By Rachel Worth
Published on October 24, 2007
In order to ensure the quality of interaction between students and teachers, PJC students complete a “Pensacola Junior College Student Rating of Instruction Form” in many of their classes. These forms are used to gather information from the students, and to personally evaluate each student’s reaction to the class, including the presentation of information and the ability of the instructor to effectively deliver information to the students.
This semester, PJC students may notice a change in the course evaluation forms. Elaine Elledge, director of curriculum and assessment, said that the new evaluations reflect PJC’s emphasis upon being a learning centered college. In a learning centered environment, every factor about the students’ surroundings contributes to the furthering of their knowledge, Elledge said.
In order to more accurately and efficiently document the learning progress and growth of each student, not to mention the faculty members’ teaching skills, PJC needed a more standardized way of taking up information, Elledge said.
This new form, called the “Student Evaluation Form as Adapted for PJC,” is quite similar to the previous form, but with slight modifications. For example, instead of question No. 2 asking, “Did the instructor clearly define course requirements?” the wording reads, “Did you feel the instructor clearly explained test material?”
Such differences may be seen as minute and therefore unimportant, but altogether the new evaluation form provides more concise and direct questions, which enable the student to give a more thorough evaluation of the teacher’s performance throughout the semester, Elledge said.
Ron Archer, adjunct instructor in the theater department, said that these forms, as a whole, are very beneficial to the students and the teachers, if taken seriously.
“[The evaluation forms] will only be helpful if the student takes time to honestly answer each question meaningfully, not just out of spite to get back at a teacher,” Archer said.
Jennifer Pugh, PJC student, doesn’t really think the evaluation forms do very much good as a whole.
“It’s a good idea, but I don’t really think students my age take them seriously,” she said. Most of the time, I’m just ready to leave and fill out the answers as quickly as possible.”
However, another student, Ashley Keller, believes that an evaluation form is necessary.
“Evaluation of teachers is most definitely something that needs to be done,” Keller said. “It lets the administration know what goes on between teachers and students, and if everyone is failing because they’re dumb or because they have a bad teacher.”
Elaine Martin, adjunct instructor of environmental science, also feels that the forms are needed, especially the new forms.
“It’s always important to make sure the teacher is communicating well with the students, otherwise there’s no point in teaching,” Martin said.