College students utilize technology in vast ways. However, the results of studies evaluating the technological experiences of young people within the academic setting are varied, suggesting that students are more complex in their preferences for academic technology use than once thought. Yet no studies have explored student preferences for academic technology as measured by formal course evaluations. This study examined the relationship between technology use and student ratings of instructor and course effectiveness in post-secondary classrooms. Level and type of technology use, individual instructor demographics, and ratings of instructor effectiveness were measured using formal student evaluations of teaching (SETs). The findings suggest that significant differences in technology use exist between instructors of varying rank and experience. Additionally, the results suggest that students identify technology as a tool that contributes to their learning, but that technology is not sufficient in and of itself to impact ratings of instructor effectiveness and self-reported student learning. Rather, students identify instructor variables and instructional approach more frequently as important contributors to their learning. Future research should expand on these results by exploring the specific types of technology that students attend to in the classroom and by investigating how best to incorporate technology while maintaining strong pedagogical approaches. / Educational Psychology

Doctor of Philosophy / Department of Special Education, Counseling and Student Affairs / Aaron H. Carlstrom / This study extends existing student ratings research by exploring how teaching methods, individually and collectively, influence a minimum standard of student achievement on learning objectives and how class size impacts this influence. Twenty teaching methods were used to predict substantial or exceptional progress on each of 12 learning objectives. Analyses were conducted in four class-size groups, Small (between 10-14 students), Medium (between 15-34 students), Large (between 35-49 students), and Very Large (50 or more students). Archival data were over 580,000 classes of instructors and students who responded to two instruments within the IDEA Student Rating of Instruction system: Instructors completed the Faculty Information Form, and students responded to the Student Ratings Diagnostic Form. Significant progress, for the purpose of this study, means students indicated they made either substantial or exceptional progress on learning objectives the instructor identified as relevant to the course. Therefore, student ratings of progress were dichotomized and binary logistic regression was conducted on the dummy variables. Descriptive statistics and point-biserial correlations were also conducted to test the hypotheses. Teaching methods that stimulated student interest were found to be among the strongest predictors of significant progress on the majority of learning objectives across all class sizes. For all class sizes, significant progress was correctly classified from a low of 76% of the time to a high of 90% of the time. The higher students rated the instructor in stimulating them to intellectual effort the more progress they reported on a majority of learning objectives across all class sizes. Higher instructor ratings on inspiring students to set and achieve challenging goals were also associated with significant student progress on learning objectives across all class sizes. Class size was not a major factor affecting the predictive strength of groups of teaching methods on student progress on learning objectives. However, it was a factor concerning the predictive strength of individual teaching methods. The larger the enrollment the greater was the predictive strength of key teaching methods. Implications of the study for faculty professional development and for future research are discussed.

Undergraduate pre-business students who had taken an introductory business statistics course three years ago were sent a questionnaire that, among several other questions, asked them about their views on the usefulness of the course. Students rated the introductory business statistics course as "moderately important" for their business education. They favored an integrated approach that covers both the statistical concepts and the computer software necessary to carry out the statistical analysis, and they had a strong preference for the Microsoft EXCEL software. Students thought that projects played an important role in introducing them to real-world applications of statistics, but they also mentioned several problems that arose with group-based work. Factors mentioned as having had an impact on teaching effectiveness are discussed in the last part of the paper. (author's abstract) / Series: Forschungsberichte / Institut für Statistik

The objective of this study was to examine the use of frequent, anonymous student course surveys as a tool in supporting continuous quality improvement (CQI) principles in online instruction. The study used a qualitative, multiple-case design involving four separate online courses. Analysis methods included pattern matching/explanation building, time series analysis, and thematic analysis. Findings suggested that instructors used student feedback to make course changes that alleviated technical difficulties, added and clarified content, and contributed to future course changes. Students and instructors responded positively to the opportunity to give and receive anonymous feedback and felt that it helped improve the course. It is uncertain, however, whether using CQI principles had an impact on end-of-semester teacher course quality ratings. An important finding from the research is that students like to be asked to help improve their learning experience, as long as the instructor listens and responds to their feedback. Evaluation is a valuable component of instructional design theories, which are based on the philosophy that the best designs result from an iterative process. Using a synergistic CQI approach, this study indicates that it is possible for changes to be made more quickly to a course when students are involved in the process. The combination of frequent student feedback with a willing and experienced instructor who can make expert course revision decisions allows the process of course improvement to be enhanced.

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