Online Student Evaluation of Teaching for Distance Education: A Perfect Match?

Given the limited number of currently available resources, one public mid-western university is working to develop and implement an effective and appropriate means for online student evaluation of teaching in distance education courses that is useful and beneficial for all stakeholders — student, faculty, and administration. Because traditional methods have proven insufficient in addressing the breadth of instructional delivery and course design methods, the university began a pilot project supporting online evaluation for distance education courses in spring 2003. This paper outlines the issues considered and challenges faced in the search to employ reliable and valid online student evaluation for distance education courses, to maximize the benefits associated with electronic data gathering and reporting, and to meet the organizational and logistical challenges inherent in such an endeavor.