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Evaluation Services
CLTD offers support to academic staff to elicit feedback on effectiveness of teaching and courses for the purposes of continuous reflection to inform decisions on professional learning, enhancement of learning and teaching practice as well as accountability. Different methods should be used to ensure a holistic evaluation of teaching practice. Each method offers different benefits, and the technique chosen should be appropriate to the need or exigency which has prompted the evaluation process.
The following workshops are made available to all staff in order to support engagement with evaluation of teaching and courses. Staff are encouraged to enrol for the sessions according to need, alternatively contact the CLTD evaluations team for assistance.
CLTD offers support to academic staff to elicit feedback on effectiveness of teaching and courses for the purposes of continuous reflection to inform decisions on professional learning, enhancement of learning and teaching practice as well as accountability. Different methods should be used to ensure a holistic evaluation of teaching practice. Each method offers different benefits, and the technique chosen should be appropriate to the need or exigency which has prompted the evaluation process.
The following workshops are made available to all staff in order to support engagement with evaluation of teaching and courses. Staff are encouraged to enrol for the sessions according to need, alternatively contact the CLTD evaluations team for assistance.
Academic staff with teaching responsibilities are required to conduct evaluations of their teaching and courses, and further reflect on this as part of a process to enhance the quality of offerings. CLTD believes that effective evaluation of teaching and courses requires academic staff to understand the purpose of evaluations and further create opportunities for evaluations that support reflective practice. The workshop aims to provide participants with an opportunity to do the following: • Examine the purposes of evaluations and different tools that can be used • Familiarise themselves with the processes and the platform used at Wits to conduct student evaluations
• Explore ways in which students can be encouraged to participate constructively in evaluation processes • Prepare for using evaluation feedback in processes of continuous improvement of teaching and courses
Date: 9 February 2022
Duration: 12:30 – 14:00
Venue: Online (Meeting link will be e-mailed once bookings are confirmed)
Contact: Nompumelelo Mazibuko Nompumelelo.Mazibuko@wits.ac.za
Peer Reviews
Peer Review is a process through which valuable feedback on teaching practice and courses could be solicited by engaging the expertise of academic peers. Engaging in peer reviews provide academic staff an opportunity to triangulate data drawn through student feedback (questionnaires) in the process of self-reflection. Peer reviews create an opportunity for academic staff to examine and reflect collaboratively on teaching practice based on observed lessons and other selected teaching artefacts. The process is meant to be collegial and supportive in a manner that allows for professional learning of both the reviewer and the reviewee. The workshop targets all staff tasked with the responsibility to conduct reviews in the respective schools and those that want their teaching and course to be reviewed. The workshop provides participants with an opportunity to: • Examine the purpose of peer reviews and relevance in supporting development of teaching competence • Explore different models that are used when conducting peer reviews • Engage with the guidelines for conducting meaningful peer reviews (i.e. clarify roles and responsibilities) • Address different concerns or challenges related to peer review processes • Explore the idea of a peer review as a scholarly and collaborative reflection activity
Date: 10 February 2022
Time: 12:30 – 14:00
Venue: Online (Meeting link will be e-mailed once bookings are confirmed)
Contact: Nompumelelo Mazibuko Nompumelelo.Mazibuko@wits.ac.za
Student feedback on teaching and courses using Blue Explorance
The CLTD recommends that lecturers use student feedback as a formative opportunity to learn from input. The results offer useful indicators of trends but have limited value in getting to the heart of facilitation practices. They are most useful when contextualised in information obtained from the more qualitative forms of evaluation as scores can often be the consequence of multiple factors, e.g., mismatched expectations.
In 2020 the Blue Explorance system was launched across all faculties. This means all academic staff should use the online system for conducting student evaluations. CLTD will continue to on board staff to the Blue Explorance system and further stabilise the use of the platform. This will be done through self-help material and webinars open to all staff. Faculties or schools may request for customised sessions.
Using Blue Explorance system to conduct student evaluations
Target: Academic staff Description
Blue Explorance Basics To create awareness of Blue Explorance: how the system works, the process followed when using the system, and the responsibilities of the different stakeholders (Lecturers, students and Evaluations Team).
Date: 21 February 2022
Time: 12:30 – 14:00
Venue: Online (Meeting link will be e-mailed once bookings are confirmed)
Facilitators: Ms Nompumelelo Mazibuko Nompumelelo.Mazibuko@wits.ac.za Ms Nthabiseng Mokoena Nthabiseng.Mokoena@wits.ac.za
Contact: Nompumelelo Mazibuko Nompumelelo.Mazibuko@wits.ac.za
Blue Explorance tools: Question Personalisation & Response rate monitor
Target: Academic Staff Description
Established user aiming to enhance student participation and quality of evaluations To consolidate knowledge on Blue Explorance and further explore features that will enhance user experience. The focus is on: • Question personalisation tool (design evaluation forms for quality feedback) and
• Response Rate monitor (encourage students to complete forms)
Date: 22 February 2022
Time: 12:30 – 14:00
Venue: Online (Meeting link will be e-mailed once bookings are confirmed)
Facilitators: Rejoice Nsibande Rejoice.Nsibande@wits.ac.za Nompumelelo Mazibuko Nompumelelo.Mazibuko@wits.ac.za Nthabiseng Mokoena Nthabiseng.Mokoena@wits.ac.za
Contact: Nompumelelo Mazibuko Nompumelelo.Mazibuko@wits.ac.za
Blue Explorance Open lunch hour discussions
Target: Academic Staff Description
Blue Explorance Open discussion
Open forum where CLTD Evaluation Services staff respond to questions and challenges experienced by staff when using Blue Explorance system. There will be 1 session per semester to address challenges experienced by academic staff when using the online system. Session dates are as follows:
Date: 18 April 2022 Date: 18 July 2022
Time: 13:00—14:00 Time: 13:00—14:00
Venue: Online (Meeting link will be e-mailed once bookings are confirmed)
Facilitators: Rejoice Nsibande Rejoice.Nsibande@wits.ac.za Nompumelelo Mazibuko Nompumelelo.Mazibuko@wits.ac.za Nthabiseng Mokoena Nthabiseng.Mokoena@wits.ac.za
Contact: Nompumelelo Mazibuko Nompumelelo.Mazibuko@wits.ac.za
Self-help material
The CLTD appreciates that academics have busy schedules hence not everyone will have the opportunity to participate in organised sessions. To address this, easy-tofollow materials are developed and will be made accessible to all staff. For example, the material includes step-by-step guides (on how to select questions, monitor students’ participation, and access reports). Related short video clips and a ‘Frequently Asked Questions’ document will be made available on the ‘Better Blended Learning’ site on ulwazi, as well as on the CLTD website.
More information on evaluations
Peer Reviews CLTD recommends that lecturers use expertise from within their Faculty or disciplines to conduct peer reviews. The CLTD is open to School/Faculty requests for a peer review workshop to support both staff identified as reviewers and those staff that require a review.
As part of peer reviews staff are encouraged to use External Examiners Reports as they are produced by experts with extensive knowledge in subject matter and teaching in the discipline. External Examiners’ reports can also be useful in providing feedback on the quality and standards of teaching.
Learning and Teaching Advisors in the Faculties may be contacted for advice on using Peer Reviews. It is highly recommended that all reviewers go through training so that they are prepared for the responsibility.
It is important to remember that Peer Review is a highly intensive form of getting quality feedback. The process is labour and time intensive and given the limited resources in the university—it is advisable to prepare for and schedule for the review well in advance. As CLTD has limited resources we cannot offer this service as freely as we would like to, and we are encouraging academic staff to engage faculty or school colleagues to conduct reviews.
Using Evaluations Constructively Academic staff need to make informed choices and interpretations of what kinds of feedback each form of evaluation offers and about the value or weight of the different types of evidence garnered. CLTD’s preferred stance is to use evaluation of teaching and courses in a formative approach aimed at improvement, rather than to make categorical judgements about an individual’s teaching practice. CLTD is happy to assist academic staff and academic managers in this regard.
For general information on Evaluations of Teaching and Courses at Wits University, please use the following link to access the relevant policy:
http://intranet.wits.ac.za/exec/registrar/Policies/Forms/AllItems.aspx
For information on the Blue Explorance system and other evaluation matters, please contact the following CLTD staff:
• Mpumi Mazibuko (011) 717—1483 Nompumelelo.Mazibuko@wits.ac.za
• Nthabiseng Mokoena (011) 717—1469 nthabiseng.mokoena@wits.ac.za
For further information on conducting an evaluation of your teaching or interpreting and use of feedback data collected:
• Dr Rejoice Nsibande 011) 717—1474 Rejoice.Nsibande@wits.ac.za
