Accountability in the academy: Rasch measurement of student feedback surveys

Abstract

This paper reports on the development of two forms of student survey designed to improve the teaching and the delivery of subjects at a major Australian university. ‘Student Feedback about Subjects’ (SFS) is an on-line survey designed so that every student can provide feedback about every subject studied, every time it is offered. ‘Student Feedback about Teaching’ (SFT) is a paper-based survey instrument that faculty may request as part of teaching evaluation for inclusion in applications for tenure or promotion. SFS is designed to provide immediate electronic feedback at the end of each teaching semester to faculty involved in teaching. Because the SFT is a high-stakes assessment, Rasch measurement techniques were used in the development of the instrument, and again in reporting of results to academic and appropriate administrative staff. The development of SFT survey benchmarks enabled informative Rasch-based links to be made to an earlier data bank and revealed interesting interactions between class size and endorsement of teaching practices.