Hi Madelyn:
Your post is great, because it captures the spirit of connecting and relating to the student. Very nice!
Regards, Barry
Hi Gregory:
Well, of course we need some objective measure of student knowledge and performance. Fair and consistent is absoutely required.
In vocational courses, students must be able to perform. Using musicians or atheletes as examples, practice, practice, practice will assit in assuring their skill are up to par.
Regards, Barry
I evaluate my students' progress every three weeks. We are on 10 week mods, so that enables me to check their progress three time during the mod. I ususally go over all the usual areas of progress, such as, attendance, quizes, ect. The students like this one on one time with me. During that time, I am able to discuss what might help them improve in the areas they are weak in. It also gives them confidence in the fact that their instructor does care what is going on with them. It is a time that the discuss some of the problems they are have, such as, transportation, finding places to study, ect. I learn so much about them during this one-on-one time.
I think all of the previous posts answer this question very well. Evaluating students also allow the instructor to see which areas of a course may require further explanation and which are already known.
Many students also do very well in one communication area (written vs oral). Evaluating on a fair and consistent basis allows the student to focus on weeknesses as well as strengths.
Hi Christine:
To put another way, we teach, but instruction has not occurred unless learning and increased knowledge has occurred as the result. Sort of like the difference between hearing and listening. In a conversation one person is talking, but they're not communicating if the other is not listening. Yet sound was present in both situations.
Regards, Barry
Of course to see where the students are in the learning process, but just as important is to evaluate the job you are doing as an instructor!
Hi David:
I agree teacher evaluations by students are essential, if that's the the meaning of your post. Only when there is an opportunity for students to convey their feelings, comments, objections or praise, reflection on the learning that occured, or suggestions for impovements can real progress occur. What went wonderful last class may have a different expression the next go around.
Students also evaluate us by our actions on a daily basis: Are we prepared and ready for class; do we appear to know the material; are we approacable and willing to answer questions; do we convey an attitude that suggests we care about the students success? These, and many other similar attributes contribute to forming an opinion in the mind of the student about teachers performance.
Regards, Barry
I believe Barry that evaluating students is key in determining the proficiency of each student.
However, I beleive the students are also evaluating the instructor to see our proficiency on them. Evaluations go both ways.
Hi Rochelle:
Good perspective about the rationale for evaluations!
Regards, Barry
Hi Rhonda:
Yes, there needs to be a reliable meansof determining the effectiveness of bot student and teacher. Evaluation is a feedback mechanism which provides needed communication.
Regards, Barry
We need to see if the students are really understanding the material...it also lets the student know where they are so we can work together on getting them to where they need to be if they have a poor eval. It also allows the instructor to reflect and see if they need to make any adjustments in the way they deliver the info.
It's important to evauluate students to determine if they are learning the materials and it's also a way of evaluate how I am doing as an instructor.
Hi Rose:
Certainly, these two reasons are essential. I also think evaluations help the teacher decide if corrections or adjustments to the curriculum are needed in order to assure most students are taught the needed material according to the course objectives. I think student want to know how they're doing, even if it's less than optimal performance.
Regards, Barry
1.So that students are aware of their progress levels
2. So that you are aware of which material is being absorbed and which is not
Hi William:
I maintain that points on assignments and grades on tests and quizzes are merely a means to an end. We have to do it in order to provide some level of objectivity and fairness in evaluating students. Regardless, if a course states taht tests and quizzes will contribute to the grading process, then it is the responsibility of the student to do their best on these, as all assignemnts.
Of course, most of us are employed in an educational institution that require or have existing standards for grading students. Then, we owe our employer their due as their agents.
Regards, Barry
If we are going to subscribe to the concept of student ownership of their learning (which I do) then our grading needs to be meaningful to them. Granted it is almost impossible to shift the paradigm away from the competive view of grades but that doesn't mean we shouldn't try.
Hi Keith:
When we evaluate a students performance, we should be measure their performance against preapproved Student Learning Outcomes (SLO's) and course objectives. That's really the only way to know how close to the target we came.
Regards, Barry
I think these are very important issues we face during our time with our students. We constantly face course challenges. These areas keep us in check and are a good pulse of the class direction.
Hi Dr. A:
Real world is good and appropriate. We should be measuring against the course objectives as well. These two entities should be aligned anyway, that is, the course objectives and readiness for the workforce.
Regards, Barry
The most important reason is to determine if they are actually learning the information needed for application in real world scenarios. Evaluation shows if a student is grasping the concepts and can apply the concepts in real world scenarios.
