Reconceptualising
Student Evaluation
of Teaching: An
ethical framework
for changing times
Coralie McCormack
Centre for the
Enhancement of Learning,
Teaching & Scholarship
UNIVERSITY OF CANBERRA
UNIVERSITY OF CANBERRA
Purpose: Close the Loop
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Opening the loop: Gung Ho, Al Ternative, Ima
Moderator
Drawing colleagues into the loop: HERDSA listserv
Checking-in with colleagues: HERDSA conference
Initial framework suggested: ASCILITE, EdNA
Further framework development: Gung Ho, Al
Ternative, Ima Moderator
Closing the Loop: Evaluations & Assessment
Conference
UNIVERSITY OF CANBERRA
Presentation Outline
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Ethical Dilemmas
 HE Contexts
 Conversation
 Ethical framework to guide practice
 student feedback on teaching
 evaluation practice
 Discussion of:
 dilemmas
 guidelines
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Contexts for Ethical Dilemmas
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Assessing Quality
 Developing Quality
• Teaching Practice
• Evaluation of Teaching
• New Learning/Teaching Technologies
 Government Quality Directives
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“ Learning and teaching performance
fund allocation … systematic student
evaluation of teaching and subjects
that informs probation and promotion
decisions … and student evaluation
results would be made publicly
available on an institution’s website.”
(Nelson, 2003, p.29)
UNIVERSITY OF CANBERRA
UNIVERSITY OF CANBERRA
Ethical Dilemmas
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Privacy
Informed Consent
Interpretation
Ownership/Authorship
Accessibility
UNIVERSITY OF CANBERRA
Ethical Dilemmas:
Private or Public Space
“It is private to the extent that only
enrolled students are present, it’s
also public in that the conversation is
transmitted to others who are not
necessarily participants in the
conversation.”
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Ethical Dilemmas: Consent
“… it is somewhat implicit as to what
may or may not be done with data
generated through the
evaluation. Also implicit is the
student's consent to complete the
evaluation. In such a situation where
so much is implicit, surely students
cannot be giving "informed consent.”
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Ethical Dilemmas: Interpretation
What happens when verbatim quotes
from a bulletin board are analysed,
interpreted and reported in contexts
which are different from the context in
which they were initially given?
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Ethical Dilemmas:
Ownership/Authorship
Who owns the postings/questionnaire
responses and for how long can they
own them?
Does verbatim quoting from an online
survey or from a bulletin board (or its
archived postings) infringe personal
copyright?
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Ethical Dilemmas: Accessibility
Who archives survey responses or bulletin
board /chat room/email postings? Where
are they held?
Who has access? How long are they kept?
How is access monitored?
Does archiving enable identification by use
of internet search engines? Can we then
guarantee anonymity?
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To Investigate Ethical Dilemmas
Ethical Questions Needed
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Are students’ opinions given without inducement?
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Are they given without preference, prejudice or
bias?
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Are they given freely, not under duress, fear or
threat?
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Are they given knowingly?
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Does the person the student is evaluating exercise
some power over the student?
(Andresen, 2002)
UNIVERSITY OF CANBERRA
An Emerging Ethical Framework
for Student Evaluation of Teaching
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Four dimensions to guide individuals &
institutions:
 People: individuals, groups
 Power: interests, empowerment
 Principles & Practices: informed by
values based on mutual trust
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Trust
No university teaching evaluation system
can ever achieve a robust ethical standard
unless (until?) it operates within a culture
of mutual trust. When ethical principles
guide practice mutual trust exists.
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Ethical Values: Mutual Trust
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Autonomy & Justice
 Respect & Concern for Student Opinions
 Privacy
 Confidentiality & Anonymity
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Value : Privacy
Principle: Students should be aware, and consent to, the use
of their feedback for research and/or publication beyond the
bounds of the individual subject
Practice: in relation to individuals posting to bulletin boards &
student ownership of copyright emoderators suggests:
Copyright [NAME] 2003. Permission is hereby granted for the
redistribution of this material over electronic networks, in
departmental publications, or external publications by the teacher
so long as this item is redistributed in full and with appropriate
credit given to the author. All other rights reserved.
UNIVERSITY OF CANBERRA
Value : Respect and concern for
students’ opinions
Principle: Close the feedback loop with students
Practice: communicate with students
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prior to evaluation (purpose, focus, process)
after evaluation (bulletin board, subject outline,
first lecture)
UNIVERSITY OF CANBERRA
Summary
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Close the Loop
 Alert those involved in online learning &
teaching to potential ethical dilemmas
 Suggest an ethical framework & some
practice examples
 Begin another Loop: stimulate ongoing
discussion
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