NUTSHELL NOTES

"Teaching tips in a nutshell" - The University of Colorado
at Denver's One-page Newsletter for Teaching Excellence

Office of Teaching Effectiveness
1250 14th St. room 720
Denver, CO 80217-3364

Phone (303)556-4915
FAX (303)556-2678
Volume 1 Number 7

MORE ABOUT DIAGNOSTIC SURVEYS and CONSULTATION

Last month (Vol. 1, No. 5) we encouraged use of a 40 - point diagnostic questionnaire for a mid-term student evaluation. In this issue, readers who haven't seen this diagnosis first-hand will get to learn more about its nature and its benefits. Formative surveys like this help faculty to help themselves. The 40 - point survey we provide is designed to allow a faculty member (1) to assess how students are perceiving the class and (2) to discover specific areas of teaching where attention and changes are likely to yield the maximum benefits.

When given at UCD, results from the class survey are presented in graphical form. The display portrays six areas (Figure 1) that much research has verified as important to teaching. All six areas are related. These areas are profiled by 40 traits judged as especially helpful from the students' point of view. Responses range from (1) low to (5) highest. Clusters of responses (areas) are as important as responses to any of the individual 40 questions. The profile allows one to quickly identify an area to concentrate upon. At this point, consultation becomes invaluable. The instructor selects the area of focus, and the consultant helps by clarifying relationships and by supplying techniques, resources and tools.

A long-term benefit comes from allowing the students to keep their copies of the 40 questions. In order to have successful student evaluations of any kind, the student body must first be educated about
traits that are helpful to their learning. Thanks to faculty response last month, over 1500 UCD students read, used, and now own one of the 40 - point forms. They further have learned, in the few minutes of explanation that precede the survey, about pitfalls that accompany even the best of paper surveys.

One of the most powerful complements to the 40 - point survey is in-class videotaping of a lecture. The first UCD faculty member has already successfully used videotaping in conjunction with the survey and consultation. If you could spare only two hours in your entire life for improving your teaching, the way to spend it would be in viewing, with a trained consultant, a tape of your own lecture with the results of your survey in-hand. This office can arrange to have a videotape made of your class at no cost to you, so you can have that superbly productive two-hour experience.

Should you desire the benefits of an in-class videotaping, an in-class survey, or both, there is no time like the present. Phone Edward Nuhfer at 556-4915 to make arrangements.

Figure 1. This graphical display of results from this 40-point survey reveals a successful teaching style with high marks in all six areas. Further improvement may come from an emphasis on organization and clarity. Profile shows more of a tendency toward interactive teaching than dazzling lectures. Any plan to improve should capitalize on the instructor's preferences and strengths.

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