One of the most popular ways to do a course evaluation is through a survey to those taking the class. Teachers begin by developing a rubric of what they expect students to learn throughout the course. Based on that set of objectives (which can come from a course syllabus), teachers can ask questions so students can give their response on a numbered scale. Surveys often give students a chance to answer questions or give their own critical feedback on how the teacher performed, what they would change or how to make improvements on future assignments or even the grading system.
Portfolios allow students to collect their work throughout the course or over a period of time to show progress they made with learning assignments. Portfolios often work best with art or language classes where students display the learning process from beginning to end. Teachers can analyze how students combine different learning elements and adapt different tools and methods to each assignment. They can also discover how students apply these components over multiple assignments. For students, this is also encouragement to improve their work (regardless of the initial grade) and permits them to save their work for resumes and job interviews.
Journals can allow students to reflect on the learning process throughout a given period of time. In addition to writing what they learn in class, students can also write about what they struggle with, what they enjoy about a course and what they think needs improvement. By reading the learning journals, teachers can compare and contrast each writing sample. Besides helping teachers learning about course evaluations, they also give students writing practice. Some teachers may choose to put the learning journals in a blog form on the Internet for the entire class to view.
The interviewing process to evaluate a course allows teachers to talk directly to students to assess what they learn. This process begins with teachers developing a list of questions for each student and interviewing them about the learning process. Educators can ask what students like and don't like about a course, what parts of the course they feel is most effective and if they can offer changes or suggestions. Interviewing gives teachers the opportunity to ask follow up questions to get a better sense of their education. Unlike a survey, interviewing allows teachers to watch body language and to see if students hesitate when answering a question.