Top 10 Flashpoints in Student Ratings and the Evaluation of Teaching

<p>ATTENTION: ALL FACULTY & ADMINISTRATORS“Another book on student ratings? Are you kidding me?” “Nope but this one is REALLY different.” Another review of the research or step-by-step on how to develop and interpret rating scales? NOT! (Berk did that with Thirteen Strategies) Designed to solve YOUR problems conflicts and confusion about how to evaluate teaching. Written expressly for YOU with Berk’s signature sense of humor.FLASHPOINT: a critical stage in a process trouble spot contentious issue volatile hot button or lowest temperature at which a flammable liquid will give off enough vapor to igniteThe “flashpoints” covered are the topics that pop up the most frequently and heatedly on listservs blogs and the literature. Each flashpoint is defined succinctly options are presented and then evidence-based recommendations for concrete action steps are proffered in an effort to stop the popping.The recommendations are grounded in psychometric professional and legal standards. The last-named in particular can protect you from costly litigation. If you hire promote demote and fire full- and part-time faculty based on student ratings and other measures then you are vulnerable to violations of federal anti-discrimination laws. Several flashpoints address procedures you can take to stay out of court. If you are a faculty member you need to know whether your institution’s measures of teaching are appropriate and defensible and what you should do if they are not.Four sample “flashpoints” and solutions:• Use of global items for summative decisions. SOLUTION: “Cease & desist” and use scale and subscale ratings• Low response rate in online administrations. SOLUTION: 20 strategies to increase rates• Scales to evaluate online and blended/hybrid courses. SOLUTION: 7 strategies are suggested and evaluated • Use of ratings for contract renewal pay raise teaching awards and promotion and tenure. SOLUTION: Applying 80/20 rule for adverse impact to avoid lawsuits related to unequal pay gender race ethnicity and age discrimination</p>