Qualtrics Launches Course Evaluations Tool for Real-Time Student Feedback

A new tool from experience management company Qualtrics manages the entire course evaluations process, from customizing questions to analyzing results on an institutional, department or individual course level. Course Evaluations is designed to help institutions "identify gaps in the learning experience and understand which actions have the biggest impact on experience, engagement and performance," according to the company.

Administrators can create course evaluations using Course Evaluations' pre-built question library, as well as customize questions for more targeted feedback. The tool automatically distributes the evaluations to students, who can respond via e-mail or through a learning management system. Automated reminders help increase response rates, and results are available to administrators immediately (rather than months after a course has concluded). It's possible, for instance, to collect feedback in the middle of a course and address problems as they arise, Qualtrics pointed out.

As an example of how Course Evaluations can revamp the traditional pen-and-paper student survey process, Qualtrics cited William Paterson University, which started using the tool to collect student feedback in 2020. Evaluations the institution conducted during the pandemic revealed that students wanted more communication from teachers, which led professors to begin hosting virtual office hours via Zoom. The evaluation process also encouraged more students to express their needs, said Tony Krucinski, department coordinator for instruction and research technology at the university: "With a hybrid or fully remote format, sometimes our students feel distant, like they can't openly engage. Whereas in the classroom, you can tell if a student is lost just by looking at them. We're seeing a lot more students providing open-ended responses because they can submit evaluations digitally via their cell phones, laptops or tablets."

"Schools are still adapting to the seismic changes of the pandemic. Their task now is to dial in to the experiences students are having — in and out of the classroom — that will keep them engaged in learning," commented Omar Garriott, global head of education at Qualtrics. "Students demand it. Waiting weeks or months to collect course and instructor feedback is a thing of the past. Qualtrics helps schools understand and take action on what students are saying more often as we all push forward into a new normal of teaching and learning."

For more information, visit the Qualtrics site.

About the Author

Rhea Kelly is editor in chief for Campus Technology, THE Journal, and Spaces4Learning. She can be reached at [email protected].

Featured

  • row of students using computers in a library

    A Return to Openness: Apereo Examines Sustainability in Open Source

    Surprisingly, on many of our campuses, even the IT leadership responsible for the lion's share of technology deployments doesn't realize the extent to which the institution is dependent on open source. And that lack of awareness can be a threat to campuses.

  • server racks, a human head with a microchip, data pipes, cloud storage, and analytical symbols

    OpenAI, Oracle Expand AI Infrastructure Partnership

    OpenAI and Oracle have announced they will develop an additional 4.5 gigawatts of data center capacity, expanding their artificial intelligence infrastructure partnership as part of the Stargate Project, a joint venture among OpenAI, Oracle, and Japan's SoftBank Group that aims to deploy 10 gigawatts of computing capacity over four years.

  • colorful panels depicting university housing, meal plans, data analytics, forms, and a student

    New Thesis Elements Student Life Module Integrates Housing, Meal Plans, and Student Services

    Student information system provide Thesis Elements recently launched a new Student Life module that enables institutions to manage student housing assignments, meal plans, billing, and other student services from within the Elements SIS platform.

  • laptop displaying a glowing digital brain and data charts sits on a metal shelf in a well-lit server room with organized network cables and active servers

    Cisco Introduces AI-First Approach to IT Operations

    At its recent Cisco Live 2025 event, Cisco announced AgenticOps, a transformative approach to IT operations that integrates advanced AI capabilities to enhance efficiency and collaboration across network, security, and application domains.