Following a pilot study last year to examine student return rates of Student Instructional Rating System, or SIRS, forms, MSU administrators plan to continue moving the forms online.
The study, conducted in summer and fall 2010, was based on a grade sequestration system in which students who did not fill out the SIRS forms would have their grades withheld for one week.
A report issued by a subcommittee of the University Committee on Academic Policy, or UCAP, in spring 2011, showed student response to the SIRS forms increased more than 60 percent during the study.
In the summer, student response increased from 27 percent to 87 percent; in the fall, it increased from 25 percent to 86 percent. More than 90 percent of SIRS forms were filled out completely.
Associate Provost for Undergraduate Education Douglas Estry said if student response continues to reach similar levels, the forms ultimately will be moved online.
“(We’ve been) favorably impressed with student responses,” he said. “It will be interesting to see whether that response continues to hold up this semester.”
Estry said students — including those from ASMSU, MSU’s undergraduate student government — who were members of UCAP supported the online transition during the pilot study.
ASMSU Provost Zach Taylor said in a previous interview that the pilot study was meant to examine the SIRS return rate and will help instructors gain more student feedback.
Estry said the study was conducted during both the summer and fall semesters to ensure the responses were not based on unusual numbers from summer enrollment, which tends to be much lower than fall or spring numbers.
Nursing senior Daré Ajijo said some students who want to know their grades immediately will benefit from the incentive to fill forms out quickly.
Ajijo said more people will fill out a paper version of the form because it is issued in class, but an online version will allow for more time to think about answers.
Estry said he does not know statistics of how many students write comments for instructors but said the quality of data from the forms is equal to feedback in the past.
Estry said the new online SIRS forms allow faculty to use a standard electronic form or create their own, giving them the flexibility to create additional questions for specific feedback.
Special education junior Lisa Gerds said instead of providing quality feedback, students have a tendency to fill SIRS forms out quickly just to get it done.
“If a professor wasn’t helpful, (students would) be more apt to put negative comments whether or not it’s accurate,” she said.
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