Involving Students with Qualitative Evaluations to Facilitate Change Management in Higher Education Institutions

The systematic application of qualitative methods to complement the dominant system of quantiative course evaluations in higher education holds potential also to track institutional change management processes. The contribution discusses the quantiative evaluation practice and illustrates the potential and characteristics of qualitative research (openness, communicative character, process character, explication., flexibility) for teaching evaluation. The discusson of a qualitative evaluation project accomplished at the University of St. Gallen demonstrates how the complementary application of qualitative methods leads to a productive understanding of teaching and course evaluation, which is conducive to bridge the chasm between measurment and the actual taking initiative for change.

25.02.2007 | Karl WILBERS & Franziska ZELLWEGER (St. Gallen)