NLU New End of Course Evaluation and Questions
NLU's LQC, FDC, CTLE, and Provost Office are excited to implement both a new end-of-course evaluation platform and a revitalized list of core institutional questions that align to key NLU frameworks across course design and instructional quality.
This website will serve as the hub of information and resources for faculty throughout this process.
Questions? Email Liz Mehringer, Academic Operations Director, at emehringer@nl.edu.
New Core Institutional Question
To reduce survey fatigue, improve student response rates, and strengthen the quality of evaluation data, NLU is developing a streamlined set of core institutional end-of-course evaluation questions for use across departments and colleges.
The goal is to create a concise evaluation instrument of 15 or fewer questions that provides meaningful feedback on course design, instructional effectiveness, and the student learning experience while maintaining a consistent approach to course evaluations across the University.
The Faculty Development Committee (FDC) and Learning Quality Committee (LQC) have identified 25 draft questions for faculty review. These questions were selected from a validated course evaluation question bank developed by the University of Toronto, allowing NLU to build on established research and best practices.
The draft questions are organized into four areas aligned with NLU's priorities for teaching and learning:
- Course Design – Course organization, learning outcomes, instructional materials, assessments, and the overall learning experience.
- Teaching Excellence Framework – The roles of Subject Matter Guide, Designer and Teacher, and Community Builder.
- CARES Service Excellence Framework – Collaborative, Accountable, Responsive, Empathetic, and Solution-Oriented practices.
- Open-Ended Questions – Opportunities for students to provide narrative feedback on strengths and areas for improvement.
Share Your Feedback
We invite all faculty to review the draft questions and complete a brief survey indicating which questions should be included in the final instrument. Your feedback will help identify the questions that provide the most valuable insights into teaching effectiveness, course quality, and student learning.
Following the feedback period, the FDC and LQC will review survey results and recommend a final set of 15 or fewer core institutional questions. Faculty input is essential to ensuring the final instrument supports meaningful reflection, professional growth, and teaching excellence across NLU.
Frequently Asked Questions
NLU's current end-of-course evaluation questions were largely inherited from our previous vendor and include as many as 41 questions on some surveys. While evaluations collected extensive feedback, the University primarily uses a much smaller set of measures related to teaching effectiveness and course design. This review gives us an opportunity to create a shorter, more meaningful set of questions that provides actionable insights and aligns with NLU's institutional priorities.
The Faculty Development Committee (FDC) and Learning Quality Committee (LQC) are leading the review process using a validated question bank provided through Explorance and developed by the University of Toronto. Draft questions will be shared broadly for feedback across the institution in various forms before final recommendations are presented to the Academic Cabinet for approval prior to the Spring 2027 pilot.
The University of Toronto developed its course evaluation item bank through an ongoing process of research, testing, and refinement. Questions were reviewed using established survey design and assessment principles, evaluated for clarity and usefulness, and analyzed using statistical methods to determine how consistently they measured aspects of the teaching and learning experience. The item bank has been updated over multiple versions based on empirical analysis, instructor and institutional feedback, and evolving teaching contexts, including online learning.
The University of Toronto also conducted formal validation studies of its course evaluation framework, examining factors such as reliability, internal consistency, item performance, and the interpretation of results. Questions that were redundant, poorly performing, or less aligned with best practices were revised or removed, while new questions were added as needed.
The University of Toronto's item bank contains more than 600 course evaluation items organized across approximately 90 teaching and learning categories, giving institutions flexibility to select questions that fit their own educational priorities and contexts. NLU's draft questions represent a small subset chosen from this larger research-based item bank.
Click this link to review the University of Toronto's Validation Study.
Faculty feedback will be gathered through Faculty Senate, individual college faculty meetings, college leadership groups, and asynchronously via our online survey available on this webpage. Feedback from these groups will help inform which questions are included in the final institutional question set.
Yes. Students will have an opportunity to provide feedback on the clarity and understandability of the proposed questions. Their input will help ensure the final instrument is easy to interpret and respond to effectively.
The goal is to create a concise evaluation instrument with 15 or fewer core institutional questions. These questions will be designed to measure key aspects of course design, teaching excellence, and the student experience while minimizing survey fatigue.
Yes. In addition to the core institutional questions, faculty will have the opportunity to include additional questions that are relevant to their course, program, or instructional goals. Additional guidance on available options will be provided before implementation.
Questions under consideration were selected from a validated question bank that has been researched for reliability and effectiveness. In addition, feedback from faculty and students throughout the review process will help ensure the final question set is fair, clear, and broadly applicable across disciplines and modalities.
A pilot of the new evaluation instrument and Explorance Blue platform is planned for Spring 2027 with selected programs. Following the pilot and any resulting refinements, university-wide implementation is expected in Summer 2027.
Yes. The University intends to periodically review the core question set to ensure it continues to provide meaningful feedback and remains aligned with institutional priorities, teaching practices, and student needs.
Current Course Evaluations
The current course evaluation system will be used until the Summer 2027 term. Looking for information about the current evaluation system? 
