Why are course rating forms required?

Course ratings are important to the success and quality of the Wright Institute, as they are the primary means of providing feedback to instructors. Your instructors are seeking feedback on your courses with the goal of making them better. We are always looking for ways to improve our course offerings and instruction, and can't do that without your feedback and comments.

How do I submit my course rating forms?

1. Starting on the last day of a course, sign in to your student portal at: http://www.wi.edu/portal
2. Click the "Rate my courses" button on the dashboard or the "Course rating" link on the left side
3. Click the instructor (or presenter) you wish to rate
4. Complete and submit the form

Is my feedback anonymous?

Your course rating responses are completely anonymous. Anonymous answers are maintained within the portal software and cannot be traced back to the respondent. No personally identifiable information is captured unless you voluntarily offer personal or contact information in the comments field, which we ask that you not do in order to protect the anonymity of your classmates.

How is anonymity guaranteed?

Within the Wright Institute Portal is the functionality to perform anonymous surveys. Each person who has responded to the course rating form is recorded as "complete" after they submit their responses. The fifteen course rating answers and three comment fields are stored in a separate database table that only holds these data and a course ID number. The data are not time stamped. Once submitted, the unordered data join all other responses for the course. This way, the system only knows whether or not a student has submitted the rating forms but is unable to relate the data back to the student. By using the course ID number, the system is then able to compile results per course. IP addresses are not recorded during the course rating process to further ensure anonymity. The course rating forms are only distributed to courses with five or more students.

Does anyone really look at and think about what we write?

Yes! The majority of Wright Institute instructors value what students report on the rating forms, so the more specific and constructive your feedback, the more likely the instructor will take your comments to heart. Your feedback can lead faculty to revise teaching methods, change textbooks, revise assignments and make other changes to help you learn.

Will filling out course ratings affect my grades?

Your course ratings have no impact on your grade whatsoever. Instructors do not get to view any of the results until after final grades are submitted and they have no way to associate responses with individuals. Course ratings are an opportunity to have a voice and an impact on the quality of education at the Wright Institute. Just like you, instructors can learn and improve if they get feedback about how they are teaching.

Must I submit all course rating forms at once?

No. Forms may be submitted individually at any time during the rating period.

What if I need to stop before I have finished the form for a course?

To ensure anonymity, progress on individual course rating forms may not be saved, as this would require linking the saved data to your account. If you wish to work on your comments for an extended period of time, over several sessions, you may prepare them in another application (MS Word, NotePad, TextWrangler, etc.) and paste them into the comments field when ready.

What if I need to re-do a course rating form?

For the sake of anonymity, rating forms are not retrievable once submitted as they are not linked to individuals.

What happens to my ratings after I submit?

After you submit your course rating forms, your responses, without any personal identifiers, will become part of the database for your class. After final grades are submitted, your instructor will be able to look at the aggregate data for each question (the distribution of responses, the mean scores, the comments, and the responses on individual forms (without any identifiers). They also receive a report of how their performance compares to other instructors.

Will I receive email reminders to complete the forms?

Yes. You will receive email reminders until all of your course rating forms have been submitted.

What questions are on the course rating form?

Click here to view a sample course rating form.

What do I do if I have other questions?

If you are experiencing any difficulty with the system, please email rating@wi.edu or call (510) 841-9230 x 171.