Improving SET Response Rates
Overview
Attaining high student response rates on the Student Evaluation of Teaching surveys is important for an accurate understanding of student satisfaction. Additionally, WSB requires a minimum of a 70% response rate to be considered for our annual Teaching and Learning Awards. Learn more below about what strategies other instructors use to increase SET response rates in their courses.
SET Response Rates | Best Practices Survey
During the 2022-2023 academic year, the average student response rate to the SET survey was 57%. As a school, our goal is to achieve an average response rate of 70%. To improve response rates we sent a survey to instructors who achieved higher than 70% in student responses.
- Survey population included 91 instructors (no Teaching Assistants)
- The best practices survey was open between June 22 – July 14, 2023 (22 days)
- Forty (40) instructors responded to our survey (a response rate of 44%)
General tactics to improve SET response rates
To better understand how these instructors got such high response rates, the first survey question asked about different tactics to encourage students to fill out the SET.
Q1 | Did you utilize any of the tactics below to encourage student participation in the SET survey (select all that apply).
- Communicated and/or reinforced the importance of completing the SET (n=33)
- Provided time in class for students to complete the SET (n=32)
- Included SET completion as a non-graded assignment in Canvas (n=11)
- Other (n=6)
- Communicated and/or reinforced that the SET is new and/or shorter (n=5)
- Nothing/none of the above (n=1)
In-class strategies for SET engagement
Other survey questions sought more specific strategies for encouraging SET completion during class time.
Q3 | If you utilized time in class for SET completion, please describe your approach, i.e.: present/utilize the “SET Instructions” PPT slide provided by WSB; leave the classroom; etc.
Q4 | Please share any tactics, ideas, secrets to success, etc. that you believe played (or plays) an important role in attaining response rates >70% in your courses.
- Give students time in class on the last day or second to last day (n=29)
- Leave the classroom/give students privacy (n=23)
- Emphasize feedback helps me improve/become better teacher/improve the class (n=21)
- Provide time in class at beginning or middle of class (not end) (n=19)
- Utilize WSB “SET Instructions” PowerPoint (n=8)
- Regular reminders/announcements & SET on syllabus & SET Canvas assignment (n=8)
- Connect SET to learning outcomes (n=2)
- Build credibility and trust with students throughout the semester (n=2)
- Incentives (n=2)
