IT IS the last class of the economics course. Yes, time has arrived for the all important course evaluation. However, students sigh as course evaluation questionnaires are passed out. "Why bother, no one shows us the results anyway," claims Yondolly. Next to him, Yonhee complains, "Yeah... I am also tired of this same old OMR card. Oh well, let's just get over with it."

The current OMR card system will be switched to answering the same questions online starting this semester, but an overhaul of course evaluation system is in dire need. The Yonsei Annals investigates this matter of on-going progress, and offers means to improve it.

Are the courses being evaluated?

Currently in Yonsei Univ., course evaluation is conducted once at the last class of the semester. The two-part questionnaire is made by the Curriculum Department of the Campus Management Development Team. The first section asks five questions about the course, the exams and the professors, with answers ranging on a scale from one to five. The second section has two questions where the students can write down their comments.

The questionnaires are collected by the individual departments and sent to the assigned colleges. The dean of each college gives the results to the Curriculum Department, who then makes an overall evaluation. The analysis of the multiple-choice questions is reported to the president of Yonsei Univ., and the student comments are sent to the professors of each class. The results of the questionnaires are not disclosed to the students.

Following issues have risen concerning the current system among faculty members as well as students. First, not only is the number of questions too small to assess a course effectively, it is unsuitable to apply the same set of questions to over 2,000 different courses. Second, questionnaire results are used more as a barometer to rate the instructors then as a process to improve the courses themselves. Of the 700 professors and over 1,300 part time lectures, instructors with the top 40 score averages are awarded with the title of "exceptional instructors". "At the moment, the results of the questionnaires are more or less a type of report card for the professors," says Ryu Kap-ho, former director of the Curriculum Department. "Many professors fear that the course evaluation results may hinder with their reputation, so this matter must be treated very carefully," explains Ryu.

Combination of ineffective questions and poor targeting of questions has led to loss of trust on the evaluation system from not only the faculty and the student body, but the school board as well. According to Ryu, "Good results do not always mean that the course was educationally beneficial. Also, we are not certain whether the students filled the surveys out with sincerity."

Keeping everyone involved

In Cambridge Univ., various methods of course evaluation are carried out to analyze the courses. Questionnaires for student feedback on teaching and courses are utilized by faculties and departments. The basic method is the standard paper-based lecture questionnaire. Instructors are asked to hand these out at the end of each course. The questions vary according to each course. They range from simple questions such as "have you enjoyed the class", to "do you feel that the supervisions are a valuable part of the course or not". Questions are categorized into several parts such as "pace of the lecture schedule", "difficulty", and "teaching methods". Furthermore, a web-based survey for all students also runs from the middle of term until the end of the following year so that the students can update their survey entries at any point. Students who want to send immediate feedbacks to professors can make use of the Fast Feedback Facility. Messages delievered through this service are monitored by the Teaching Office before anonynization so that the school can also be aware of any issues.

Regular feedback is another notable feature of the Cambridge Univ. course evaluation system. Professors post up the questionnaire results on the school websites. Procedures for the provision of information to students are publicized through one or more senior member of institutes such as the Faculty Board and the Student-Staff Committee.

Lecturers and members of the Course Management Committee meet with the Consultative Committee to conduct an evaluation of the courses at the end of each term. Three or four senior students of each class are elected as student representatives and become members of the Consultative Committee. These student representatives gather feedback from fellow students and present them to these course organizers. The results of the questionnaires, e-mails and other online surveys are summarized and evaluated at this meeting. Notes of the meetings are made public, allowing students to follow up on how their opinions were received and materialized. It is the duty of the Committee to carry out all decisions made. If not, it is reported again, and brought back to the drawing board for re-examination.

Walking the road map

Yonsei Univ. needs to implement a drastic make-over on its evaluation system. However, there has been progress in the right direction. The Yonsei CTL (Center for Teaching and Learning) has drawn up the program "Mid-term Feedback Item Pool" which provides a collection of over 600 questions in seven different categories asked to check class activities. Available both on and offline, faculty members can utilize them for prompt feedback on their lectures from students during a term. According to Kim Eun-joo, the Executive Director of CTL, "we started planning this service in November 2003 as many professors felt the need for more specific feedback during the semester. With this program, professors can make adequate adjustments to their courses at any time and students can see the results of their feedback carried out." Other services such as analysis of video taped lectures by the program's specialists are also available to assist faculty members improve their lecturing and learning process. Mid-term feedback is a promising program and it will commence its service next semester, but it is not going to be mandatory for instructors.

Changes in the current school-wide evaluation system is the key, with professors and students of all courses benefiting from the feedback mechanism of course evaluation. On the other hand, as Prof. Zak Lancaster(Dept. of English Language and Lit.) points out, the students need to fulfill their part in this delicate feedback procedure. "Under the current system, few students take the time to write really thoughtful and constructive feedback. I think many students want to give constructive feedback if they sense it has meaning." Student participation needs to be the starting point in road to demanding and realizing this change.

Yonsei boasts top faculty members and students, but unless effective course evaluation mechanism is in place, the highest quality of education can not be ensured. Unfortunately, the current system is not fulfilling this duty. Only under the concerned efforts of the school board, faculty members, and students, will the system find its rightful place. 

<"Students' views... should be supplemented by explicit and effective arrangements for analysing and considering student opinion, for acting upon it as appropriate, and for providing prompt and detailed feedback to the students on the outcome of the consideration of questionnaire responses."

 - From website of Education Section, University of Cambridge>