by Ashley Biviano Let’s be honest: switching vendors during the academic year can feel like trying to change a tire on a moving car. There’s grading, advising, meetings, deadlines, and the occasional email at 11:59 p.m. marked “urgent.” The thought of onboarding a new course evaluation system in the thick of it all? It’s enough …
Why SmartEvals Might Be the Best Decision You Make for Course Evaluations
Let’s be honest: course evaluations aren’t always the most exciting part of institutional life. But they matter—a lot. They help shape teaching, guide improvement, and give students a voice. So when the process of collecting, managing, and analyzing them becomes clunky, expensive, or just too complicated, it doesn’t just slow things down—it dilutes their impact. …
Helping Faculty Prepare for Course Evaluations: A Guide for Department Heads, Deans, and Chairs
As a department head, dean, or chair, you know that course evaluations provide critical insights into teaching effectiveness, curriculum design, and student engagement. But ensuring that faculty are prepared for evaluations—and that students provide meaningful feedback—requires a proactive approach. While SmartEvals streamlines the process, faculty still play a crucial role in encouraging participation and guiding …
Getting Ready: How to Prepare for Course Evaluations to Get the Best Feedback
Course evaluations don’t just happen—they’re most effective when instructors set the stage for meaningful student responses. While it’s easy to think of them as just another end-of-semester task, a little preparation can lead to higher response rates and more useful feedback. Whether it’s setting expectations, fine-tuning evaluation questions, or using SmartEvals’ tools to maximize participation, …
Making Sense of Course Evaluations: How Aggregated Data Helps You See the Big Picture
Course evaluations are packed with valuable insights, but sorting through individual responses can feel overwhelming. While one student might love your teaching style, another might suggest changing everything—and that’s just in the same class! Instead of focusing on isolated opinions, the real power of course evaluations comes from aggregated data—the ability to spot patterns across …
Closing the Loop: How to Use Course Evaluation Feedback to Improve Teaching
Gathering course evaluation feedback is an essential part of improving teaching and learning experiences. But let’s be honest—reading through pages of student responses can feel overwhelming. Sifting through feedback, identifying key takeaways, and deciding what to implement can be a challenge, especially when comments range from deeply insightful to… well, less helpful ones like “This …
Beyond Response Rates: How to Get More Meaningful Feedback from Course Evaluations
Increasing response rates is only half the battle when it comes to course evaluations. The real challenge? Getting feedback that’s actually useful. While it’s great when students take the time to complete evaluations, responses like “Good class” or “Great professor” don’t offer much insight. So how can instructors encourage students to provide thoughtful, detailed feedback …
Boosting Response Rates: How Instructors Can Get More Student Feedback with SmartEvals
Course evaluations provide valuable insight into what’s working in a class and what can be improved. Yet, getting students to complete them isn’t always easy. While institutions may send out automated reminders, instructor involvement is one of the most effective ways to increase response rates. With SmartEvals, instructors have several tools at their disposal—custom questions, …
Happy Employees, Better Products: Why Company Culture Matters at SmartEvals
At SmartEvals, we believe that happy employees and inclusive culture contribute to providing the best products. It’s not just a feel-good statement—it’s a business strategy. A workplace where people enjoy coming to work, feel appreciated, and are encouraged to grow naturally leads to better innovation, stronger customer support, and a thriving community. We’re not just …
How SmartEvals Uses AI and Data Analytics to Transform Course Evaluations
Universities rely on student feedback to improve courses, enhance teaching effectiveness, and ensure academic excellence. But raw survey data alone isn’t enough—institutions need actionable insights to make meaningful improvements. That’s where incorporating only crucial elements of AI makes a difference. Unlike traditional course evaluation systems that simply collect responses, SmartEvals leverages artificial intelligence and advanced …