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Hans OberdiekHans Oberdiek A model for student evaluation to enhance teaching and learning quality at the Central University of Technology, Free State
English: There seems to be a worldwide interest in enhancing the student learning experience, particularly through interactive learning - an educational philosophy that places the student at the centre of the learning process. Even more important is the fact that the learning facilitator is supposed to monitor students’ progress towards achieving specific and generic objectives much more progressively. However, to achieve these goals and to ensure that learning is maximised, it is imperative for higher education institutions to regularly receive feedback about the quality of the learning process and experience. Consequently, student evaluation of teaching and module content has been instituted by almost all higher education quality assurance agencies around the world. The responsibilities of the Higher Education Quality Committee in South Africa and its engagement in institutional audits, its support for institutionalising a culture of self-managed evaluation that builds on and surpasses minimum standards, and its endeavours to develop and implement accredited programmes in higher education institutions are examples in this regard. For many years, the impact of student evaluation on the South African higher education system has been limited. As governmental demands for educational accountability grow, the teaching profession finds itself under pressure to demonstrate its value with solid, credible data/evidence. However, in an environment in which there are so many emerging and competing demands, there is a danger that the essential focus on the teaching and learning function could be lost. Universities, therefore, need to quantify their value to provide hard evidence that they have succeeded in promoting learning among students. The most direct source of information about the quality of the learning experience in higher education is the students themselves. Accordingly, the purpose of student feedback is to meet quality assurance requirements and to demonstrate to internal and external stakeholders that students are receiving an adequate educational service. To make an effective contribution to internal improvement processes, the views of students need to be integrated into a regular and continuous cycle of analysis, reporting, action and feedback. The primary purpose of the study was to undertake research that would lead to the development of a model for student evaluation in order to enhance teaching and learning quality at the Central University of Technology, Free State (CUT). This research falls primarily within the qualitative research paradigm, although some of the data were gathered by utilising quantitative techniques. A qualitative approach was adopted since the experiences of and feedback from the various stakeholders were interpreted and described in a qualitative way. A variety of qualitative research methods were applied in this study. For example, an exploratory literature study was done, interviews with international and national experts/authorities were conducted and focus group discussions were organised. All of these techniques are applicable and appropriate when a case study is conducted, since case study methods involve an in-depth, longitudinal examination of a single event (Flyvjerg, 2006). It provides a systematic way of looking at events, collecting data, analysing information, and reporting the results. In the first place, the researcher explored the international and national driving forces behind the renewed interest in the enhancement of quality teaching and learning. Secondly, the researcher investigated student evaluation practices, both internationally and nationally, and thirdly, he determined which student evaluation measuring instruments are applied, internationally and nationally. Given the complexity of the student evaluation process, the unique and distinctive manner in which each of the various systems and measuring instruments in the United States of America, England, Australia, New Zealand and South Africa is managed, was found to be truly remarkable. The knowledge gained during the development and implementation of the paper-based student evaluation system at the CUT since 2001, has provided valuable insight into the development of an online student evaluation system. The researcher looked at the rationale behind the implementation of an online student evaluation system, traditional paper-based evaluations versus online student evaluation surveys, the outcomes of recently conducted studies on online surveys in the USA and Australia, the advantages of online student evaluation practices, and the challenges associated with online student evaluation surveys. The knowledge and insight obtained in this regard led to the development of a model for online student evaluation of teaching and module content at the CUT. The researcher argued that the ultimate challenge of online evaluations is to convince students that their active participation will enhance the quality of teaching and learning practices. He foresees that it is inevitable that online evaluations will eventually match and replace the traditional paper-based student evaluation system. The inclusion of signposts at the end of each section in Chapters 2, 3 and 4, which refers to the implications a specific section has for the whole student evaluation system, adds further value to the study. This single case study provides a detailed description of the student evaluation process at the CUT and the researcher’s interpretation of the case. It promotes a better understanding of student evaluation of teaching and module content at the CUT and facilitates informed decision-making.
Afrikaans: Dit wil voorkom asof daar wêreldwye belangstelling in die verryking/verbetering van studente se leerervarings is, veral deur middel van interaktiewe leer - ’n opvoedkundige filosofie wat die student in die middelpunt van die leerproses plaas. Van groter belang is die feit dat die leerfasiliteerder veronderstel is om studente se vordering in die rigting van spesifieke en generiese doelwitte wat bereik moet word, op ’n baie meer progressiewe wyse te monitor. Om hierdie doelwitte egter te bereik en te verseker dat die leerproses gemaksimaliseer word, is dit noodsaaklik dat hoër onderwys-instellings gereelde terugvoer ontvang oor die gehalte van die leerproses en -ervaring. Gevolglik is studente- evaluering van onderrig en module-inhoud by bykans alle gehalteversekeringsagentskappe van hoër onderwys regoor die wêreld ingestel. Die verantwoordelikhede van die Hoër Onderwys Gehaltekomitee in Suid-Afrika en die betrokkenheid daarvan by institusionele oudits, die ondersteuning wat dit bied vir die institusionalisering van ’n kultuur van selfbestuurde evaluering wat voortbou op minimum standaarde en dit transendeer, en die inisiatiewe wat dit van stapel stuur vir die ontwikkeling en implementering van geakkrediteerde programme in hoër onderwys-instellings, dien as voorbeelde in hierdie verband. Die impak van studente-evaluering op die Suid-Afrikaanse hoër onderwys- stelsel was vir baie jare van ’n beperkte aard. Soos wat die regerings se eise vir toerekenbaarheid in die onderwys toeneem, word die onderrigprofessie al hoe meer onder druk geplaas om sy waarde deur middel van tasbare, geloofwaardige data/bewyse te staaf. In ’n omgewing waarin daar soveel nuwe en mededingende eise is, bestaan daar egter die gevaar dat die belangrike fokus op die onderrig- en leerfunksie verlore kan raak. Daarom is dit nodig dat universiteite hulle waarde moet kwantifiseer om sodoende oortuigende bewyse te verskaf dat hulle werklik ’n leerkultuur onder studente bevorder. Die mees direkte bron van inligting oor die gehalte van die leerervaring in hoër onderwys is die studente self. Gevolglik is die doel van studente-terugvoering om te voldoen aan die eise van gehalteversekering en om interne en eksterne belanghebbendes/rolspelers daarvan te oortuig dat studente ’n toereikende onderwysdiens ontvang. Om ’n effektiewe bydrae tot interne verbeteringsprosesse te lewer, moet die sienings van studente geïntegreer word in ’n gereelde en voortdurende siklus van analise, verslagdoening, aksie en terugvoering. Die hoofdoel van die studie was om navorsing te onderneem met die oog op die ontwikkeling van ’n model vir studente-evaluering om die gehalte van onderrig en leer aan die Sentrale Universiteit vir Tegnologie, Vrystaat (SUT), te verryk/verbeter. Hierdie navorsing kan hoofsaaklik binne die kwalitatiewe navorsingsparadigma geplaas word, alhoewel ’n deel van die inligting ingesamel is deur gebruikmaking van kwantitatiewe tegnieke. Daar is besluit op ’n kwalitatiewe benadering aangesien die ervarings en terugvoering van die onderskeie belanghebbendes/rolspelers op ’n kwalitatiewe wyse geïnterpreteer en beskryf is. ’n Verskeidenheid kwalitatiewe navorsingsmetodes word in hierdie studie gebruik. Daar is byvoorbeeld gebruik gemaak van ’n verkennende literatuurstudie, onderhoude wat met deskundiges binne en buite die land gevoer is, en groepbesprekings. Al hierdie tegnieke is toepaslik en geskik wanneer ’n gevallestudie uitgevoer word, aangesien gevallestudiemetodes gerig is op ’n diepgaande, longitudinale ondersoek na ’n enkele gebeurtenis (Flyvjerg, 2006). Dit verskaf ’n sistematiese volgorde om gebeure, die insameling van inligting, die ontleding van data en verslagdoening van resultate te benader. In die eerste plek het die navorser ondersoek ingestel na die internasionale en nasionale dryfkragte agter die hernieude belangstelling in die verryking/verbetering van gehalte-onderig en -leer. Tweedens, het die navorser na studente-evalueringspraktyke op nasionale en internasionale vlak gekyk, en derdens, het hy vasgestel watter meetinstrumente vir studente- evaluering gebruik word, nasionaal en internasionaal. Teen die agtergrond van die kompleksiteit van die studente-evalueringsproses is die unieke en besondere wyse waarop elkeen van die wye verskeidenheid stelsels en meetinstrumente in die Verenigde State van Amerika (USA), Engeland, Australië, Nieu-Seeland en Suid-Afrika bestuur word, merkwaardig. Die inligting wat bekom is tydens die ontwikkeling en implementering van die papiergebaseerde studente-evalueringstelsel aan die SUT sedert 2001, bied waardevolle insigte in die ontwikkeling van ’n aanlyn-studente- evalueringstelsel. Die navorser het die redes vir die implementering van ‘n aanlyn-studente-evalueringstelsel, tradisioneel papier-gebaseerde versus aanlyn gebaseerde evalueringstelsels, die uitkomste van studies wat onlangs in die VSA en Australia onderneem is, die voordele van aanlyn-studente- evalueringspraktyke, die uitdagings wat met aanlyn-evaluerings ondervind word, die voordele van aanlyn-studente-evalueringspraktyke, en die uitdagings wat met aanlyn-evaluerings ondervind word ondersoek. Die kennis en insig wat hierdeur opgedoen is het gelei tot die ontwikkeling van ‘n model vir aanlyn studente-evaluering van onderrig en module inhoud by die SUT. Hy argumenteer dat die fundamentele uitdaging met aanlyn-evaluerings sal wees om studente te oortuig dat hul aktiewe objektiewe deelname die kwaliteit van die onderig- en leer prosesse sal verbeter. Die navorser voorsien dat dit onvermydelik is dat aanlyn-studente-evaluerings dieselfde status as tradisionele papier-gebaseerde evaluerings sal verkry en dit mettertyd sal vervang. Die insluiting van wegwysers aan die einde van elke afdeling in Hoofstukke 2, 3 en 4, wat verwys na die implikasies wat ’n spesifieke afdeling het vir die totale studente-evalueringstelsel, voeg verdere waarde toe tot die studie. Hierdie enkele gevallestudie verskaf ’n gedetailleerde beskrywing van die studente-evalueringsproses aan die SUT sowel as die navorser se interpretasie van die geval. Dit bied ook groter insig in studente se evaluering van onderrig en module-inhoud aan die SUT en fasiliteer weloorwoë besluitneming.