PULLMAN, Wash. – Students in about half of fall 2014 classes will use a new online course evaluation system at Washington State University. By spring 2016, all WSU classes will be phased in to using eXplorance Blue rather than paper forms.
This semester, most courses in these colleges will offer evaluations in Blue: College of Agricultural, Human & Natural Resource Sciences; Honors College; College of Nursing; College of Veterinary Medicine and Voiland College of Engineering. Courses offered online through Global Campus will also use the new system.
Colleges get help to transition
Training sessions for college coordinators in the fall implementation group are being offered in November and December through the WSU Office of Assessment of Teaching and Learning (ATL), under direction of Kimberly Green. For more information and a detailed timeline, see http://atl.wsu.edu/online_course_evals_surveys/Skylight_Replacement.html.
Other colleges will move into Blue over the next four semesters, coordinated at the college level with ATL. For more information, see http://atl.wsu.edu/online_course_evals_surveys/overview.html.
Better features, response rates
Blue offers new options and capabilities, including: instructor-added questions, improved data analysis, question groups for departments and colleges, and access to live response rates.
Blue is designed to support strong student response rates. Students are able to use mobile devices, such as smartphones and tablets, to complete course evaluations. The system also sends automatic email reminders to students to complete evaluations.
Provost Dan Bernardo approved Blue to replace the Skylight Survey System – an in-house software that is being retired. The decision was made at the recommendation of the Provost’s Stakeholder Review Committee after consideration and review of participant experiences in the Blue pilot.
The spring 2014 pilot involved about 3,500 students, 68 instructors and teaching assistants, and courses in six colleges. For details, see http://atl.wsu.edu/blue-pilot/.