1. Revamping the student opinion instrument for faculty
Mindful Voices
I’m here today on behalf of the Chancellor’s Ad Hoc Committee organized to evaluate and make recommendations based on the findings from faculty feedback, our own discussion in committee, and a pretty thorough study into the literature about use of student opinion, reliability and validity measures, and the benefits of using it effectively.
I’m here because Kim has been aware enough to show us that our findings are in line with many of the concerns expressed by the sub-committees on evaluation. The timing is perfect to hear that because our focus has been to evaluate the instrument itself, but we couldn’t get down to the details without determining what the purpose would actually be for the instrument. So, I’m here to hopefully join ranks as it were, offer any of the evidence and recommendations that have emerged from the assessment results to support the concerns you have, and to say thank you for representing the rest of us in your work on this. Believe me, I know the challenges.
So, the next few slides are going to describe a few of the conclusions we’ve been able to make from the assessment results that we found out through Kim are in concert with your own.
Revamping the student opinion instrument for faculty
Presented by the Chancellor’s Ad Hoc Committee
Spring, 2012

2. Improving instruction
The purpose of using student opinion of instruction and their learning experience should be to improve our teaching for the benefit of those we teach and our own growth as successful teachers. We believe in rewarding good teaching. And we believe that good teaching involves giving students a voice in helping us understand their learning experience.
We broaden our capabilities as good teachers by allowing the student voice a legitimate venue through which to communicate perceptions about their learning and their learning experience. It is essential for us to hear that voice and to use it as one of several unique lenses to examine and continually learn how to adapt our teaching practices. Ultimately, we believe this is an integral part of cultivating that extraordinary reward that comes from seeing our students learn.
We believe this is an essential element for reflective practitioners developing as educators. Along with that essential student lens, we acknowledge the importance of our own self-reflection, the insight and perspectives of our peers, and the contribution of scholarship to improving our teaching practice.
Improving instruction
The value of the student voice

3. One of 4 reflective lenses
Practices of Excellence

4. Recommendations Current Instrument
To that end, any instruments, policy, or process related to a student’s opinion of his or her learning must foster transparent use of the data for purposes of improving instruction. They must facilitate seamless collection of accurate, reliable, and meaningful data that can be used for those ends. And they must provide the structure for self-reflection, collaborative peer review, and a theoretical framework for applying and informing scholarship of our practice. 
Need reliable, valid usable data from any instrument (s) used.
Must be aligned with other means of improving instruction (i.e. other 3 lenses)
Questions on instrument must be helpful in improving instruction
If it’s something used college-wide, it must accommodate special teaching situations
Need assurances that stakeholders are kept in the loop, that data collection is timely
Administration of instrument must be streamlined and budgetary
Linked to what we believe it should be used for: improving teaching, not for promotion or raises
Must have consistent language in references to it’s description and use across all policies it touches
Training needs to be provided for all involved

5. Improving the Method Next steps
Delgado Community College’s Student Opinion of Instruction reflects the principles of reflective practice set forth by Brookfield (2005) in his framework of different “lenses” to understand teaching excellence. We intend to use this concept in a fully conceptualized and functional instrument for seeing through the “student lens” and using that knowledge effectively and collegiately together.

6. Building upon existing methods Improving usability
The value we are able to place on the students’ perceptions of their learning is determined by the quality of their input, the accessibility and relevance of that information, and the efficacy with which we are able to understand, use, and share those perspectives for purposes that are important to all teachers. 
Evidence of this commitment can be seen in the data collected from faculty on valuable student data that they DO get, and this is in the form of their own, optional use of formative evaluation. We also see this kind of feedback has been found to be extremely helpful to faculty in improving instruction. We’ve also tried to collect this feedback from the SOI, but it’s not been satisfying or often not even usable.
Faculty concerns about the equitable use of SOI, validity and reliability measures; data processing and review time; and lack of student commitment. Even so,they agree in general to having some kind of feedback mechanism.IR concerns about the practicality of administering an instrument that’s well in the range of 8000 per division
Current Practice
Building upon existing methods
Improving usability

7. Use of results by Individual instructor
Instructors teaching same course
Instructors in the same program
Program coordinators, chairs
Adjunct supervisors
Professional development groups
Institutional Effectiveness
Reward, recognition, and promotion committees

8. Information use at each level
Level 4 Results
Was it worth it?
For checking Program Requirements, services, and processes
Level 3 Behavior
Did behavior change as a result of learning
For checking the Performance environment
Level 2
Knowledge
Did they learn anything?
For improving knowledge and skill transfer
Level 1
Reaction
Was the environment learning-centered?
For improving the learning environment
Information use at each level