Course Survey Response Rates

Nearly all processes for online evaluation of courses struggle with student response rates.  Low response rates raise questions about the validity of the data, because there is no way of knowing how representative the students who completed the form are.

Faculty need valid information about their courses in order to improve their teaching. What students say about their learning experience matters, since they are the only ones able to observe all that happens in a course. The higher the response rate, the more confident faculty can be in making changes to improve student learning.

Communication Strategies

Over the years several communication strategies have been used to increase response rates though none produced greatly increased response rates.

  • Advertising on the Inside Augsburg page.
  • Advertising on the digital signs around campus.
  • Advertising using posters created by students in a summer graphic design course.
  • More frequent email reminders.

Response Rate History

This table shows the historic response rates by term.

Academic Term

Number of Course Sections

Number of Received Evaluations

Number of Possible Evaluations

Response Rate

Pilot Test Fall 2004

89

835

1461

57%

Spring 2005
102
1121
1800
62%
Fall 2005 Day

4346

8109

54%

Weekend/Graduate
1510
3035
50%
Winter 2005 Weekend/Graduate

204

1521

2837

54%

Spring 2006 Day

395

3040

6785

45%

Weekend/Graduate
188
1531
2771
55%
Summer 2006 Day and Weekend/Graduate

89

486

1144

42%

Fall 2006 Day

3915

7920

49%

Weekend/Graduate
1952
3432
57%
Winter 2007 Weekend/Graduate

228

1635

2972

55%

Spring 2007 Day

437

3044

7947

38%

Weekend/Graduate
185
1440
2616
55%
Summer 2007 Day and Weekend/Graduate

111

715

1416

50%

Fall 2007 Day

472

3966

8322

48%

Weekend/Graduate
237
1771
3255
54%
Winter 2008 Weekend/Graduate

244

1675

3166

53%

Spring 2008 Day

431

3013

7350

41%

Weekend/Graduate
148
1109
2248
49%
Summer 2008 Day and Weekend/Graduate

180

1084

2152

50%

Fall 2008 Day and Weekend/Graduate

669

5232

11022

47%

Winter 2009 Weekend/Graduate

218

1498

2934

51%

Spring 2009 Day

464

3348

7895

42%

Weekend/Graduate
206
1494
2888
52%
Summer 2009 Day and Weekend/Graduate

122

641

1538

42%

Fall 2009 Day and Weekend/Graduate

745

6501

12589

45%

Winter 2010 Weekend/Graduate

264

1798

3599

50%

Spring 2010 Day

461

3053

7866

39%

Weekend/Graduate
210
1424
2915
49%
Summer 2010 Day and Weekend/Graduate

127

715

1602

45%

Fall 2010 Day
540
4110
9283
44%
Weekend/Graduate
245
1759
3216
55%
Winter 2011 Weekend/Graduate
237
1600
2991
53%
Spring 2011 Day
505
3221
8422
38%
Weekend/Graduate
222
1408
2854
49%
Summer 2011 Day and Weekend/Graduate
125
525
1353
39%
Fall 2011 Day and Weekend/Graduate
772
5776
12191
47%
Winter 2012 Weekend/Graduate
213
1218
2483
49%
Spring 2012 Day
539
3332
8816
38%
Weekend/Graduate
193
1178
2363
50%
Summer 2012 Day and Weekend/Graduate
115
530
1223
43%
Fall 2012 Day
550
3597
9281
39%
Weekend/Graduate
192
1161
2329
50%
Winter 2013 Weekend/Graduate
195
1146
2312
50%
Spring 2013 Day
523
3059
8371
37%
Weekend/Graduate
164
1044
2203
47%
Summer 2013 All programs
106
481
1336
36%
Fall 2013 All programs 702 4604 11864 39%
Spring 2014 All programs 739 4086 10845 38%
Summer 2014 All programs 182 775 2143 36%
Fall 2014 All programs 734 4423 11559 38%
Spring 2015 All programs 722 3845 10718 36%
Summer 2015 All programs 177 764 2051 37%
Fall 2015 All programs 746 4495 11841 38%
Spring 2016 All programs 674 3860 10341 37%
Summer 2016 All programs 207 1018 2442 42%
Fall 2016 All programs 768 5373 12498 43%
Spring 2017 All programs 714 4172 11139 38%
Summer 2017 All programs 200 1133 2603 44%
Fall 2017 All programs 833 5408 12757 42%
Spring 2018 All programs 772 4528 11169 41%
Summer 2018 All programs 236 1224 2778 44%
New University Course Survey Begins
Fall 2018 All programs 844 5077 11983 42%
Spring 2019 All programs 760 4027 10704 38%
Summer 2019 All programs 202 1099 2689 41%

This table shows the historic response rates by term.