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OREGON STATE UNIVERSITY
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What is the Student Learning Experience (SLE) Survey?
The Student Learning Experience Survey (SLE) offers students and instructors the opportunity to work together to improve the quality of teaching at Oregon State University. This process was known as the electronic Student Evaluation of Teaching (eSET) from 2012-2021 and the SET from 2004-2012.
The SLE consists of a set of standard university questions that were developed in alignment with the Quality Teaching Framework adopted by the Faculty Senate in 2021. In addition to the standard questions, instructors may also opt to ask students for input on their teaching methods in a personalized fashion (own questions). After the course withdrawal deadline, students are invited via email or Canvas to begin the survey process to provide feedback on their learning experience to their instructors in a convenient and confidential manner. Following the end of the survey period and after final grades are due, reports are generated. Once this process has been completed, instructors are informed via email that reports are available.
What can I (as a course instructor) do to increase response rates for my SLEs?
Greater response rates assure breadth and confidence in your students’ feedback. For helpful pointers on how to encourage student feedback, please see this document which was drafted by the Faculty Senate Advancement of Teaching Committee.
How do I log into SLE?
You have three options for accessing the Student Learning Experience survey (SLE).
1. Use https://beav.es/Student-Learning-Survey.
2. Via MyOregonState.
3. Via the Student Learning Experience (SLE) survey link in your Canvas course site. This link will automatically appear Fall, Winter, and Spring when the SLE survey is in progress near the end of the term. Because Summer term has several sessions, you'll need to activate this link (see FAQ below for details).
Please note that SLE works best with Firefox or Chrome and with pop-up windows enabled.
What are the standard University questions for SLE/eSET?
The Fall 2021 standard questions can be found on the Standard University Questions page. Be sure to also read about interpreting responses.
How is the SLE survey different from eSET?
In Fall 2021, OSU began using the Student Learning Experience survey for all eligible courses. See the new questions here. SLE questions focus on how students’ experiences in a course and their learning are interrelated. The questions are linked to OSU’s Quality Teaching Framework.
After a two term pilot study, the overall SLE survey tool was approved by the Faculty Senate on June 10, 2021. The individual questions will continue to be refined until they are formally adopted by the Faculty Senate (likely in Spring 2022).
What happened to Q1 and Q2 from eSET?
The two previous evaluation questions most relied on for P&T will continue to be on the SLE survey until new guidelines are set up for how to use the surveys. These questions are Q1, “The course as a whole was” and Q2, “The instructor’s contribution to the course was”.
Are additional questions added?
Yes. The Baccalaureate Core Committee occasionally adds questions to Bacc Core courses. In addition, some colleges and departments add additional questions.
What were the Spring/Summer 2020 alternate questions?
Due to the rapid change to remote education in Spring 2020, the Faculty Senate voted on April 14, 2020 to ask different questions for Spring 2020 evaluations. The questions were:
1) In regard to your interactions with the content, instructor, and other students in the course, what went well this term?
2) In regard to your interactions with the content, instructor, and other students in the course, what didn't go well or could be improved?; and
3) Please comment on your workload for this course. Were the number of hours per week needed to prepare for this course appropriate to the knowledge gained?
These alternate questions were presented alongside the standard eSET questions for Summer 2020.
Are additional questions required?
No. Additional questions are optional.
How do I add additional questions to SLE?
When can questions be added?
See the SLE calendar to view deadlines for the current term.
In addition, instructors will receive an email after the seventh week of the term notifying them of the opportunity to add additional questions.
Can I add questions after the deadline?
No. New questions cannot be added after the deadline has passed. See the SLE calendar to view deadlines for the current term.
Can I add questions for my Summer term courses?
No. Summer term contains multiple sessions and this format does not allow for instructor added questions.
For crosslisted or slash courses, do I enter questions for each CRN?
Yes. You must enter additional questions for each CRN separately.
Can the Likert scale be changed for instructor-added questions?
Yes. If the default Likert scale does not suit your needs, you may choose a different one. However, you must use the same scale for all instructor-added questions, except for open-ended questions.
A previous term pops up when I log in. How do I get to the current term to enter new questions?
While adding questions I received the error message: "There was an error retrieving data from the server. You may be logged out of the system." What does this mean?
This error message may appear if your questions have more than 500 characters, or if they have an abbreviation of more than 100 characters. Try editing your questions to see if that resolves the problem. In addition, each question must be entered separately.
Do I need to re-add my questions every term?
No. Questions entered the previous term for a specific instructor and course should roll to the next term for that specific instructor and course. However, this process may be disrupted when a unit is reorganized and creates new course categories.
Which courses are not evaluated in SLE?
All OSU credit classes are included in SLE except:
In courses with two or more instructors, who is being surveyed or evaluated?
In a course with multiple instructors, only those with at least 2% responsibility for the class in Banner will receive surveys from students. The Banner deadline for instructor changes is week 7.
Otherwise, if a course with multiple instructors is set up under only one faculty member's name, then only that faculty member will receive a survey.
How do teaching assistants get evaluated through SLE?
Teaching assistants receive surveys only if they are assigned a minimum of 2% responsibility for the class in Banner. The Banner deadline for instructor changes is week 7.
Otherwise, if a class is set up under just the faculty member's name, then only the faculty member will receive a survey.
When are reports available?
After the grading period closes, instructors receive an email notifying them that reports are available. Visit the SLE calendar to find out when survey results are available.
eSET and SLE reports from previous terms are always available, except for those from AY 2020-21 (Summer 2020, Fall 2020, Winter 2021, and Spring 2021), Summer 2021, Fall 2021, and Winter 2022. Administrative reports are not available for terms designated by the Faculty Senate and Provost’s office as blocked for COVID-19 accommodations. For cumulative data reports, not specified by individual instructor, please contact Curriculum Management.
How does a department access reports?
To access eSET, use this link and enter your ONID username and password.
You also can access eSET through MyOregonState.
You can obtain departmental summary reports by selecting “Rollup Reports” or individual course reports by selecting the “Report Browser” link for all terms other than AY 2020-21 (Summer 2020, Fall 2020, Winter 2021, and Spring 2021), Summer 2021, Fall 2021, and Winter 2022.
How do instructors access reports for courses taught 2012 or later?
To access eSET or SLE reports, use this link and enter your ONID username and password.
You also can access eSET through MyOregonState.
How are older reports accessed?
Reports for eSET evaluations (2012-2021) are available through the SLE program. Log in to the SLE system.
For data/reports prior to 2012, please contact Caryn Stoess. Most pre-2012 data is available only as a PDF.
Who has access to SLE reports?
Department Chairs, Program Directors, and Deans have access to quantitative information and signed student comments for the programs and faculty they supervise. This applies to both eSET and SLE.
Select administrative personnel who work in university departments, colleges, campuses, and Academic Affairs may have access. These accounts are created specifically for each individual and reflect their role and need for evaluation information.
Instructors have access to their own quantitative and qualitative results. Only instructors see comments or responses to open-ended questions unless students “sign” their comments, in which case Department Chairs and Deans can also see the comments.
Curriculum Management stresses that everyone follow confidentiality protocols, per the Faculty Senate regulations.
Administrative reports are not available for terms designated by the Faculty Senate and Provost’s office as blocked for COVID-19 accommodations, specifically AY 2020-21 (Summer 2020, Fall 2020, Winter 2021, and Spring 2021), Summer 2021, Fall 2021, and Winter 2022. For cumulative data reports, not specified by individual instructor, please contact the Curriculum Management. Instructors can always view their reports for all courses surveyed or evaluated through their individual SLE portal.
How are reports obtained when there are multiple instructors?
Each instructor only has access to their individual reports when surveyed or evaluated. Any course or unit-specific questions must be added to each instructor’s survey.
Instructors are evaluated only if they are assigned a minimum of 2% responsibility for the class in Banner. The Banner deadline for instructor changes is week 7.
For reports on multiple instructors, a departmental administrator can compile a report for the class as a whole. They can do this by going into SLE and selecting the relevant courses and sections and exporting as an Excel file or as PDFs. These can then be sent to the listed instructors of record. Per University policy, instructors will not see the comments for the other instructor(s) (unless the comment is signed) or responses to open-ended questions.
How are reports obtained for teaching assistants?
When assigned class responsibility, teaching assistants access their individual reports as instructors.
TAs are included in the SLE survey only if they are assigned a minimum of 2% responsibility for the class in Banner. The Banner deadline for instructor changes is week 7.
For reports on multiple TAs teaching the same class, a departmental administrator can compile a report. They can do this by going into SLE and selecting the relevant courses and sections and exporting as an Excel file or as PDFs. These can then be sent to the listed instructor of record. Per University policy, the instructor will not see the student comments on the TA's evaluation (unless the comment is signed) or responses to open-ended questions.
Do I get a report if there are fewer than 6 students in my course?
In 2012 the Faculty Senate specified that surveys or evaluations will NOT be collected for courses with fewer than 6 students.
If you have cross listed/slash courses with fewer than 6 students, those evaluations will be collected and combined with the other cross listings for the course.
Can I run reports on just the additional questions?
No. All questions are downloaded together (administrators will not receive open-ended/qualitative questions or comments). If you export the report as an Excel spreadsheet you can sort out questions more easily.
Which questions are not included in the department-level reports?
The department reports do not include:
How do I run SLE reports?
View the How to Run Reports documentation. Contact [email protected] if you have additional questions.
How is the median calculated?
The median is the value on the score scale that separates the top half of the group from the bottom half. OSU uses a calculation that assumes that multiple values within a range are distributed evenly over the range.
A calculation of this type results in a more complete set of values. (The traditional computation of median might result in values of 5.0, 5.5, 6.0. The OSU calculation results in values 5.0, 5.1, 5.2, and so on to 6.0). This calculation has been used for OSU student evaluations since 2004.
Can students see their grades during the SLE survey period?
Uploaded student grades are recorded with the Registrar’s Office nightly. Thus, if you enter final grades for your class before the SLE survey period is closed, students may see their grades. In particular, MyDegrees is quick to show student grades once they've been entered into Banner.
If you are concerned about students viewing their grades before they complete the SLE, do not enter your grades until after evaluations are closed (see the SLE calendar for dates).
If you use Canvas to record assignment grades, students may also see final grades if grade totals are enabled. For instructions about turning off student grade totals in Canvas, see the FAQ "How do I turn off totals in the student grade summary in Canvas?"
How do I turn off totals in the student grade summary in Canvas?
If you are using Canvas and you do not want students to see their final grade prior to the SLE survey period, you have the option to hide the grade totals for your Canvas course.
To turn off grade totals in Canvas:
If you have questions about this feature in Canvas, or if you have other Canvas questions, email [email protected]
Is the SLE survey open during finals week?
The SLE survey is not open during finals week due to the scheduling needs of graduation pre-clearance. Final grades posted prior to the close of the SLE survey period may be visible to students. See the SLE calendar for dates.
Do instructors need to send out a reminder to students for SLE completion?
No. Automated emails are sent to all currently enrolled OSU students announcing when SLE is available for completion (refer to the calendar for specific dates). The email provides instructions, a timeline for completion, and contact information. Additional emails are sent to remind students to complete their evaluations.
It is recommended, however, that you remind students that the SLE surveys are available through your Canvas page. You are welcome to link directly to the survey at https://beav.es/Student-Learning-Survey. If you want to remind your students of the importance of SLE during class, please review some suggested language.
When are students notified to evaluate short courses?
If a course ends before the end of the term, students enrolled in the course will not receive a course survey email until the end of the term along with their other courses.
Summer term is different so students receive the course survey email when each session ends.
How do I solve the Browser Compatibility Check message when I link to SLE from Canvas?
If you see a Browser Compatibility Check message when you click “Student Learning Experience” in the Canvas menu, please review instructions for allowing specific cookies to allow the required cookies for the Student Learning Experience survey. If you need additional assistance, contact [email protected].
I get a blank page when I go into SLE. What is wrong?
This message generally appears because of browser issues. Pop-ups may need to be enabled on your browser or you may need to clear the browser's cache. Alternately, you may need to try a new browser (Firefox and Chrome work best).
Where should I go for information about technical issues?
Contact [email protected] if you are unable to access the SLE survey. Please describe the issue in your email; screen shots are always appreciated.
How does the SLE survey system differ from the eSET evaluation system?
What Do You Think, or CollegeNet, continues to be the platform for OSU’s student input regarding courses. While the name has been changed to SLE and the individual questions are different, all eSET data is retained and can be found using the original reports.
How do I activate the SLE link in Canvas?
During Fall, Winter, and Spring terms, the SLE link will automatically appear in your Canvas course site during the SLE period.
Summer term, however, has several sessions, so the SLE link cannot be automatically activated for Canvas course sites. Please see the instructions for activating the link for your course.
For a course with multiple instructors, will there be multiple links on Canvas?
There will be just one link that will take a student to their SLE landing page. Everything about that page and the SLE survey will work the same as previous years. Thus, the landing page will list all of that student’s courses that are eligible for SLE (isn’t a blanket course and has at least 6 students). As long as the course is set up in Banner with multiple instructors (each having at least 2% responsibility), the student will have an SLE survey for each of the instructors.
What is the statement about SLE that should appear on syllabi?
The Student Learning Experience survey statement is optional on your course syllabus. You can find the most current statement on the Syllabus Minimum Requirements Policy page.
