Course Evaluations
Quantitative Summary
For the majority of the semesters I have been employed at MSU, students have completed course evaluations using the university's online SIRS system. In most semesters, I also ask students to complete my own feedback questionnaire. The first graph shows the average rating for my 3-course load in each semester, and the graphs below show patterns over time in the courses that I have taught most often. Overall the ratings have been fairly consistent. In both cases when the numbers were relatively low, I completely overhauled that course in the following semester, and the ratings showed notable improvement.
Ratings range from 1 to 5. 1 is High and 5 is Low.
Collected SIRS responses by calendar year are available in this folder:
Each spreadsheet has a summary for the year on the first sheet and the original downloads from the MSU SIRS system on subsequent sheets.
- SS14 is based only on the original version of 860 F/SLA. No SIRS then for 815 Culture or 885 Experiential Modules.
- FS15 was my first semester back after maternity leave.
Qualitative Responses
Students have commented on their experience in my courses via the SIRS forms and through other means including my own questionnaires, responses to discussion prompts, conversations during office hours, and the reflective essays that MAFLT students write for their final portfolios. The most positive comments submitted anonymously via SIRS tend to refer to my knowledge of subject matter, efforts to promote interaction in the courses, organization of the online course pages and materials, responsiveness to student needs and challenges, as well as the relevance and interest of the course content to the students. In reviewing their program reflections, I have been pleased to see that the students highlight benefits of the program that align closely with my intentions for their learning and socialization, as demonstrated in this quote from a student who is now pursuing her doctorate:
- Through the MAFLT program, I have grown infinitely not just in my knowledge but also in the ways that I reflect on language and teaching practice and strive to understand and learn from others. Language is a powerful element that has the ability to change lives and change the world. Wherever I end up, I will continue utilizing the knowledge and experiences I gained about teaching interculturally, using technology effectively, assessing appropriately, learning from other language instructors, and researching to always learn more and gain new insights.
The negative comments fall into two categories, both of which have diminished in recent semesters. One is the delay in feedback and release of modules. I have implemented strategies to speed up these processes and improved feedback times now that I am not constructing courses so frequently. The other category has to do with the students' ability to locate and make use of guidance on the major assignments; they note that guidelines and advice are available in the syllabus and Major Assignments folders as well as weekly modules and sometimes discussion prompts and training modules. While I certainly recognize that too much information can be confusing, I continue to offer a great deal of scaffolding, numerous reminders to work on elements of major assignments throughout the semester, and feedback on multiple stages.
All student comments over the last five years can be viewed in this spreadsheet: SIRS Comments 2013-2017
The following graphs summarize evaluations of individual courses that I have taught repeatedly.
The Methods course has remained largely unchanged in content, except for an alternate version in FS14. Recent students have said, "This course was one of the most organized that I have ever participated in, and provides a lot of very valuable information regarding foreign language teaching." In fact, they sometimes complain that they get too much guidance on assignments and tasks, though they value my extensive feedback.
The F/SLA course underwent a complete redesign in SS16. The ratings and comments suggested that students were frustrated with the demanding material, though even in SS15 one student said, "Dr. Temples is such an organized professor. Her classes are scaffolded, and thoughtful, making the otherwise difficult material more manageable. I love her courses." The revised version of the course emphasizes aspects of F/SLA theory and methods that language teachers find relevant to their classrooms, which learners find more accessible and more meaningful.
SIRS evaluations were not available in SS14.
Teaching Culture remains similar to its original form in many ways, but I added readings from Liddicoat and Scarino (2013) in SS16, which offered more practical guidance for instruction. The workload in this course is relatively heavy, but students do not usually respond that the demands of this course were higher than they expected. Students frequently mention this course in their final reflective essays on the program as a whole. They state that it has changed their views of culture and provided a useful framework for teaching intercultural competence, and that they can apply what they have learned in their own lives as well as their pedagogy.
This graph actually represents three entirely different courses that I have taught under the umbrella of FLT 841 Topics in FLT. The Literacy course received lower ratings almost entirely on the basis of its heavy workload, given that I asked students to complete lengthy reading guides every week. The Sociolinguistics and Spoken Language version has been popular, though redesigning the course a third time was demanding for me, and this shows in negative comments about delays in the appearance of content and feedback.
However, in regard to this course, a student in FS16 also said: "She cares greatly about her students and the material she covers. She is also super knowledgeable about what she teaches. She grades fairly and encourages class discussions very well both by posting topics that are both academic and easy to talk about" and in FS17 they only said, "This was a great course."
