Every lecturer knows the feeling: you’ve spent weeks preparing and teaching your course, and then the course evaluations come in. Sometimes they’re full of praise and sometimes painfully critical. What do you do with negative feedback? And more importantly: how do you ensure that students not only fill in their evaluations but also provide meaningful input?
When feedback is disappointing
According to the committee, feedback can sometimes feel unfair: “You get a few critical comments, but no opportunity to explain why you made certain choices as a lecturer.”
And yet, there’s often a chance to learn. The committee emphasises that negative feedback can actually spark valuable conversations, with students, colleagues or the OLC itself. “If there are structural issues, for example when a course consistently scores poorly, this is discussed with the management. Sometimes even leading to a redesign of the course.”
By actively involving students in the process, you can also prevent feedback from feeling one-sided, harsh or useless, the committee adds. “But that requires an approach that really encourages students to take the evaluations seriously.”
How to get students to participate
“Students don’t always see why their feedback matters,” the committee members explain. “As a lecturer, you can easily change that with a few practical steps:”
- Show the impact of earlier feedback. Start your course by explaining what you changed based on previous evaluations. That makes the purpose of feedback tangible. Be transparent: mention what you did act on and what you couldn’t. This builds trust.
- Reserve five minutes in the final session to complete the course evaluation together. This almost always results in the highest response rates.
- Lower the threshold. Let students write anonymous post-its during the last lecture, or set up an online idea box. This often leads to more honest and useful feedback.
- Do a mid-course check-in. Ask for short verbal or digital feedback halfway through the course. That way, students can experience improvements right away.
- Plan evaluations close to the end. If you send them later, students may barely remember the course and fill them in with less care.
- Make your invitation stand out. Students receive many evaluation emails that typically feel like spam. A distinct colour or layout for your invitation or results helps it get noticed.
What do good evaluations bring?
In short: better education. The committee points out that evaluations help lecturers see what works and what doesn’t, improving both individual courses and the programme as a whole. “We act as a kind of filter,” they explain. “Individual experiences are taken into account, but recurring patterns carry more weight and can lead to structural improvements.
Want to get more out of your course evaluations?
Check out the Best Practices for Lecturers, full of tips on timing, transparency and student engagement. “You will see that your course evaluations will become more of an opportunity to strengthen your teaching, instead of just another obligation,” the committee concludes.
Questions or want to know more about your faculty’s Programme Committee? Get in touch via your faculty’s education office.
