Course Materials Review: Student Version

TEACHING DEVELOPMENT FORM
Committee on Faculty Teaching

PURPOSE:

This form is based on the assumption that course materials play a key role in the accomplishment of course objectives. Acquiring input as to their effectiveness is both legitimate and necessary. Colleagues can and ought to provide part of that assessment; the consumers of these course materials can and ought to provide the other part. This version of the form offers a means of soliciting student input about course materials. As with other forms, the primary objective is to provide input that will help an instructor increase the effectiveness of these instructional devices.

ADMINISTRATION:

The form will need individual adjustments before it is used. In the first place, it is incomplete. Course objectives need to be incorporated on the form. Do not omit this step.

Course objectives in this case provide the criteria against which the course materials are to be assessed. Moreover, their inclusion can serve to reinforce the relevance and propriety of the course goals. It's another opportunity for students to encounter and contemplate them. Secondly, the form is intended to evaluate those materials used in the course. For example, if handouts are not used, delete that section from the inventory. There may be other materials use for which items need to be generated.

Students will probably provide the best assessment of materials near the end of the course. They will have more experience using the materials than at some point earlier in the course.

INTERPRETATION:

The form is constructed so that calculating means and standard deviations is not easily possible. That is by design. The point of the student input is to stimulate analysis and reflection directed towards course materials. It may be time to consider making some changes-this data can help to focus and direct those alterations.

Students are best qualified in this case to comment on how these materials helped or hindered accomplishment of course objectives. That is the only part of the input an instructor needs. Colleagues can assess these materials in terms of content propriety.

We strongly recommend discussing the results with students-especially if their input provokes questions. Ask them! Input about changes, adaptations, and alterations you may be considering can also be solicited from students.

SOURCE:

This instrument was developed by the Instructional Development Program at The Pennsylvania State University. It may be copied, altered, or adapted by instructors using the form to acquire instructional input.