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RE: Uncl: course/instructor evaluations



I on't have n exact reference, but the study you refer to is in a very recent
issue of Change magazine that was devoted to the subject of course evaluations.

I've read the article, which describes how a psychology instructor taught the
same course with *everything* the same in two consequtive semesters, except
that in the second semester he employed some techniques he learned in a seminar
that involved varying ones tone of voice and using hand gestures to become a
more lively speaker.

The result was that his course evaluations showed dramatic change. Maybe not
surprising except for two points. a) His changes were on the face of it,
superficial. How much weight should be given in evaluation of teaching to
such seemingly superficial things? b) Student evaluations of ancillary issuse
changed dramatically as well. For example, students rated the textbook much
higher in the second semester.

It is at least a thought-provoking article. And please no flames on
my use of "*everything*" until you've read the article. The list of controlled
variables is impressive, if telling about how fossilized the course had become.

Tim Sullivan
sullivan@kenyon.edu