Course Evaluations
Goals / Description
Student surveys have been carried out at the TU Dresden since 1995 for the purpose of course evaluation. In 1998, a unified survey method with machine-readable questionnaires was implemented. In 2004, the evaluation of university courses became affiliated with the Center of Excellence for Education and University Research (KfBH) with the goal to organize and substantially renew this process, as well as to utilize student surveys as an instrument of quality assurance. Since the winter semester of 2011/2012, the evaluation of courses has been carried out by the newly-established Center for Quality Analysis. An average of 550 courses per semester have been evaluated thus far. With the technical and organizational support of the project “Evaluation of Instruction”, more than 50,000 computerized Questionnaires per academic year could be analyzed.
The current survey tool is based on the Heidelberg inventory for the evaluation of teaching courses (HILVE). Students can rate the content and presentation of the course as well as the general conditions and their motivation by completing the standardized questionnaire. The compiled average profile and the frequency count serve as feedback for the instructors and are discussed together with the students at the end of the semester.
The former survey tools were reworked in the academic year of 2013/2014 in order to ensure the precise integration of the course evaluation into the quality management system in teaching. Questionnaires for lectures, seminars, tutorials and lecture series (in both German and English) are available for the winter semester of 2019/20.
Information about the Evaluation Procedure
- The current dates and deadlines for course evaluation can be taken from the timetable.
- The selection of the courses to be evaluated is the responsibility of the study commission. It is ensured that all course types are adequately considered and that each instructor conducts an evaluation for a course at least every three years. More.
- For courses with less than 25 participants, the use of a qualitative survey method is recommended. The ZQA has compiled a series of potential feedback methods for this purpose. More.
- The survey procedure takes place with the aid of standardized, machine-readable questionnaires (or online questionnaires) for lectures (with or without tutorials), seminars, tutorials, and lecture series – in either German or English. More.
- Registering courses with the ZQA and requesting the necessary questionnaires takes place through the person responsible for the evaluation and through a registration form (deadline on October 25th, 2019). More.
- The survey period: In order to secure the timely analysis and feedback of results to the teachers and students, the surveys should be completed between November 25th, 2019 and December 6th, 2019. More.
- A consent form from the instructor is necessary for the survey and the analysis of the questionnaires. More.
- The report with the final results of the course contain average profiles and frequency counts. More.
- Like other social science research, these course evaluations are subject to the strictest requirements regarding data protection laws. More.
Contributor
B.A. Tung Nguyen Khanh
Nguyen KhanhTung

Course Evaluation
NameTung Nguyen Khanh, M.A.
Research Assistant
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