The Purpose of Formative Evaluations
The purpose of formative evaluations is to obtain information from the students that you, as the teacher, can use to adjust the content, activities, methods, structure, etc. of an ongoing course. It allows you to gain more precise and context specific information than the formal and standardized ITU course evaluation.
General Tips & Tricks
- Introduce the evaluation during the first two weeks (with necessary variations) and repeat it, if necessary, with regular intervals.
- Carry out the evaluation during class in order to increase participation (e.g. the last ten or more minutes) or consider other ways to stimulate student responses.
- Before next class, produce (or ask your TAs to produce) a summary.
- In class, discuss the collected data with the students and how it will affect the teaching.
- Consider whether or not the responses should be anonymous.
- Address topics or elements that you consider and are willing to change.
Don’t promise changes that you might not be able to implement.