Comments on: Course Evaluations and the Hidden Curriculum http://beyond-school.org/2007/08/04/course-evaluations-and-the-hidden-curriculum/ More education. Less schooliness. Thu, 08 Jan 2009 18:33:19 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.7 hourly 1 By: Clay Burell http://beyond-school.org/2007/08/04/course-evaluations-and-the-hidden-curriculum/comment-page-1/#comment-394 Clay Burell Sun, 05 Aug 2007 21:30:00 +0000 http://beyond-school.org/?p=314#comment-394 Sue - Excellent additions to the list! (And wonderful to see a Sri Lankan voice here - I did a teacher habitat trip to Anaradapura, which I probably misspelled, in '05 and fell in love with SL. Thanks for saying hi.)<br/><br/>Patrick and Diane - thanks for the comments. We'll see how this all plays out this year. Interesting to look forward to wearing two hats. It gives the opportunity for comparison between different teacher approaches at my school as we go 1:1. More later - off to the first day of school. Sue - Excellent additions to the list! (And wonderful to see a Sri Lankan voice here - I did a teacher habitat trip to Anaradapura, which I probably misspelled, in ‘05 and fell in love with SL. Thanks for saying hi.)

Patrick and Diane - thanks for the comments. We’ll see how this all plays out this year. Interesting to look forward to wearing two hats. It gives the opportunity for comparison between different teacher approaches at my school as we go 1:1. More later - off to the first day of school.

]]> By: Sue http://beyond-school.org/2007/08/04/course-evaluations-and-the-hidden-curriculum/comment-page-1/#comment-392 Sue Sun, 05 Aug 2007 15:26:00 +0000 http://beyond-school.org/?p=314#comment-392 Hi Clay,<br/>I'd like to add a few less formal ways to collect feedback which I have found useful both online and in the classroom. <br/><br/>I will often include a final section to an assignment that asks the student to comment on the assignment itself - what changes would they recommend for next year's students or if they were the teacher, what would they do differently with the assignment. There are usually marks assigned to completing this section of the assignment (either bonus or otherwise).<br/><br/>Another feedback mechanism I have found useful online is asking the students of the current course to leave 'advice' for the future students on within a particular forum or bulletin board. The first time I did this, I was just experimenting with the 'community' aspect of online courses but after I read the students' responses, Boy did I get a lot of neat insight into my course! I also liked the idea that the new students (most were new to online & forums) had some worthwhile forum content to read immediately entering their course.<br/><br/>My two cents! Hi Clay,
I’d like to add a few less formal ways to collect feedback which I have found useful both online and in the classroom.

I will often include a final section to an assignment that asks the student to comment on the assignment itself - what changes would they recommend for next year’s students or if they were the teacher, what would they do differently with the assignment. There are usually marks assigned to completing this section of the assignment (either bonus or otherwise).

Another feedback mechanism I have found useful online is asking the students of the current course to leave ‘advice’ for the future students on within a particular forum or bulletin board. The first time I did this, I was just experimenting with the ‘community’ aspect of online courses but after I read the students’ responses, Boy did I get a lot of neat insight into my course! I also liked the idea that the new students (most were new to online & forums) had some worthwhile forum content to read immediately entering their course.

My two cents!

]]> By: Patrick Higgins http://beyond-school.org/2007/08/04/course-evaluations-and-the-hidden-curriculum/comment-page-1/#comment-390 Patrick Higgins Sun, 05 Aug 2007 12:10:00 +0000 http://beyond-school.org/?p=314#comment-390 Clay,<br/><br/>Here lies the hidden power of teaching. By doing the ongoing survey, you empowered your students learning process. I have been stressing the importance of feedback to the teachers I have been working with all summer. <br/><br/>I know this is a bad comparison, but we can treat this like a film screening. We first need lots of audience feedback before we mass market the movie. This is valuable stuff to teachers. Let's get more people to do it. <br/><br/>By the way, I think you will find that as much as you will be the tech coordinator, a lot of your time is going to be spent on basic pedagogy next year. Clay,

Here lies the hidden power of teaching. By doing the ongoing survey, you empowered your students learning process. I have been stressing the importance of feedback to the teachers I have been working with all summer.

I know this is a bad comparison, but we can treat this like a film screening. We first need lots of audience feedback before we mass market the movie. This is valuable stuff to teachers. Let’s get more people to do it.

By the way, I think you will find that as much as you will be the tech coordinator, a lot of your time is going to be spent on basic pedagogy next year.

]]> By: diane http://beyond-school.org/2007/08/04/course-evaluations-and-the-hidden-curriculum/comment-page-1/#comment-389 diane Sat, 04 Aug 2007 12:55:00 +0000 http://beyond-school.org/?p=314#comment-389 Clay,<br/><br/>I usually do some type of exit survey (like the ones teachers do at workshops!) but I like your idea of monitoring and adjusting throughout the course.<br/><br/>Our kids never lack for an opinion, and if they can comment anonymously, I should get a stream of helpful advice.<br/><br/>diane Clay,

I usually do some type of exit survey (like the ones teachers do at workshops!) but I like your idea of monitoring and adjusting throughout the course.

Our kids never lack for an opinion, and if they can comment anonymously, I should get a stream of helpful advice.

diane

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