From constructive to critical and everywhere in between: education leaders' decision-making related to harsh feedback from learners about their teachers.

Feedback from learners is important to support faculty development, but negative feedback can harm teachers' motivation, engagement, and retention. Leaders of educational programs, therefore, need to balance enabling students' voices to be heard with maintaining teachers' enthusiasm and commitment to teaching. Given the paucity of research to explain or guide this struggle, we explored why and how education leaders grapple with negative learner feedback received about their teachers. Using an Interpretive Description methodology, 11 education leaders participated in semi-structured interviews. Discussion was stimulated by showing participants learner narratives they had previously asked to be deleted because they perceived the narrative to be overly critical. Transcripts were iteratively analyzed as codes were developed, refined, and combined into themes. Education leaders interpreted the scope, framing, and focus of the feedback to decide whether it was overly critical. Such determinations were combined with contextual considerations such as the teacher's personal circumstances, the learning environment and how the teacher might react to think through what potential damage the feedback might do to the teacher. Throughout the process, leaders struggled with whether protecting teachers risked not protecting learners and remained unsure about the ethics of censoring student voices. Our study offers direction regarding how to optimize feedback to teachers while minimizing risks inherent in sharing negative feedback with them. Implications include that there is value in: (1) extending feedback interpretation support to teachers, education leaders and learners; (2) situating upward feedback in a coaching dialogue; and, (3) applying the same principles recommended for the provision of feedback to learners, to teachers.

Small programs, big challenges: Reimagining the evaluation of clinical teaching in genetic counseling.

Within the health professions education system, a significant proportion of teaching and learning occurs in the clinical setting. As such, the need to measure effective teaching for accreditation standards, faculty development, merit pay, academic promotion, and for monitoring the safety of the learning environment has led to numerous universities developing instruments to evaluate teaching effectiveness in this context. To date; however, these instruments typically focus on the student perspective, despite evidence demonstrating that student evaluations of teaching (SETs) lack correlation with learning outcomes and are not a true measure of teaching effectiveness. This issue is further exacerbated in small health professional training programs, such as genetic counseling, where clinical teachers may only supervise 1-3 students per year. As a result, not only are SETs more confounded due to small sample sizes, but a direct conflict exists between respecting learner anonymity and providing timely and relevant feedback to faculty. In such contexts, even using SETs to evaluate the nature of the learning environment may be unreliable due to student concerns about identifiability and fear of retaliation for unfavorable evaluation. This paper will review the literature regarding SETs, barriers to this process within the clinical setting, and the unintended downstream consequences. Options for addressing issues related to the use of SETs will be considered, with particular focus on the process of reflection and the use of teaching consultations or peer support groups as a means to improve teaching effectiveness in this learning environment.

Approaches to Item-Level Data with Cross-Classified Structure: An Illustration with Student Evaluation of Teaching.

Student evaluation of teaching (SET) questionnaires are ubiquitously applied in higher education institutions in North America for both formative and summative purposes. Data collected from SET questionnaires are usually item-level data with cross-classified structure, which are characterized by multivariate categorical outcomes (i.e., multiple Likert-type items in the questionnaires) and cross-classified structure (i.e., non-nested students and instructors). Recently, a new approach, namely the cross-classified IRT model, was proposed for appropriately handling SET data. To inform researchers in higher education, in this article, the cross-classified IRT model, along with three existing approaches applied in SET studies, including the cross-classified random effects model (CCREM), the multilevel item response theory (MLIRT) model, and a two-step integrated strategy, was reviewed. The strengths and weaknesses of each of the four approaches were also discussed. Additionally, the new and existing approaches were compared through an empirical data analysis and a preliminary simulation study. This article concluded by providing general suggestions to researchers for analyzing SET data and discussing limitations and future research directions.

Perceptions and attitudes of medical students towards student evaluation of teaching: A cross-sectional study.

BACKGROUND: Faculty evaluation surveys in the frame of student evaluation of teaching (SETs) are a widely utilized tool to assess faculty teaching. Although SETs are used regularly to evaluate teaching effectiveness, their sole use for making administrative decisions and as an indicator of teaching quality has been controversial. METHODS: A survey containing 22 items assessing demographics, perception, and factors for evaluating faculty was distributed to medical students at our institute. Statistical analyses were conducted using Microsoft Excel and R Software utilizing regression analysis and ANOVA test. RESULTS: The survey received 374 responses consisting of 191 (51.1%) male students and 183 (48.9%) female students. In all, 178 (47.5%) students considered the optimal time for providing faculty evaluation to be after the release of the exam results, compared to 127 (33.9%) students, who chose the after the exam but before the release of exam results option. When asked what happens whenever the tutor is aware about the SETs data, 273 (72.9%) and 254 (67.9%) students believed that it would influence the difficulty of the exam and grading/curving of the exam results, respectively. Better teaching skills (93%, 348), being responsive and open to student feedback and suggestions (84.7%, 317), being committed to class time and schedule (80.1%, 300), and an easier exam (68.6%, 257) were considered important factors to acquire a positive evaluation by a considerable proportion of students. Fewer lectures (P < 0.05), decreased number of slides per lecture (P < 0.01), easier exam (P < 0.05), and giving clues to students about the exam (P < 0.05) were found to be very important to obtain a positive tutor evaluation by students. CONCLUSIONS: Institutions ought to continue exploring areas of improvement in the faculty evaluation process while raising awareness among students about the importance and administrative implications of their feedback.

Online Parameter Estimation for Student Evaluation of Teaching.

Student evaluation of teaching (SET) assesses students' experiences in a class to evaluate teachers' performance in class. SET essentially comprises three facets: teaching proficiency, student rating harshness, and item properties. The computerized adaptive testing form of SET with an established item pool has been used in educational environments. However, conventional scoring methods ignore the harshness of students toward teachers and, therefore, are unable to provide a valid assessment. In addition, simultaneously estimating teachers' teaching proficiency and students' harshness remains an unaddressed issue in the context of online SET. In the current study, we develop and compare three novel methods-marginal, iterative once, and hybrid approaches-to improve the precision of parameter estimations. A simulation study is conducted to demonstrate that the hybrid method is a promising technique that can substantially outperform traditional methods.

Dental students' and faculty perception of online exams with e-invigilation in Cyprus.

INTRODUCTION: During the recent pandemic, e-learning and e-assessment methods have been implemented worldwide, providing opportunities for further implementation in the dental curriculum. This study aims to research the dental students' and dental faculty's perceptions of online exams with e-invigilation. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Online questionnaires were developed and delivered, after three semesters of online exams, to all students and faculty. Descriptive statistics were performed, and answers were grouped into Principal Components (PC) using Principal Component Analysis (PCA). Statistical significance was set at p < .05. RESULTS: Two-hundred and sixty dental students (83.7%) and 24 dental faculty members (63.1%) answered the online questionnaires. PCA of students' responses revealed 4 PC, 'University support to students', 'Comparison between online and face-to-face exams', 'Preparation for the online exams' and 'Attitudes towards the technology used for the online exams'. PCA of faculty responses revealed 5 PC: 'Comparison between online and face-to-face exams', 'University support to faculty', 'Faculty attitudes towards the exam procedures', 'Human factors associated with the exam procedures' and 'Exam invigilation'. The overall satisfaction was high for both staff and students (higher for students and female staff). Students with previous experience in online exams scored more positively than first-year students. University support, process-related stress and e-invigilation were highlighted. CONCLUSIONS: The overall satisfaction with the e-exams was high, despite the technical problems, time-consuming processes and related stress. University support (training, IT support and resources) and mock exams emerged as important elements of online exams, as was the e-invigilation, which students perceived as efficient and non-intrusive.

Critique of Approaches for Evaluating Teaching and Proposal for a New Institutional Policy.

A review of current literature provides ample evidence that Student Evaluation of Teaching, as currently practiced, can be a biased and flawed evaluation of educator performance and student learning. Due to this, many institutions have developed their own internal multimodal approach for faculty evaluation and professional advancement review that removes the underlying bias associated with survey results. Ross University School of Veterinary Medicine created a taskforce to evaluate the current teaching assessment practices and provide an alternative method. Based on an extensive literature review, an institutional policy was created using a multimodal approach, combining student evaluations of teaching scores with peer review of teaching, review of teaching materials, mentorship, self-ratings, and self-reflection. The implementation plan for this policy is described to allow for a teaching evaluation process built on a philosophy of mentorship, guidance, and self-reflection; as well as the use of external professional exam metrics to review the institutional academic quality at large.

In the eye of the beholder - how course delivery affects anatomy education.

BACKGROUND: The COVID-19 pandemic caused major shifts in students' learning strategies as well as teaching environments that profoundly affected the delivery of anatomy courses in medical schools. The Department of Anatomy at the University of Zagreb School of Medicine had a unique experience where the anatomy course in 2019/2020 was first taught in-person before transferring to an online course delivery, while the inverse happened in 2020/2021. The core curriculum, course material and examination criteria were the same in both academic years. The aim of the study was to determine whether course delivery affected students' perceptions of the course and whether it impacted students' engagement and success. METHODS: The students' perceptions of the course were assessed via an anonymous course survey (student evaluation of teaching, SET). The questions in the SET assessed the usefulness of teaching modalities rather than students' satisfaction. Most questions were in the form of statements to which students responded with their level of agreement on a five-point Likert scale. Differences between responses in 2019/2020 and 2020/2021 were analyzed using the Mann-Whitney test. Effect size was estimated using Cliff's delta and association between responses was assessed using Spearman's r coefficient. RESULTS: Students' perceptions were significantly affected by changes in course delivery. Students' success and engagement were higher in 2019/2020 when in-person teaching preceded online teaching. Furthermore, students' views on course organization and the usefulness of continuous assessment were more positive in 2019/2020. Finally, students' perceptions of the usefulness of online materials and activities were more positive in 2019/2020. All comparisons between the two academic years were statistically significant (P ≤ 0.0001 for all comparisons, Mann-Whitney test). CONCLUSIONS: Students' perceptions of the anatomy course were dependent on the teaching environment they were exposed to at the beginning of the course. A transfer from in-person to online course delivery was more successful than vice-versa. This has important implications for structuring hybrid courses in medical education in the future.

The Problematic Persistence of Tiered Grading in Medical School.

Issue: The evaluation of medical students is a critical, complex, and controversial process. It is tightly woven into the medical school curriculum, beginning at the inception of the medical student's professional journey. In this respect, medical student evaluation is among the first in a series of ongoing, lifelong assessments that influence the interpersonal, ethical, and socioeconomic dimensions necessary for an effective physician workforce. Yet, tiered grading has a questionable historic pedagogic basis in American medical education, and evidence suggests that tiered grading itself is a source of student burnout, anxiety, depression, increased competitiveness, reduced group cohesion, and racial biases. Evidence: In its most basic form, medical student evaluation is an assessment of the initial cognitive and technical competencies ultimately needed for the safe and effective practice of contemporary medicine. At many American medical schools, such evaluation relies largely on norm-based comparisons, such as tiered grading. Yet, tiered grading can cause student distress, is considered unfair by most students, is associated with biases against under-represented minorities, and demonstrates inconsistent correlation with residency performance. While arguments that tiered grading motivates student performance have enjoyed historic precedence in academia, such arguments are not supported by robust data or theories of motivation. Implications: Given the evolving recognition of the deleterious effects on medical student mental health, cohesiveness, and diversity, the use of tiered grading in medical schools to measure or stimulate academic performance, or by residency program directors to distinguish residency applicants, remains questionable. Examination of tiered grading in its historical, psychometric, psychosocial, and moral dimensions and the various arguments used to maintain it reveals a need for investigation of, if not transition to, alternative and non-tiered assessments of our medical students.

Evaluation of different teaching methodologies by assessing the performance of dentistry students / Avaliação de diferentes metodologias de aprendizagem aferindo o desempenho de estudantes de odontologia

Objective: The aim of this study was to compare the performance of day- and evening-class students in the first semester test of Dental Materials in the School of Dentistry at São José dos Campos - UNESP, who were exposed to traditional lectures (TRAD) and Team-Based Learning (TBL). Material and Methods: The results of Dental Materials first semester test of students, from day and evening classes of 2016 were tabulated and analyzed in this research. The groups formed for the execution of the methodology were randomized using the individual global average of the previous year of the students, and the groups were composed of 6 to 7 members, maintained throughout the course. During the correction of the tests, the subject of each question and the applied methodology (TBL and TRAD) were identified. Responses of each question were graded separately according to the subject for comparison between methodologies. A total of 88 tests were evaluated. The performance was evaluated through a comparison of the average grade of each question, related to a specific learning methodology. The data were submitted to t-test. Results: The students' overall performance was similar when both methodologies were compared. Students from day class presented higher grades with TBL whilst evening class students presented better performance in questions with traditional lectures. Conclusion: Active learning should be further implemented in Brazilian Dental Schools to change students' habits aiming to improve their personal and social skills besides of professional technical knowledge. (AU)

Objetivo: O objetivo deste estudo foi comparar o desempenho de alunos dos turnos diurno e noturno na prova do primeiro semestre da Disciplina Materiais Dentários da Faculdade de Odontologia de São José dos Campos - UNESP, expostos a aulas tradicionais (TRAD) e Aprendizagem Baseada em Equipe (TBL). Material e Métodos: Os resultados da prova dos alunos, dos turnos diurno e noturno de 2016, foram tabulados e analisados. As turmas utilizadas para a execução da pesquisa foram randomizadas utilizando-se a média global individual do ano anterior dos alunos, sendo as turmas compostas de 6 a 7 integrantes, mantidas ao longo do curso. Durante a correção das provas, foram identificados os assuntos de cada questão e a metodologia aplicada (TRAD e TBL). As respostas de cada questão foram graduadas separadamente de acordo com o assunto para comparação entre as metodologias. Um total de 88 testes foi avaliado. O desempenho dos alunos foi avaliado por meio da comparação da nota média de cada questão, relacionada a uma metodologia específica de aprendizagem. Os dados foram submetidos ao teste t. Resultados: O desempenho geral dos alunos foi semelhante quando comparadas as duas metodologias. Os alunos do período diurno apresentaram notas mais altas no tratamento TBL, enquanto os alunos do período noturno apresentaram melhor desempenho nas questões com aulas expositivas tradicionais. Conclusão: A aprendizagem ativa deve ser mais implementada nos cursos de graduação em Odontologia, no Brasil, para melhorar as habilidades pessoais e sociais dos alunos, além de aperfeiçoar o conhecimento técnico profissional dos discentes (AU).

Why teaching innovation matters: Evidence from a pre- versus peri-COVID-19 pandemic comparison of student evaluation data.

The COVID-19 pandemic has robustly affected global education environments, so higher education institutions need to emphasize innovation and creativity in educational methods for teachers to improve their teaching performance as well as enhance the engagement and motivation of students in this changing environment. Accordingly, it is essential to discuss the role of teaching innovation in the setting of the COVID-19 pandemic compared to the pre-COVID-19 period. The aim of this study is to empirically validate the importance of teaching innovation in student evaluation of teaching before and during the COVID-19 pandemic. Data were collected from the medical college of a comprehensive university in Taiwan and were subjected to t-tests and multiple linear regression analysis. Findings from a quantitative study with 44 teachers revealed that teaching innovation was positively correlated to student evaluation of teaching. We also found that teachers who implemented teaching innovation strategies performed better than those teachers who used conventional teaching strategies on student evaluation of teaching. In particular, teaching innovative teachers had improvement in student evaluation of teaching during the time of the COVID-19 pandemic, but not non-teaching innovative teachers. The evidence from this study suggests that teaching innovation can not only enhance teachers' teaching development and performance but also boost students' motivation for learning, especially in the time of the COVID-19 pandemic. Our findings have important implications for future research on teaching innovation and for higher education institutions and faculty wishing to provide high-quality learning environments to their students.

Spain is not different: teaching quantitative courses can also be hazardous to one's career (at least in undergraduate courses).

Student evaluations of teaching (SETs) have become a widely used tool for assessing teaching in higher education. However, numerous investigations have shown that SETs are subject to multiple biases, one of which is particularly relevant, namely, the area of knowledge to which the subject belongs. This article aims to replicate the article by Uttl & Smibert (2017, https://doi.org/10.7717/peerj.3299) in a different educational context to verify whether the negative bias toward instructors who teach quantitative courses found by the authors in the US also appears in the Spanish university system. The study was conducted at the Business and Law School of the Universidad Pontificia Comillas, a private Spanish university, using two different samples. First, we analyzed undergraduate courses using a sample of 80,667 SETs in which 2,885 classes (defined as a single semester-long course taught by an individual instructor to a specific group of students), 488 instructors, and 322 different courses were evaluated over a time period of four academic years (2016/2017-2019/2020). Second, in the same period, 16,083 SETs corresponding to master's degree courses were analyzed, which involved the study of 871 classes, 275 instructors, and 155 different courses. All the data included in the analysis were obtained from official university surveys developed by a team of professionals specialized in teaching quality responsible for ensuring the reliability of the information. At the degree level, the results show that despite the considerable cultural and temporal difference between the samples, the results are very similar to those obtained by Uttl & Smibert (2017, https://doi.org/10.7717/peerj.3299); i.e., professors teaching quantitative courses are far more likely to obtain worse SETs than instructors in other areas. There are hardly any differences at the master's degree level, regardless of whether nearly 75% of master's degree instructors also teach at the undergraduate level. This leads us to three different conclusions. (1) Evidence suggests that the reason for these differences is not due to faculty teaching quantitative courses being less effective than faculty teaching in some other fields. Our results indicate that the same instructor is evaluated very differently depending on whether he or she teaches at the undergraduate or master's level. (2) It is essential to avoid comparisons of SETs between different areas of knowledge, at least at the undergraduate level. (3) A significant change in the use and interpretation of SETs is imperative, or its replacement by other evaluation mechanisms should be considered. If this does not occur, it is possible that in the future, there will be an adverse selection effect among professors of quantitative methods; i.e., only the worst professionals in quantitative methods will opt for teaching since the good professionals will prefer other jobs.

What Faculty Want: Academic and Community Emergency Physicians' Perceptions of Learner Feedback.

Introduction Faculty development is often deployed by central medical schools, with little guidance from end-users. How and what faculty members can use to improve their performance requires a deeper understanding from this user group. This study aims to explore how faculty perceive learners' feedback about their performance as educators. Methods This study is an explanatory mixed-method research, wherein community- and academic-based emergency medicine faculty members from nine regional hospitals were surveyed about their perceptions of various outcome measures for faculty development. Selected participants were invited to follow-up interviews. We analyzed the physicians' perceptions toward teaching and performance feedback data based on faculty's gender, role as academic or community physician, and work experience. Results The quantitative phase has 104 participants, and 15 of these were followed up with interviews. The gender of faculty does not have statistical or practical differences regarding their perceptions of learner feedback. Type of practice contains meaningful insights about the perception of learner feedback although it does not have a statistical difference. Moreover, an inverse trend exists between the physicians' years of experience and their perceived value of learner feedback. Kruskal-Wallis test showed a significant difference in the faculty's experience level and their perceived value for the metric "quantity of feedback commentary compared to their peer group" (H(4) = 12.21, p = 0.02), specifically between junior and senior faculty (p = 0.007). Some faculty stated that experienced faculty may perceive they have a very well-established style. Conclusions Diversifying feedback sources and delivery may be useful for different groups of faculty members. Junior physicians are more interested in gaining feedback about the quantity of their written feedback to students compared to more senior physicians. Learner feedback holds promise to trigger continuous improvement in community sites for those who fall behind compared to the academic sites.

Development of the Student Practice Evaluation Form - Revised (Second Edition) (SPEF-R2): The second action research cycle.

INTRODUCTION: The Student Practice Evaluation Form - Revised Edition (SPEF-R) was used across Australian universities from 2008 to 2020 to assess occupational therapy student performance on practice placement. Evolution of practice contexts, placement models and professional competency standards prompted updating of the tool. This paper describes the second and final action research cycle in the development of the SPEF-R2. METHODS: Cycle 2 included three phases: (a) piloting of the SPEF-R2 and post-pilot survey to determine utility and applicability; (b) post-pilot focus groups/interviews; and (c) final amendments for publication and launch. Quantitative data were summarised descriptively, and qualitative data were analysed using qualitative content analysis and reported using illustrative quotes. RESULTS: In Phase 1, 23 participants piloted the SPEF-R2 and completed a post-pilot survey. Results indicated participants found the SPEF-R2 relevant to a range of traditional and contemporary settings, easy to understand and an improvement over the previous version of the tool. Most participants found it more concise and less repetitive than the SPEF-R. Participants particularly valued additions regarding culturally responsive practice, student health and well-being and reflective practice. In Phase 2, five post-pilot focus groups/interviews were held, gathering a deeper understanding of its utility. Discussion highlighted desire for an additional core item within the self-management domain (Domain Two). Increased confidence in rating and provision of feedback on student performance were also evident. Reflection on findings led to final amendments and publication of the SPEF-R2. CONCLUSION: Extensive consultation with the occupational therapy community informed the development of the SPEF-R2, reflecting contemporary practice and meeting the expectations of Australian occupational therapists. Action research was an effective approach to the development of the SPEF-R2. Use of the manual and training website and support from universities are paramount if practice educators are to use the tool effectively.

The effect of teaching style and academic motivation on student evaluation of teaching: Insights from social cognition.

Student evaluation of teaching (SET) is ubiquitous in higher education as a metric for assessing teachers, gaining student feedback, and informing faculty personnel decisions. It is thus imperative to examine the dimensions along which a teacher is judged. This study tested the application of the universal dimensions of social judgment (i.e., warmth and competence) in SET. A total of 108 psychology undergraduates (M age = 23.63, SD age = 3.14) in Singapore rated a fictitious teacher (i.e., either relationship-oriented or task-oriented) based on their interactions over a programmed online chat. Participants responded to the social judgment measures of warmth and competence and rated their academic motivation. Results indicated a higher SET rating for a relationship-oriented than a task-oriented teacher. Further, student academic motivation mediated the link between teaching style and judgment of competence. The findings extend the supremacy of warmth in the context of SET, thus supporting the application of social cognition literature to educational research. In addition, the findings suggest that fostering a match in task goals between a teacher and student improves ratings of teacher competence.

Evaluation of Preclinical Task Based Learning program in Medical Education.

The conventional curriculum in preclinical medical education has a need for early clinical exposure programs that help in correlation of basic science data with clinical skills. This is helpful to develop clinical reasoning skills, problem-solving abilities, team work, communication skills and overall attitudes and behaviour relevant for a healthcare provider. Preclinical task based learning (TskBL) is an active learning strategy in which the focus for the first year medical student is a real task done by a doctor. In this strategy the student-doctors undergo a standardized patient encounter and discuss the learning issues related to the task in the first year of medical school. The current study is focussed on the student perception of the effectiveness of task based learning module.The TskBL was conducted among first year medical students for nine topics that are commonly encountered in the clinics. After TskBL was planned and implemented the evaluation of the modules was done using focus group discussions. The students highlighted the importance of standardized patients in the TskBL strategy in providing early clinical exposure in preclinical medical education. They reported its usefulness gaining essential knowledge, skills and attitudes for medical learning. They reported positive outcomes of module design and processes and activities in TskBL. Based on the negative aspects of the modules, future improvement was suggested in improving the usefulness of standardized patient encounter. This study showed the novice learners' outlook of the potency of TskBL for several other topics of clinical relevance to provide early clinical exposure in medical schools.

Implementation of a Blended Learning Module to Teach Handling, Restraint, and Physical Examination of Cats in Undergraduate Veterinary Training.

Cats can be easily stressed in a clinical (training) setting and may show unpredictable reactions and patterns of defensive aggression. This can be a complicating factor in undergraduate veterinary training. Inexperienced veterinary students can evoke defensive feline behavior that negatively affects learning outcomes and animal welfare. As a result, restraint techniques and physical examination of cats was hardly practiced in pre-clinical training at Utrecht University. To overcome this, a new blended learning module was developed using a lecture on feline behavior; e-learning modules about feline behavior, handling, restraint, and physical examination skills; and redesigned practical sessions in which live animals and manikins were used. The aim of this study was to investigate how students' perceptions of competence and confidence changed regarding feline behavior, handling, restraint, and physical examination skills after the new module was implemented. Questionnaires were used for quantitative analysis, and focus groups were used for qualitative analysis. The results show that compared with students who followed the standard module, students who participated in the blended learning module scored higher in feeling confident with handling animals, feeling competent to perform physical examination on cats, and ability to assess whether a cat is stressed. Students with less experience with cats were more likely to show improvement in assessing a cat's stress level than students who had much experience with cats. The results demonstrate that the blended learning module improves students' learning outcomes regarding feline skills training and adds to reduction, refinement, and replacement of the use of live cats.

Students' perspective on higher educators: interpersonal relationship matters.

Students' perspective on the higher educators' performance matters because the ultimate goal of teaching is education quality and students' satisfaction. Student evaluations are important to university professors to improve their teaching quality and in many cases, secure their promotion and tenureship. Excellent teaching does not have a universal definition, and students often have different perspectives on effective and excellent teaching. In this study, we examined the factors contributing to excellent teaching as rated by students on the website ratemyprofessors.com, a popular website among students to rate their educators voluntarily. The information from this website can be valuable, despite all the critics it has received, given that students provide feedback on a volunteer basis to help their peers with selecting the best class. The website provides a forum for opinions that are not influenced by fear of possible consequences, such as a low grade or tension with faculty. Our study results show that the five top characteristics that are important to students include being caring, respectful, inspirational, as well as giving good feedback, and delivering "amazing" lectures. Further data analysis shows that subject content, in terms of manageable workload, reasonable content difficulty, and grading, can influence students' ratings. The findings indicate that students value interpersonal relationships and cherish individualized feedback and receiving personal support.

Investigating the current status of the student evaluation system in Iran University of Medical Sciences: A step to improve education.

BACKGROUND: Medical education has special features due to the need various areas of learning. The present study was conducted to provide a complete picture of the evaluation system in Iran University of Medical Sciences for improving the evaluation system and medical sciences examinations. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The research was cross-sectional study that conducted through self-reporting of educational departments, a comprehensive review of the student evaluation system in the affiliated faculties of Iran University of Medical Sciences from 2017 to 2018. Educational members and heads of nine faculties and 80 departments participated in this study. The research tool was a researcher-made questionnaire, include two parts: (1) 10 general questions about the activities of the educational groups regarding the student evaluation system and (2) 20 questions about the types and quality of examinations. RESULTS: From 80 questionnaires, 71 were completed by the managers of the departments. The results showed that 62% of the faculty members in the educational departments in the last 2 years did not participate in the workshop on the methods of evaluation and making tests. 56% of the faculties have a reference for continuous monitoring of students' assessment and evaluation, and in 87% of the cases, the content is given in accordance with the objectives. The use of logbooks was more common (28%) than other methods to assess practical skills. CONCLUSION: Empower faculty members on the use of various tools, strengthening the supervision of formative evaluation and use of medical education graduates to promote evaluation methods seems necessary.

Validation of a Short Scale for Student Evaluation of Teaching Ratings in a Polytechnic Higher Education Institution.

The general purpose of this work is 2-fold, to validate scales and to present the methodological procedure to reduce these scales to validate a rating scale for the student evaluation of teaching in the context of a Polytechnic Higher Education Institution. We explored the relationship between the long and short versions of the scale; examine their invariance in relation to relevant variables such as gender. Data were obtained from a sample of 6,110 students enrolled in a polytechnic higher education institution, most of whom were male. Data analysis included descriptive analysis, intraclass correlation, exploratory structural equation modeling (ESEM), confirmatory factorial analysis, correlations between the short and long form corrected for the shared error variance, gender measurement invariance, reliability using congeneric correlated factors, and correlations with academic achievement for the class as unit with an analysis following a multisection design. Results showed four highly correlated factors that do not exclude a general factor, with an excellent fit to data; configural, metric, and scalar gender measurement invariance; high reliability for both the long and short scale and subscales; high short and long-form scale correlations; and moderate but significant correlations between the long and short versions of the scales with academic performance, with individual and aggregate data collected from classes or sections. To conclude, this work shows the possibility of developing student evaluation of teaching scales with a short form scale, which maintains the same high reliability and validity indexes as the longer scale.