How Much Feedback Can We Get?

Pavel Kurfürst Institute of Foreign Languages Palacký University in Olomouc, Czech Republic

Institute of Foreign Languages  established 1996  languages for specific purposes (LSP) –Latin / Latin for foreigners –English –German –Czech for foreigners  5 members  800 students (2003/04)

Institute of Foreign Languages

Evaluation can be very threatening; it suggests change and change is often resisted. The threat is greatest when evaluation is seen as as imposed external act, over which there is no control. In fact evaluation is a very constructive and powerful activity and a very stimulating one. Dudley-Evans & St. John, Developments in ESP (1998, p. 129)

Evaluation can be time consuming, complex and frustrating. Hutchinson & Waters, English for Specific Purposes (1987, p. 155)

Palacký University - CRE  European University Association (CRE) Institutional Evaluation Programme  1999: expert team’s visit to Palacký University  CRE IEP Report –critical (formal quality management) –suggestions (norms & mechanisms at the faculties; questionnaires, feedback for students)

Palacký University  summer semester 1999/2000  evaluation recommended  questionnaire – 4 general questions – specific questions to be added at depts.  formal, unattractive, no feedback

Faculty of Medicine  since 2000/2001  recommended questionnaire  compulsory at all departments  annual report to the faculty management  faculty report  formal, not all departments, no feedback

Faculty of Medicine - research  students’ research on the attitudes of students and teachers to evaluation  faculty students’ conference (2003)  250 students (S); representatives of all departments (T)  response rates 83% and 61%, resp.

Faculty of Medicine - research  tailor-made for each department (76% of S)  students’ responses taken seriously (93% of T)  outcomes should be published (95% of S; 37% of T)  comments taken into consideration (85% of T)

Institute of Foreign Languages  since 1999/2000, ie 9 semesters  own questionnaires  2 parts (basic + additional questions)  teachers’ qualities, programme, literature, evaluation, web page etc.  results incl. teachers’ comments published on the internet

question 3 teachers’ pedagogical qualities question 8 the questionnaire - its usefulness and suitability of the questions (June 2004)

Section for Medical Education  part of the Medical Students Association at the faculty  est’d 2001  research projects focused on medical education  conferences (CR, Slovakia, Bulgaria, Germany, Switzerland, Denmark, the Netherlands, USA, Canada, Mexico)

Section for Medical Education  Medical Students’ Language Needs Analysis  2003/2004 project  Daniela Jelenová (year 6) and Katherine Růžičková (year 3)  supervisor Pavel Kurfürst  questionnaires  outcomes presented at the students’ conference (May/June 2004)

Needs analysis survey project  questions on –students’ language competence –use of English during lectures, seminars –recommended literature in English –use of English for extracurricular activities (research, exchange programs, travels etc.) –usefulness of English for medical studies and profession –use of other languages

Needs analysis survey project  176 questionnaires processed (year 3: 112, year 6: 64)  English necessary for medical studies (76%) and profession (84%)  English literature recommended for preparation for seminars (69%) and for exams (64%): physiology, biochemistry, pharmacology, pathology, pediatrics, internal medicine – (nearly) all subjects

Evaluation can be very threatening; it suggests change and change is often resisted. The threat is greatest when evaluation is seen as as imposed external act, over which there is no control. In fact evaluation is a very constructive and powerful activity and a very stimulating one. Evaluation can be time consuming, complex and frustrating.

Lessons learned about evaluation  seen as a regular, integral part of the tuition both by students and teachers  not formal, not imposed  questionnaires: decent layout, tailor-made  anonymous, well explained  carefully processed, with comments  outcomes published

Lessons learned about evaluation  feedback on different levels –individual teachers –head of the department –faculty management  valuable suggestions and comments should be taken into consideration and implemented