Some abstracts do not have video files because ASAS was denied recording rights.
1765
Teaching evaluations and other alternatives to assess good teaching and learning
Animal Science departments have long strived for excellence in teaching. Quality teaching programs have been difficult to maintain because of reduced state funding, changing demographics of students, loss of livestock units that support teaching, and greater emphasis on extramurally funded research. Building and sustaining a culture whereby teaching receives respect similar to other mission areas is critical. Trends in higher education are towards “the research institution”, since research is thought to drive more funding into the institution. However, the rapid increases in tuition rates in most institutions has made attracting students a high priority. Critical to building outstanding teaching programs is properly assessing teaching quality. The literature results on student evaluation of teaching as a tool for effectively evaluating and improving teaching are mixed. Some studies indicate that student evaluations can be useful and that results are positively correlated with learning, while others raise concerns about gender bias in student evaluations. Student evaluation of teaching is a useful tool, but has limitations. Peer evaluation of teaching can also be an effective tool in improving teaching quality.
Keywords: assessing teaching and learning, teaching evaluations