Every term, students on the Boulder campus evaluate each of their courses and instructors using a questionnaire called the Faculty Course Questionnaire (FCQ). The FCQ program is managed within the Office of Data Analytics (ODA) at CU Boulder.
FCQs—and student ratings of instruction, generally—represent students’ perceptions of their experience in a single course. The FCQ is not a substantive evaluation of the instructor, nor is it a comprehensive measure of course effectiveness. The FCQ is not designed to collect comparative information about other instructors, nor does it ask students to compare their experience with other courses in the major or in the department. It is intended as a formative assessment tool to provide actionable feedback to instructors with the goal of improving the learning environment.
It is important to note that the FCQ does not measure student learning or achievement. However, the new FCQ asks about specific instructor actions that have been demonstrated to create a supportive learning environment, such as the extent to which the instructor explained grading criteria, provided helpful feedback, and demonstrated respect for students.
The FCQ is an important tool for students to provide feedback about course instruction. The inclusion of FCQs in annual faculty evaluation is outlined in the University of Colorado Regent policies. In recent years, there has been considerable effort by CU Boulder faculty and administrators to create a more valid and reliable FCQ, and to advocate for more robust models for evaluating teaching effectiveness. The accurate interpretation and use of FCQ data is essential to effective and equitable faculty evaluation. Personnel decisions about faculty using FCQ data can be life-altering and should be made with the utmost care and intentionality.
Resources
Using FCQs and Multiple Measures of Teaching for Annual Reviews (PDF with recommendations from the CTL & ODA on the scholarship on teaching and learning and educational evaluation)
Making FCQs Work for You – CTL's AssessingU Blog
Guidance on the Use of FCQs in Teaching Evaluation from the Teaching Quality Framework (TQF) initiative (Google document)
Considerations for Peer Observation in Evaluating Teaching in the COVID Era from the TQF initiative (Google doc)
QTI Practical, Mixed-Methods Guide to Use FCQs as a Measure of Teaching Effectiveness