Fostering A Teaching And Learning Opportunity: Toward Equity In Student Feedback Of Teaching

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Abstract

Educators within post-secondary institutions receive input in the form of course evaluations from their students. The aim of receiving student input is to improve the teaching and learning experience for all. There are, however, inherent problems with the current methods of obtaining students' views through course evaluations. In this pilot study, the researchers focused on two problems: universally low response rates of 20% or less of student input in formal course evaluations and the problematic bias associated with anonymous course evaluations. Implementing practices that encourage students to provide course feedback, thus moving away from the term course evaluation was a first step to address these problems. A process was piloted in this study with 16 domestic undergraduate Bachelor of Science students whereby the researchers encouraged reflection, dialogue, and accountability in the new model and compared the differences against the problematic original model of receiving course evaluation input from students.

Author Biographies

Moira McDonald, Royal Roads University

McDonald is an Assistant Professor, School Director, and Program Head in the School of Tourism and Hospitality Management. Passionate about teaching and supporting a sense of belonging for undergraduate and graduate students. Her research interests include intercultural education, leadership in tourism and hospitality, women and mentorship in the workplace,  internationalization at home, adult learning theories applied to experiences and transformational learning theory.

Michael-Anne Noble, Royal Roads University

Dr. Michael-Anne (Mickie) Noble is an Associate Professor in the School of Environment and Sustainability with over 25 years of experience teaching undergraduate science. Her current research interests include problem-based learning in online environments, undergraduate science curriculum design and children’s representations of scientists. She developed and works extensively with the K-5 Science Outreach Program to allow elementary school children the opportunity to experience hands-on science both in the laboratory as well as in the forest and creeks on the Royal Roads grounds. Noble is part of the Science Educators Research Group (SERG), a subgroup of the Canadian Society for Studies in Education, and reviews proposals for the annual conference of SERG.   

 Noble earned her PhD in Curriculum and Instruction from the Faculty of Education at the University of Victoria in 2017. She also holds a Master of Science in Microbiology (1993) and a Bachelor of Science (Honours) in Biochemistry (1990) from the University of Victoria. 

 

Brigitte Harris, Royal Roads University

Dr. Brigitte Harris, dean of the Faculty of Social and Applied Science, is an experienced leadership educator passionate about providing relevant and engaging learning experiences for adult learners. Her research interests include qualitative research methods, especially narrative inquiry and arts-based research, learning and teaching in higher education, workplace and professional education, and leadership in healthcare settings. She was an associate faculty member from 2001 to 2007 and then worked for the B.C. government for several years before returning to Royal Roads in 2011 as an associate professor. 

Valeria Cortés , Royal Roads University

Valeria Cortés (she/her) brings over 25 years of experience in higher education. Originally from Mexico, Val is committed to cultivating inclusive educational spaces. Val’s expertise is in leadership development. As an associate faculty member at Royal Roads University, she is researching the impact of employment-focused programs for Indigenous learners at Royal Roads. 

Ken Jeffery, Royal Roads University

Having moved to the world of higher education from a rich background in visual communications, Ken Jeffery has many years of experience in post-secondary teaching and instructional design that inform his role as Associate Director, Centre for Teaching and Educational Technologies (CTET) at Royal Roads University. His master’s research in strategies for implementing social media in constructivist teaching practices led to other research and writing interests in visual learning design, socially constructive learning, critical pedagogy, and open education practices. Ken continues to teach part-time at the University as associate faculty for the School of Education and Technology. 

 

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Published

2024-06-26

Issue

Vol. 7 (2024): Blended and Online Learning in Postsecondary Education

Section

Articles

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Copyright (c) 2024 Moira McDonald, Michael-Anne Noble, Brigitte Harris, Valeria Cortés , Ken Jeffery

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