Systems and Operations

Course Evaluations

For JMU faculty and staff who use multiple-choice course evaluations, Computer Operations can tabulate and print students' responses in four different report formats:

• Full: generates a separate report for each class
• Department: combines all of the classes into one report
• Teacher: combines all of the classes for each individual teacher
• Course: combines all of the sections for each course

Course evaluations can consist of true-false items or multiple-choice questions with no more than five choices for each question. The evaluation must be limited to 100 items. Students record their answers on Scantron sheets designed for an Optical Mark Reader.

For each item on an evaluation, the mean response, standard deviation, and number of times each response was marked are computed. You can also request the mean and standard deviation for a block of related items.

Evaluation Forms

You can choose from one of three forms:

Form	Size
F-165	4.25"x11"
F-166	8.5"x11"
F-8063	8.5"x11"

Form F-2637 (10 responses per item) can ONLY be used for ASCII loads. It CANNOT be used for course evaluations.

Purchasing Scantron Sheets

Purchase your sheets from Computer Operations. Bring a completed Agency Transaction Voucher (ATV) to Frye 201. Be sure that:

• you fill in "229900" for the Credit Account, and "100212" for the Recovery Organization,
• your Organization and Debit Account numbers are correct,
• an authorized signature is on the form, and
• the form number and quantity requested are correct.

To estimate the cost, call Computer Operations at 568.7024 for the current prices.

Storing Scantron Sheets

Keep Scantron sheets in good condition. Do not fold or bend the sheets or allow them to become warped or contaminated with food or liquid paper. A manila envelope is handy for storing and carrying sheets. Rubber bands can cause the forms to curl.

Preparing Course Evaluations

• Since multiple answers cannot be processed properly, phrase questions so that students will indicate just one answer.
• Have no more than 5 choices per question.
• Block together questions to be evaluated as a subgroup.
• Use no more than 100 questions.

Instructions for Students

Students should write the teacher's name on the Scantron sheet where the word "Name" is printed and include the section number or class meeting time. They should leave the id area blank. (The id area on one form will be coded in later [described below] by the department).

• Use a number 2 lead pencil only.
• Keep marks within the boxes, erasing all stray marks.
• Leave questions blank that are not applicable.
• Mark only one answer per question.
• Erase any stray marks in the left margin.
• Avoid folding or bending the sheets.

Submitting the Sheets for Processing

One faculty or staff member from your department should have the responsibility for collecting the Scantron sheets, filling out the Evaluation Request Form, and bringing them to Frye 201. This facilitates our job by enabling us to process all data for an entire department at one time.

• Keep the sheets for each class section separate (folders or envelopes are preferred). Do not use rubber bands, paper clips, or staples to organize sheets.
• Course sections do not need to be in order.
• All sheets should be free from foreign substances, such as liquid paper.
• Mark the first sheet of each section with the following 9-digit code in the id area.

Columns
1-3	Course Number
4-6	Section Number
7-9	Teacher Number (Assign each teacher a number for labeling purposes.)

For example, the class for PSYC 102, section 6, teacher 9 would appear as 102006009 on the Scantron sheet. And the 4th block course for IDS 301, section 1, teacher 24 would be 301401024.

• Write the code number over the columns; fill in the boxes from left to right or from top to bottom.
• Sheets should all be the same form type for each department.
• Make copies of the Evaluation Request Form, and fill out one for each set of evaluations. Deliver the form and the Scantron sheets to Computer Operations in Frye 201.
• Allow 1 to 2 weeks for processing. Evaluations are not processed during exam week.

If you have any questions, call Computer Operations at 568-7024.