Teknoids

Has anyone used ExamSoft or one of the other laptop exam programs to do
the online evaluations? It occurs to me that the cost of some of these
online eval programs is rather $$ and we are already paying for ExamSoft
in Capital's case. With 2/3s of our students are using ExamSoft now, it
would not cost that much to just load our entire student body into the
program and allow them to fill out the eval on their laptop or in the
computer labs (of course, once they leave the classroom what is the
likelihood they will go back to the eval later?).

Deb Ranard
Director, Law IT
Capital University Law School
(614) 236-6586

-----Original Message-----
From: teknoids-bounces@ruckus.law.cornell.edu
[mailto:teknoids-bounces@ruckus.law.cornell.edu] On Behalf Of Jonathan
B. Davis
Sent: Tuesday, May 20, 2008 2:01 PM
To: Teknoids
Subject: RE: [teknoids] Question re online course evaluations

We recently started using online evaluations. Our faculty members
dedicate class time toward completing the evaluations. The faculty
member reads the instructions and then exits the classroom. A
trustworthy student is selected to collect any paper responses at the
end.

Students receive a one-time-use access code that when entered,
automatically pulls up the correct class and allows them to complete the
evaluation. If they don't have their laptop and/or prefer to use a
paper form, they just write the access code on the top and a staff
member keys them in.

This is our first semester exclusively using online evaluations. In the
past a staff member would type all responses into a program similar to
excel for analysis and then manually type lengthy reports. We have
found that when students are able to type their responses to open-ended
questions, they are more likely to type much longer responses. We don't
link specific responses to a particular student, so if a student is
absent or chooses not to complete the evaluation, there are no
repercussions. If we forced students to complete the survey, the
uninterested ones just randomly choose answers that will skew the
results.

We do have a third year survey that is a requirement for graduation. To
ensure students complete that survey, they are presented with a random
confirmation code that they have to print and submit with their
graduation checklist. A lot of those questions are open-ended so
statistical results aren't as skewed.

While any responses (and anything else anyone does online) could
*technically* be traced back to a particular individual using website
logs, DHCP data, etc, we have never had a need to do so.

Jonathan B. Davis
Systems Manager
Mercer University - Walter F. George School of Law
www.law.mercer.edu
davis_jb@law.mercer.edu
(478) 301-2181

-----Original Message-----
From: teknoids-bounces@ruckus.law.cornell.edu
[mailto:teknoids-bounces@ruckus.law.cornell.edu] On Behalf Of Sandra
Lamar
Sent: Tuesday, May 20, 2008 1:46 PM
To: teknoids@ruckus.law.cornell.edu
Subject: [teknoids] Question re online course evaluations

I asked recently about experiences people have had with doing online
course evaluations, and didn't receive any answers.

Is anyone at all having students evaluate profs this way, or did my
question just get upstaged by the funny cat video?

We have a program that ought to replace the paper evaluations done
during
the last class, but are wondering how to get students to sign on. We
are
thinking the only practical way would be to hold their grades until they
evaluate the course. Any opinions even if you haven't actually tried
this?

Thanks,

Sandy Lamar
Computer Services Reference Librarian
New England School of Law
154 Stuart St.
Boston, MA 02116
slamar@nesl.edu
617-422-7331