommended that you as the course director spend a few minutes informing the students about the process of course evaluations – such as the results from previous student surveys, what changes or improvements have been made since the last time the course was given, and the importance of participating as a student in this work by answering future student surveys.
LundaEkonomerna – The administrator publishes the course evaluation summary in LU Box for LundaEkonomerna’s education committee.
In cases where LundaEkonomerna wants more information from the student survey for a course, they can also request answers to the open questions in the survey. Requests are made to the department where the course is given. For instructions, refer to the administrator. The answers to the open questions in the survey are tested for confidentiality and examined on the basis of teachers' and students' integrity before they are released.
Your responsibility as course director within the course evaluation work
- Participate in the design of the survey (at the request of the administrator).
- Give students the opportunity to answer the survey at a scheduled lecture (if possible).
- Conduct a course analysis within the given timeframe.
- Carry out changes and course development well in advance before the next time the course will be given.
- Inform the new student group (e.g. at the introductory meeting) about the importance of, and what role the students' feedback plays, in the quality work. Provide information about the changes and course development that has taken place based on the previous course evaluation.