Evaluating Teaching

Course evaluations are imple­mented at the TUM by the indivi­dual schools and colleges on the basis of a centra­lized evaluation ­system. A quality manage­ment represen­tative at each school or college (a staff member of the student affairs office, an academic affairs officer, etc.) is respon­sible for the planning and implemen­tation of evalua­tions in his or her unit. They deter­mine the evalua­tion method to be used, carry out evalua­tions using the university’s EvaSys ­software  and analyze survey data and compile overall evalua­tion results. 

The TUM Center for Study and Teaching supports the schools and colleges at every stage of the evaluation process, from the develop­ment of question­naires to imple­menting surveys through to the analysis of survey results. They provide assis­tance, for example, in identify­ing which factors will be evaluated, design­ing surveys to meet the require­ments specific to your school or college, or communi­cating ou­tcomes to foster produc­tive dialogue. More­over, they provide ­manuals, ­samples ­and ­guidelines for the design and implemen­tation of evalua­tions.

Course evaluations should take place each semester after 2/3rds of the course has been comple­ted. The schools and colleges deter­mine them­selves how to select which courses are to be evaluated each semester. We recommend a random selection process by instruc­tor name, in which at least one-third of the courses of all instruc­tors teaching in the current semester is selected for evalua­tion. To ensure that probability remains constant, all instruc­tors’ names should be placed in the selec­tion pool each semester. All courses held by the selected instructors will be evalua­ted. Instructors who are not selected but who wish to have their courses evaluated may do so volun­tarily. The univer­sity’s evaluation soft­ware EvaSys is at their dispo­sal for survey design and implemen­tation.

Student feedback is, generally, gathered using hard-copy question­naires. We recommend the use of question­naires designed specifi­cally for different types of course. These question­naires are structured using standard question categories appro­priate to the rele­vant course type.  

Closed question­naires are used in evaluations with more than 30 respon­dents, open question­naires for those with less than 30. CST Quality Management has developed samples of both forms of question­naire, which are available for use by the schools and colleges. These model question­naires can be tailored to suit the individual require­ments of the school or college. 

Instructors are respon­sible for reporting survey results to their course partici­pants. This can take place within the class­room in the form of a presentation and follow-up discussion. Alterna­tively, the report of survey results can be uploaded in a secured site on the Intranet of the school or college (in accordance with Art. 10 of the Bavarian Higher Edu­cation Act). Students should be informed before the end of the lecture period about specific improve­ment measures planned by the instructor.