Using the DELPHI Method to Collect Feedback on Student's Perceptions of Teaching Quality

Authors

Otto H. MacLin, University of Northern IowaFollow
M. Kimberly MacLin, University of Northern IowaFollow
M. Catherine DeSoto, University of Northern IowaFollow
Robert T. Hitlan, University of Northern IowaFollow
John E. Williams, University of Northern IowaFollow

Document Type

Essays, Studies, and Works

Abstract

In educational institutions, teaching effectiveness is a highly valued asset among administrators, professors, and students alike. Information gathered from students is often used as a basis for promotion and tenure decisions (Abrami & d’Apollonia, 1999; Waters, Kemp, & Pucci, 1988), and, ideally, formative purposes. However, students do not always believe that their evaluations carry much weight (Chen & Hoshower, 2003; Spencer & Schmelkin, 2002). This is likely due to the fact that summarized results from student evaluations often do not get in the hands of professors until after that particular course has concluded and, therefore, the feedback does not directly benefit the students who provided it. The goal of the current paper is to introduce a method that can be used by instructors to evaluate the effectiveness of their teaching in a particular course in such a way as to implement change in the course if necessary for those very same students. First, we will discuss teaching effectiveness in general; second we will introduce the DELPHI method and its usefulness in evaluating effective teaching; and third we will report on the results of using this method in our courses with the goal of improving the learning experience for the students providing the feedback.

Publication Date

Spring 2009

Journal Title

UNIversitas

Volume

5

Issue

1

First Page

1

Last Page

13

Copyright

©2009 Otto H. MacLin, M. Kimberly MacLin, M. Catherine DeSota, Robert T. Hitlan, and John E. Williams

Creative Commons License

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-No Derivative Works 4.0 International License.

Language

en

File Format

application/pdf

Recommended Citation

MacLin, Otto H.; MacLin, M. Kimberly; DeSoto, M. Catherine; Hitlan, Robert T.; and Williams, John E. (2009) "Using the DELPHI Method to Collect Feedback on Student's Perceptions of Teaching Quality," UNIversitas: Journal of Research, Scholarship, and Creative Activity: Vol. 5: No. 1, Article 4.
Available at: https://scholarworks.uni.edu/universitas/vol5/iss1/4