Navigating student ratings of instruction

Many colleges and universities have adopted the use of student ratings of instruction as one (often the most influential) measure of instructional effectiveness. In this article, the authors present evidence that although effective instruction may be multidimensional, student ratings of instruction measure general instructional skill, which is a composite of three subskills: delivering instruction, facilitating interactions, and evaluating student learning. The authors subsequently report the results of a metaanalysis of the multisection validity studies that indicate that student ratings are moderately valid; however, administrative, instructor, and course characteristics influence student ratings of instruction.