It is time for course evaluations again. This means that all lecturers must use Blackboard, which has undergone a wide range of improvements since the spring. The preliminary results show significantly higher response rates among the students compared to last time.

2016.11.03 | Mette Louise Ohana

HE Studies Administration can help if you are in doubt about how to use course evaluation in Blackboard.

Since the spring, all evaluations across the whole of AU have been carried out in Blackboard, which is in general the communication channel between the students and their lecturers. The aim of the course evaluations is to improve the teaching.

A wide range of functions have been added since Blackboard was originally taken into use for evaluation, along with improvements being made on the basis of feedback from lecturers and students. For example, among the new features is the ability to add up to 12 questions at course level in addition to the questions formulated on the AU board of studies and programme level. Another change is that the students now receive an email with a direct link to the individual evaluation in Blackboard, instead of having to find it under the course. The initial feedback from this semester is positive and the response rate is significantly higher than last time.

Reserve time for evaluation during teaching

To get as many students as possible to respond, all teaching staff are encouraged to reserve time during the penultimate lesson for the students to complete the evaluation. Lecturers can follow the results once the first five students have answered. If the response rate is too low, a new feature enables them to republish the questionnaire. The final lesson is used to discuss the results with the students.

Feedback from lecturers and students is continuously being used to improve the system, and more system improvements are on the way. HE Studies Administration is still happy to receive feedback from users. If you or your colleagues are in doubt about how to create, complete and publish your course evaluations, then please be aware that HE Studies Administration is happy to hold workshops at the departments. Or you can read detailed instructions on the digital evaluation website.

Write to kursusevaluering.health@au.dk with feedback or requests for a workshop.

New features in Blackboard course evaluations

• The evaluation questionnaire and report are structured so that questions at AU level come first, followed by Health level and finally course level.
• It is possible to add 12 questions at course level, and multiple questions can be added at once.
• The questions will be shown on the evaluation questionnaire in the same order as they are added.
• You can copy questions from other evaluation questionnaires.
• You can create your own questions in the question bank. Suggested questions should be sent to kursusevaluering.health@au.dk.
• The questionnaire can be republished after it is closed, if you e.g. move the teaching, or if the response rate is too low.
• It is easy to change the language of the report between Danish and English. The report follows the user’s choice of language. This function is expected to work from the end of November.
• The students receive notification of the evaluation by email with a direct link to the evaluation.
• Answers to further comments fields can be downloaded immediately after the course evaluation is closed, so that the course coordinator does not have to wait until February. This function is expected to work from the end of November.
• A uniform Likert scale has been created, so that errors in the data cannot arise.
• Reports without comments fields can be downloaded in Blackboard and printed as a PDF file.