ABSTRACT
Student ratings have been the primary and, frequently, the only source of evidence to evaluate teaching for more than three-quarters of a century. Unfortunately, there are limitations to the information students can provide. Those limitations are examined, leading to the conclusion that student ratings are a necessary, but not sufficient, source of evidence. Further, over the past decade, there has been a shift toward including other sources, especially peer observations, dean or chair ratings, and self-ratings. In the literature, there are 14 other potential sources of evidence: (1) student midterm feedback, (2) student exit and alumni ratings, (3) student outcome measures, (4) self-ratings, (5) teaching scholarship, (6) teaching awards, (7) peer classroom observations, (8) peer review of course materials, (9) external expert ratings, (10) mentor’s advice, (11) video classroom review, (12) teaching/course portfolio review, (13) administrator ratings, and (14) employer ratings. These sources are described and critiqued. Based on that review, those complementary sources that seem most appropriate for formative, summative, and program decisions by faculty and administrators are suggested. A step-by-step guide to building a teaching evaluation program based on multiple sources of evidence is presented for practitioners
