Upgrade pencils to keyboards

By Andrew Sztein

szte0001@algonquincollege.com

Pen and paper will soon be replaced by keyboards and monitors for end of semester professor evaluations and surveys.

While most students this year will still be using the classic pencil and paper format, those in the computer studies, community studies, and culinary arts programs will be working as testers for the new system.

“This new system incorporates flexibility, in addition to being able to ask open-ended and closed ended questions,” said Carol Ann Samhaber, a member of the committee for the new online survey and a professor in the human resources management program. “Students these days are far more IT talented, so this will enable us to receive more information quicker.”

The new system is expected to be fully rolled out for all students for the fall 2009 semester, after three semesters of trial runs. The first trial run took place during the summer months during the 2008 spring semester for students in computer studies, trades and apprenticeships, and architecture and civil engineering programs.

Charlie Inglis, the director of academic planning and the chair for the online committee, said that there was no negative opinions during the spring test, although he admitted that there was a small email bug which has already been fixed.

“With the current pen and paper system, professors don’t receive their feedback until two months after the semester ends,” said Inglis. “By then, it’s out of date. The professor can still use it, but the time frame isn’t appropriate.”

Inglis also praised the forthcoming system for its ability to “follow trends, especially in the longer term.”

“It allows us to see if things are improving. Accountability is now built in,” said Inglis.

The committee does not seem concerned with a drop-off in quantity of responses for students without computers.

“There are many IT terminals on campus,” said Samhaber. “Data receiving levels were very comparable in the first run.”