Student Perspectives of Teaching (SPOT)
Students at the U of A provide their feedback on teaching and learning through a standardized survey which is designed to get their perspectives on their experiences of teaching. Effective July 1, 2023, students will use a survey with new questions, called Student Perspectives of Teaching, or SPOT.
What's Changing
The SPOT survey consists of six sections with three questions in each section, for a total of 18 questions. Questions on the SPOT survey are listed in Teaching, Learning and Evaluation Policy - Appendix A: Student Perspectives of Teaching (SPOT) Survey. These changes to how students provide their perspectives on teaching are reflected in the Student Input to the Evaluation of Teaching and Learning Procedure which also takes effect July 1, 2023.
Students previously provided feedback to instructors through Universal Student Rating of Instruction (USRI) questions, a survey with 10 questions.
Why the Questions are Changing
These survey questions are changing to meet the Framework for Effective Teaching requirement in the Teaching, Learning and Evaluation policy, as one way to mitigate bias. The Centre for Teaching and Learning (CTL) developed the framework to help instructors enhance their teaching practice through methods of developing, documenting, and reflecting on their teaching.
The new questions on the SPOT survey reflect on course design and instructional practices, two components of the Framework for Effective Teaching.
What's on the New Survey
The SPOT survey consists of six sections with three questions in each section, for a total of 18 questions. In the first three sections, students are evaluating instructors on course design. The last three sections evaluate instructional practices.
The six sections students will provide their perspectives on teaching are:
- Course design
- Utility of course resources
- Graded work
- Course delivery
- Instructional approach
- Class climate
How will SPOT Surveys Be Delivered?
Instructors are now required to give students 15 minutes of classroom time to complete surveys. This change will take effect with Fall 2023 courses. Instructors will not be present during the provided class time. This communicates the importance of the activity to students and has shown to be an effective way to encourage participation.
Access to the SPOT survey, along with any supplemental instructor and/or Department/Faculty questions will normally be available beginning two weeks prior to the last day of classes until two days past the last day of classes providing there are no final examinations scheduled in this two-day period.
What's Not Changing
All other aspects of the SPOT survey process remain the same. Instructors and students will continue to receive notification of when the surveys are available and subsequent communication using the same timing as before.
Students will continue to complete SPOT surveys through an online questionnaire, administered through Test Scoring & Questionnaire Services (TSQS).
Instructors will continue to receive their SPOT survey results in the same time period, using the same method.
Visit IST’s page for more details on the SPOT survey process.
Impacts to the Faculty Evaluation Committees (FEC) and Tenure and Promotion Processes
Results from the updated SPOT survey providing feedback on courses from July 1, 2023, to July 1, 2024, will be used in the FEC processes after July 1, 2024, in ways that are consistent with the collective agreement and Faculty standards, documents and procedures.
Timeline of Changes to Instructor Feedback
More on Timeline Changes:
- July 1, 2022: Survey name changed to Student Perspectives of Teaching (SPOT) but survey questions remained the same and used Universal Student Rating of Instruction questions. Survey has 10 questions.
- July 1, 2023: New SPOT survey questions in effect for courses that start July 1, 2023. Students will provide feedback to instructors using new questions. New survey has six sections with three questions in each section, for a total of 18 questions.
- Fall Semester 2023: Instructors are evaluated on courses held from July 1, 2022, to June 30, 2023, using results from old SPOT survey questions (formerly known as Universal Student Rating of Instruction ). Instructors are evaluated through the Faculty Evaluation Committee process.
- Fall Semester 2024: Instructors are evaluated on courses held from July 1, 2023, to June 30, 2024, using results from new SPOT survey questions. Instructors are evaluated through the Faculty Evaluation Committee process.