Course evaluation
Why do we evaluate teaching at the MHH?
Student evaluations are a tried and tested instrument for continuously scrutinizing and improving the quality of teaching and the learning environment. Their central aim is to collect open and constructive re-registration that enables teachers and the university to respond to students' needs and further develop didactic methods. Ideally, evaluations support the development of a dynamic dialogue between teachers and students, which not only serves to optimize content, but also sends a valuable signal to our entire university: We take criticism, suggestions and praise seriously and strive for excellence together.
How do students, teaching staff and the MHH benefit from the evaluations?
Teaching evaluations offer students the opportunity to actively shape their learning experience. Through honest feedback, they help to make courses even more targeted, comprehensible and inclusive. Teachers, on the other hand, gain insights into, for example, the effectiveness of their methods and the comprehensibility of their materials. This feedback is the basis for adapting didactic elements, trying out new approaches and further developing personal teaching styles. In the end, everyone benefits: engaging teaching motivates students, promotes academic success and strengthens confidence in our institutional quality.
What responsibility do students and lecturers bear?
The effectiveness of evaluations depends on the responsibility of each individual. Students are called upon to provide regular and careful re-registration - in the knowledge that not only they themselves, but also fellow students, lecturers and the university as a whole will gain from this. Constructive feedback is characterized by pointing out potential for improvement in an appreciative but clear manner. This creates a culture of shared learning and growth in which every voice counts.
At the same time, our lecturers are called upon to carefully examine the re-registration, recognize deficits and address them. A transparent discussion with the students can in turn help to strengthen motivation, success and confidence in the evaluation itself.
How is the evaluation of studies and teaching organized at the MHH?
Course evaluations (LVE) for all MHH study programmes are managed centrally by the Office of Academic Affairs - Evaluation & Capacity. Evaluations are carried out exclusively online using the evasys software. For this purpose, we send our students a link to the survey by email towards the end of each module they attend.
Evaluations at the MHH are based on the following principles:
- Our students should have the opportunity to evaluate each module they attend.
- Feedback is voluntary and anonymous
- Whenever possible, the LVE should also reflect the module examination
- We strive to enable differentiated feedback and develop questionnaires for this purpose that meet test theory principles
- Respectful interaction: the evaluation office reserves the right to censor personal attacks and insults in free text responses
After completion of the LVE, the Evaluation Office prepares standardized reports that are made available to the lecturers in the respective modules. For students and all lecturers at the MHH, reports without free text comments are also stored in the ILIAS learning management system. The Study Commissions and the programme coordinators at the MHH also receive in-depth insight into the results in order to be able to respond directly to challenges.
You can find the evaluation regulations here.
Differentiated evaluation and brief assessment
We are aware that many students are unable or unwilling to provide detailed re-registration for every module. We have therefore introduced the short evaluation, which contains only a few questions in addition to an overall grade and can be completed in one minute. We hope that this will encourage students to participate who would otherwise not give any feedback at all.
Rewarding good teaching
Good teaching is financially rewarded at the MHH through the allocation of performance-oriented funds (LOM teaching). Student feedback plays a major role here. In human medicine and dentistry, the overall LVE grade is an important criterion; in some Bologna study programs, separate surveys are held for module-related teaching awards. The LOM teaching awards provide targeted support for high-quality courses and committed lecturers. Recipients can use them for innovative projects, the further development of teaching materials or further didactic qualifications, for example.
Facts and figures
The Evaluation Office conducts more than 300 LVEs per year (and rising) in the eight study programs currently offered at the MHH and prepares, checks and sends out more than 350 reports. In addition, there are evaluations of further education and training courses, teaching awards, the annual screening of study conditions (link available soon) as well as the screening of study motivation (HSM) and the graduate survey in medicine.
Evaluation results, teaching prizes, allocation of funds and developments in teaching at the MHH and in the individual study programs are published annually in the Teaching Report, which is published by the Dean of Studies for Medicine and the Bologna study programmes and prepared by the Evaluation Office.
Contact
If you have any questions, comments or criticism, you can contact the Evaluation Office at any time via lehrevaluation@mh-hannover.de.
If you would like to get in touch directly with the contact persons for the individual study programmes and areas of responsibility, you will find them here.