School of Medicine
Evaluation Services

Information for Students

FAQ

Using WebEval, a short guide

Giving Feedback

Course & Faculty Evaluations 

Information for Faculty

Self-Evaluation

Peer Evaluation

Educator Resources

Suggestions for Giving Feedback on your Evaluations

Giving Feedback

In order for these evaluations to be the most useful to course directors and faculty, they should be approached with thoughtfulness and honesty. The anonymity of these evaluations is strictly maintained so as to provide students with the opportunity to openly provide constructive feedback regarding courses and teaching. 

Giving Useful Feedback

Evaluations are designed to provide students with an opportunity to give feedback as to the strengths of a particular course or faculty member’s teaching style. Additionally, students should feel free to give suggestions for improving courses and teaching effectiveness. 

Examples of useful comments made in the past include:

• “Excellent at explaining material”
• “Very knowledgeable and has a fun way of sharing his knowledge base with students”
• “Provides a relaxed atmosphere conducive for learning”
• “Needs to more clearly define expectations for students”
• “Needs to give more timely, specific feedback”

Feedback That is Not Useful

The more specific students can be about comments, the more useful they will be to faculty.  Vague and general comments are less helpful because they do not allow a faculty member or course director to replicate or change specific teaching behaviors or course qualities. 

Examples of less useful, vague/general comments include:  

• "Good teacher.”
• “Worthless as an attending.”

Historically, students have approached evaluations constructively and respectfully.  However, there have been incidents of unprofessional comments made.  It is the School of Medicine policy that such comments are marked as “unprofessional” in evaluation reports. Information containing foul language and/or comments regarding a faculty member’s personality or appearance are generally classified as unprofessional unless they reflect constructive feedback regarding a faculty member’s professional behavior. 

Examples of unprofessional comments made in the past include:

• “Needs to buy some decent clothes”
• “Needs a personality transplant”
•  “Nice legs”
• “What an @#$*&%@$!

School of Medicine | Medical College of Georgia

Please email comments, suggestions or questions to:
Andria Thomas, PhD, athomas@mail.mcg.edu.
July 12, 2007