Title:
Assessment of Teachers by Learners
Number:
022
Approved By:
Undergraduate Medical Education Committee
Approval Date
19 June 2019
Next Review:
01 May 2022
Effective Date:
01 July 2019
Audience:
Faculty, Staff, Learners
Purpose:
To provide rules and procedures for assessment of teachers by learners and the
subsequent feedback to faculty members
Related
Policies and
Procedures:
1. UBC Policy on Student Evaluation of Teaching (SEOT)
2.
Policy on Clinical Faculty Appointments
3.
Collective Agreement between UBC and the Faculty Association
4.
Professional Standards for Learners and Faculty Members in the Faculties of
Medicine & Dentistry at UBC
5.
Process to Address Complaints of Mistreatment of Learners or Concerns About the
Learning Environment
6.
UGME Process to Address Complaints of Mistreatment of Learners or Concerns
About the Learning Environment
Exclusions:
Peer Assessment and Teacher Self-Assessment
Calendar
Statement
None Required
Contact
Assistant Dean, Faculty Development
Preamble
The Undergraduate Medical Education (UGME) program requires that ALL teachers are assessed and
receive feedback on their teaching. This policy applies to all teaching faculty, clinical faculty and full or part
time academic faculty. A “teacher” in this policy refers to a tutor, an advisor, an instructor, a preceptor, and
a lecturer.
This policy covers learner assessment of each teacher in the learning environment with respect to that
teacher's proficiency as an academic and/or health professional. Depending on the learning experience,
assessment of teachers by learners could occur after learners have spent a certain amount of time with a
teacher, e.g., after each teaching session, or according to a predetermined assessment schedule. This
Policy does not deal with concerns of potential personal mistreatment of the learner by the teacher.
Learners are directed to the UBC Faculty of Medicine Mistreatment Help website.
T
he UBC Faculty of Medicine Policy and Procedures for Assessment of Teachers by Learners is guided by the
principles for Student Evaluation Of Teaching articulated in the UBC Policy on Student Evaluation of Teaching
(SEOT). SEOT states that the evaluation of teaching should be learner-focused and that the products of
evaluations should be used to improve the learning experience. The requirement for teacher assessment by
learners is included in the
P
olicy on Clinical Faculty Appointments; “student opinion” sought through formal
procedures is listed as a method of “teaching evaluation” in the Collective Agreement between UBC and the
Faculty Association of UBC. Additionally, the MDUP seeks to comply with standards on faculty feedback and the
use of learner evaluation data in program improvement, set by the Committee on the Accreditation of Canadian
Medical Schools (CACMS)
1
1
4.4 Feedback to Faculty: A medical school faculty member receives regularly scheduled and timely feedback from departmental and/or other
programmatic or institutional leaders on his or her academic performance and progress toward promotion and, when applicable, tenure.
8.5 Use of Student Evaluation Data in Program Improvement: In evaluating medical education program quality, a medical school has formal
processes in place to collect and consider medical student evaluations of their required learning experiences, teachers, and other relevant aspects of
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Procedural details may be added or amended at the recommendation of the Undergraduate Medical
Education Committee provided they conform to the approved policy.
Definitions
Assessment
The methods and tools used to evaluate, measure, and document the
academic readiness, learning progress, skill acquisition, or educational
needs of students. Results are used to inform academic advising,
progress and promotion decisions.
Data
Facts and statistics collected together for reference or analysis. Teacher
assessment data is comprised of numerical ratings and written comments
submitted by learners.
Electives
Learning experiences of the learner’s choosing
Evaluation
Assessment/appraisal of the degree of success in meeting the goals and
expected results (outcomes) of the organization, service, program,
population or patients/clients. Evaluation uses aggregate data and
provides recommendations to enable decision makers to plan, monitor,
and ensure quality improvement at a programmatic or institutional level,
i.e., courses, clerkships or programs in the UGME. Evaluation Studies Uni
t
conducts program evaluation studies for various curricular elements and
projects in undergraduate medical education. They do not asse
ss
i
ndividual level performance but may use aggregate assessment dat
a as
one source of evidence for program evaluation.
Low Performance Flag (LPF)
Generated automatically when a learner disagrees or strongly disagrees
with the standard global rating statement: “Overall, the Instructor is an
effective teacher”. LPFs are shared with the instructor’s supervising
faculty for that course or rotation.
Mistreatment
See Mistreatment Help for categories of mistreatment (general, sexual,
racial/ethnic, sexual orientation/gender identity) as defined by the
American Association of Medical Colleges.
Professional Conduct
The set of attitudes, behaviours and characteristics deemed desirable in
members of a profession and which define the profession and its
relationship to its members and to society – see
Professional Standards
for Learners and Faculty Members in the Faculties of Medicine &
Dentistry at UBC
Required Learning Experience
An educational unit that is required of a student in order to complete the
medical education program. These educational units are usually
associated with a university course code and appear on the student’s
transcript. (CACMS lexicon 2021-22)
Supervising Faculty
This includes preceptors, course leads, site directors, clerkship and
elective directors.
the medical education program.
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Policy
1.
Teachers will be regularly assessed by learners on their teaching at the end of a required learning experience.
2.
Individual teacher assessment reports will be distributed to teachers twice per year, unless there is insufficient
teacher assessment data. Individualized teacher assessment reports may be accessed by the Regiona
l
A
ssociate Deans or designates, Department Heads and supervising faculty or designate, as deemed necessary.
The Associate Dean, UGME may be granted access in cases of learning environment issues or student
mistreatment.
3.
Aggregated anonymized teacher assessment data will be made available to Faculty Development, Evaluation
St
udies, and other relevant program areas, for program improvement. This data will be made available to the
University of British Columbia as directed in the SEOT policy.
Guiding Principles
1.
Anonymize Learners: In Teacher Assessment by Learners, the anonymity of a learner is essential and must be
protected. All teacher assessments by learners must be anonymous. In instances of one-on-one or sma
ll
gr
oup teaching where fewer than four (4) learners have assessed a teacher, care must be taken to ensur
e
t
hat learners’ identities are protected. In these cases, individualized teacher assessments by learners will only
be released to the teacher when the learner or group of learners are no longer in the sphere of influence of
the teacher (e.g., through the continuum of undergraduate and postgraduate training), as verified by the
Supervising Faculty and/or program staff.
2.
Centralize the Assessment System: There will be a centralized online system in place to collect, disseminate,
and store teacher assessment data securely. This centralized online system will be the sole repository of data
for Assessment of Teachers by Learners. Setup, collection and retrieval processes will be automated
in
a
ccordance with the platform’s capabilities.
3.
Secure data and protect confidentiality: As per the principles of the Acceptable Use and Security of UBC
Electronic Information and Systems Policy, teacher assessment data will be protected from unauthorized
access, corruption, and any detrimental actions. Teacher assessment data and reports will only be distributed
b
y the Teacher Assessment Support Team. All recipients of teacher assessment data should follow the
principles outlined in the above mentioned policy.
4.
Establish accessibility for supervising faculty: Access to individual teacher assessment data will be granted to
the Regional Associate Deans or designates, Department Heads and supervising faculty or their designate
through a secure electronic platform. The Associate Dean UGME may be granted access in cases of learning
environment issues or student mistreatment.
5.
Standardize processes and instruments: Assessment of Teachers by Learners will be performed using
standardized instruments across uniform learning environments (Clinical, Academic/ Large and Small Group
Forms). Teachers will receive their individualized report(s) within the guidelines that protect learners’
anonymity.
6.
Promote Continuous Quality Improvement (CQI) and Faculty Development: Utilize aggregated
anonymized teacher assessment data to inform and support CQI activities and faculty development
initiatives. Adopting a CQI model could aid in the development of strategies that accommodate changin
g
p
rogram needs and/or technology.
Procedure
Learners
1.
All learners will receive an orientation by the Director, Teacher Assessment, and Teacher Assessment Support
Analyst, that addresses the purpose of Assessment of Teachers by Learners, the use of collected data,
provision of constructive feedback, and the avoidance of malicious feedback.
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2.
All learners are required to complete teacher assessments after completion of a required learning experience.
3.
Learners’ comments on assessment forms will remain unedited when teacher assessment reports are made
available to teachers.
4.
If Low Performance is flagged, the assessment is reviewed by supervising faculty. If the comments are found to
be unprofessional, the entire form is removed from the teachers report.
T
eachers
1.
All teachers can expect to be assessed by learners.
2.
Individual teacher assessment reports will be distributed to teachers twice per year, unless there is
insufficient teacher assessment data. To protect learners’ anonymity, teachers will only receive individualize
d
re
ports when a minimum of four (4) learners have assessed them. Relevant Supervising Faculty will receive
individualized teacher assessment reports four weeks prior to the individual teacher.
3.
Upon request, Individual Teachers and Supervising Faculty (or their designate) will have access to historical
individual teacher assessment reports.
4.
Low performance assessments of teachers will be flagged to the relevant Supervising Faculty, the Regional
Associate Deans, and the Director, Teacher Assessment; to protect learner anonymity, feedback will be
provided at the discretion of the Supervising Faculty. The Associate Dean, UGME may be granted access in
cases of learning environment issues or student mistreatment.
5.
Faculty development will be made available to teachers.
6.
All teachers must have a profile in the central assessment system.
Pr
ogram / Department
1.
The Director, Teacher Assessment will oversee teacher assessment and the aggregation and analysis of the
data.
2.
Annually, Regional Associate Deans, Department Heads and Supervising Faculty will receive an individualized
s
ummary report.
3.
Annually, aggregated anonymized teacher assessment reports will be provided to Regional Associate Deans,
Department Heads, the Associate Dean, UGME, the Assistant Dean, Faculty Development, Evaluation Studies,
and other relevant program areas, for program improvement. UGMEC will receive and review reports a
s a
s
tanding annual item on the UGMEC agenda. Reports and data will be provided to the UBC Provost’s Office on
SEOT.
4.
Data access requests by the Office of Clinical Partnerships & Professionalism must first be approved by the
Regional Associate Dean or designate
.
5.
Program and departmental staff will continue to manage the administrative logistics of assessing teachers
(
set-up of teacher assessment send outs, follow up with learners on teacher assessment completion etc.).
Training and system support will be provided by the Teacher Assessment Support Team to departments to
manage the new processes. Teacher assessment reports will only be managed and distributed by the Teacher
Assessment Support Team.
6.
Program and departmental staff may identify teachers without assessments so that they are actively targeted
for teacher assessment in a timely manner and system alerts are reviewed and escalated as necessary.
G
overnance
This policy is the purview of the Student Assessment Subcommittee (SAS), a subcommittee of th
e
Undergraduate Medical Education Committee (UGMEC). The SAS can recommend changes to this policy to the
UGMEC.
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Review History
Action
Committee
Date
Status
Created
Student Assessment Subcommittee
April 21, 2016
Recommended
Review
Policy Advisory Subcommittee
May 9, 2016
Endorsed
Review
MD Undergraduate Education Committee
May 16, 2016
Approved
Review
Policy Advisory Subcommittee
June 14, 2018
Endorsed
Review
Undergraduate Medical Education Committee
June 18, 2018
Approved
Review
Policy Advisory Subcommittee
May 30, 2019
Revised
Review Undergraduate Medical Education Committee June 17, 2019
Approved with
minor edits
Update
PAS – minor edits to contact information
9 November 2020
Done
