By now most students are familiar with the end-of-semester custom: someone comes to class and passes out the evaluation forms. Then students are asked to evaluate the instructor and course by answering questions and writing down comments. Some have probably wondered what happens to the evaluations afterwards.
For one, instructors themselves use this feedback to improve upon their teaching methods. Also, university administrators review students' ratings and take them into consideration in evaluating instructors. Bilkent believes that students play an important role in helping the university advance towards ever greater excellence in teaching.
Last year two committees were formed to examine excellence in teaching at Bilkent and the role of evaluations in working towards that goal. As a result of the year-long work of those committees, new course/instructor evaluation forms were developed. The new forms are the product of a variety of input: feedback from students and faculty on the previous forms and draft proposals, examination of the forms used by leading universities abroad, as well as a review of the international literature and research findings about teaching and evaluations. The new evaluation forms are being used for the first time this semester. For a preview of the new forms, visit the web site www.bilkent.edu.tr/~provost/forms/c-i-eval.htm.
