Networked, asynchronous assessment of ongoing instruction

A system for anonymous assessment of ongoing instruction by students is being implemented and used in an undergraduate electrical engineering course on circuit theory. Students submit their detailed assessments through a conferencing system, topic-by-topic as the course proceeds. An intermediary is used to provide anonymity and verification. The teacher receives the assessments forwarded by the intermediary and then posts responses. The system provides a means for obtaining regular, structured feedback about classroom instruction using a fixed-format questionnaire. It is asynchronous and requires almost no use of class time. Students are required to participate and are given a small amount of credit towards their course grade. Reasonable deadlines and the asynchronous operation provide flexibility and yet allow feedback in-time to improve ongoing instruction. This topic-specific feedback on classroom instruction and other course work provides the type of detailed information from enrolled students needed to evaluate and improve the course and the instruction.