Which factors influence scores, percentiles, and department standing?
The use of student ratings requires some caution as the scores are not free of student bias and will vary with factors other than course content or learning objectives. Biasing factors include: class size/type/level; experience with other courses and teachers; department and discipline differences; required and prerequisite courses; and grading policies. These effects are usually small and may cancel each other. Courses with low enrollment or few responders may make scores inconsistent or difficult to interpret so that a focus on written responses is appropriate. In any event, small differences in ratings should be ignored. ‘Percentiles’ and ‘Department Standing’ are comparisons of ratings and show how each course score compares with all other course scores (i.e. the percentage of sections that are equal to or ranked lower than the section.) Reports do not automatically identify ‘bad’ ‘poor’ or ‘excellent’ courses. The Chair’s Summary Report uses key summative questions to highlight co
