Evaluate Guidelines

1.1 The Evaluate processes are designed so that the University can assure the quality of the education provided for students at Nottingham.

1.2 Academic staff are required to gather student evaluations on their teaching (SET). SET results are used for promotion, appraisal and management assessment procedures.  From March 2020, due to the COVID-19 pandemic SET results are not being collected at UoN UK.

1.3 Schools are also required to gather feedback on their modules for curriculum development and make the results available to QAA Subject Review teams. Student Evaluation of modules (SEM) is one way of satisfying this requirement.

1.4 Student evaluations of their course (SEC) enables schools to develop the courses they offer, it is optional and not required for any other purpose. These data cannot currently be collected via the Evaluate system.

2.1 Evidence from student evaluation of teaching is required for all University of Nottingham Research and Teaching staff who have either a full-time or part-time contract with the University.

2.2 All Research and teaching staff are to be evaluated at least once per academic year by students for the purposes of appraisal. 

2.3 For promotion: Applicants for promotion are advised to build up a portfolio over several years so that they can provide evidence of their teaching performance, fairly reflecting the full range of that individual's teaching. Evidence may be derived from any relevant source, including: peer reviews, SET and SEM and comments from external examiners, Subject Reviewers and other assessors. Staff are encouraged to include comments setting this evidence in context.

3.1 In cases where a teacher teaches a module in another school, the following terms apply. A 'guest teacher' is defined as a teacher who is teaching in a school other than their own. A 'lead school' is the school that takes responsibility for a module involving one or more guest teachers.

3.2 A Head of School may wish to include a 'guest teacher' in their evaluation programme.

3.3 Where there is a module run by more than one school, the 'lead school' takes responsibility for generating the questionnaires and evaluation of any teachers on it.

3.4 The head of the 'lead school' will receive the original SET summary report and is responsible for sending a copy to the 'guest teacher's' Head of School.

3.5 The administration of SET is conducted by the SETSEM coordinator(s) in a school or Student Services. If there is a change in the coordinator from the previous year then please ensure the Evaluate team are informed by emailing the helpline with the name, University username, email address and the School(s) that they are to create surveys for.

3.6 Only SETSEM coordinators will be able to access the selection, retrieval and storing facility for questions.

3.7 Administrative queries in the UK should be directed to the Evaluate Team.

4.1 Ask students to read the questions carefully, giving special attention to the rating scale which ranges from Strongly Agree to Strongly Disagree. Strongly Agree is a positive response and Strongly Disagree a negative response to the question.

4.2 Assure students that their views are confidential and point out that the data are processed automatically.

4.3 Inform students that the teacher will read their comments.

5.1 Student responses to the questionnaire are collected electronically and processed centrally. Schools can also add their own specific questions. The results of the school-specific questions will not form part of the University SET / SEM analysis but will be retained within the database for the School to view, download or publish.

5.2 Teachers and Heads of School are able to access a report summarising the analysis of responses for each teacher / module combination as soon as the survey has closed. These summaries can be obtained from (and will be retained within) the Evaluate (Blue Castle) system and can be used for promotion, appraisal and management assessment.

5.3 Where a teacher is 'guest teaching' and subject to the SET / SEM process outside of their school, the Head in the 'lead school' will receive the survey results. The guest teacher is responsible for ensuring that a copy is sent to their own Head of School.

5.4 Heads of Schools also have access to additional reports summarising all the evaluations that have taken place in their school in a particular academic year.

6.2 Schools may, if they choose, collect information about module evaluation at the same time as information concerning the performance of individual teachers (SET).

8.1 Student Evaluation of Modules (SEM) results have to be published so that students can access SEM scores for modules they have attended and modules they are planning to register for. Schools can decide where they wish to publish their SEM results.

8.2 It is recommended that SEM evaluation is published in the context of a module or feedback report. This should be seen as an opportunity to engage with students who have completed the module as they are interested to see that their feedback has been read and perhaps acted upon. It is also an opportunity to engage with students who may be thinking of registering for the module and the report gives them information about whether the module will suit them. Evaluate produces a 'Moodle Report' for each module's SEM results. This report includes summary quantitative data and provides space for comments about the module. Once the module convenors comments have been added, the report can be saved and uploaded to Moodle.

8.3 Alongside individual results for each module, Schools / Departments might want to consider publishing an overall report on SEM evaluations. This could be published on the School content management system (CMS) or Moodle pages.