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Higher education institutions in Canada and abroad encourage faculty to use teaching evaluations to rate their teaching for effectiveness. The evaluation of teaching effectiveness can take many different forms, including surveys and questionnaires to rate teaching performance, or course suitability and program relevance.

Results from the evaluations are used for a wide range of purposes. For example, they provide data and guidelines for:

1. Evaluation of teaching effectiveness.
2. Preparation of supporting evidence for teaching and research awards and grants, and promotion and tenure applications.
3. Quality assurance processes in the review and restructure of institutional, Faculty, Department and Program goals and curricula.
4. Enhancement of Dalhousie University teaching and learning profile regionally and nationally.

Student Ratings of Instruction are an important part of assessing the quality of education an institution provides. At Dalhousie University, SRI is recognized as an essential component of a formal institutional evaluation strategy that includes evidence from students (SRI results), the individual professor, and peer-reviewable information about teaching, usually presented in the form of a comprehensive teaching dossier. More informal strategies for evaluating teaching or identifying ways in which courses and programs may be enhanced are also recommended, including peer consultation and using a minute paper at the end of class. You are encouraged to review the list of recommended resources for information on assessing teaching effectiveness and how to use the results to enhance learning and teaching, and course or program design.

Further information about summative and formative evaluation of teaching can be found on our website. We also invite you to contact us if you have questions about the SRI process (Bruno Roy) and the SRI educational development perspectives (Fay Patel). We look forward to working with you and in facilitating the SRI system to optimize teaching and learning at Dalhousie.

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