🚀 go-pugleaf

As a postscript to the conversation recently.  I find that the use of the
information accumulated from student evaluation is where most abuse
can occur.  As one writer pointed out the method of analyzing the data is
crucial.  While I am not an empirical type, I know that statistics
are often ambiguous.  But I also know that the results can be manipulated by
someone familiar with the methods.  The instructor can collect, analyze and
present the data in what ever fashion they want.  They include a list
of "representative" (read select) student comments and that material is
submitted for review and other purposes.  In this situation I don't think that
they are useful or particularly reliable or relevant.

However, if the instructor uses the information for his/her own benefit,
to find areas of weakness and improve then student evaluation can be useful.
Student evaluations can be an important source of information for the
instructor on topics that the students are able to assess.  Evaluations are
only useless if not approached honestly.

Kelly Burns