Course Evaluations
Near the end of each semester, students participate in the course evaluation process, which gives students an opportunity to provide feedback on their courses. These course evaluations are used to help instructor improve their courses and to inform students about courses and instructors. Students use the Mercury online course evaluation system to complete these course evaluations sometime during the last few weeks of class (the evaluation period may extend into the final exam period for some departments / schools). The evaluations are anonymous, and results are not released to instructors until final grades have been submitted.
NOTE: Your evaluation is an important mechanism used by your instructor, department/school and the Faculty for making improvements to your courses and to the overall teaching program. Course evaluations also form an important part of a professor's teaching portfolio, which is required by the University administration for tenure and promotion decisions. Your responsible, thoughtful, and constructive feedback is much appreciated. The results of the evaluation will be carefully reviewed by the chair/director of the department/school.
Students are highly encouraged to read and apply the Student Guidelines on Course Evaluations, available here.
To see more information about course evaluations at McGill, including the most recent course evaluation policy approved by Senate, historical background, annual reports, and many other valuable resources, please visit https://www.mcgill.ca/mercury.
Faculty of Engineering Course Evaluations
Below are the course evaluations which are currently being used for most courses in the Faculty of Engineering. These evaluations were approved in May 2008 and have been used since Fall 2009.
Your comments about these evaluations are welcome. Please send your comments to information.engineering [at] mcgill.ca. Undergraduate students can also contact the EUS VP-Academic (vpacademic [at] mcgilleus.ca), who will forward your comments to the Engineering Committee on Teaching and Learning.
Instructions on how to access the Mercury online evaluation system are available for students, instructors, Teaching Assistants, and unit heads.
COURSE EVALUATIONS FOR THE FACULTY OF ENGINEERING
General notes:
1. Questions with asterisks (*) are mandatory University-wide questions.
2. Students will only see the questions, and not the question categories.
Questionnaire #1: courses based on lectures
I. General Questions
*Q1: Overall, this is an excellent course.
*Q2: Overall, I learned a great deal from this course.
II. Questions about the instructor
*Q3: Overall, this instructor is an excellent teacher.
*Q4: Overall, I learned a great deal from this instructor.
Q5: The instructor was well organised in class and presented the material clearly.
Q6: The instructor used effective teaching methods.
Q7: The instructor was responsive to students’ questions and concerns, given the class size.
Q8: The instructor fostered an environment of mutual respect and engagement in learning.
III. Questions about the course
Q9: The course materials contributed to learning the subject matter.
Q10: The course activities (inside and outside the classroom) engaged me actively in my learning process.
Q11: The evaluation methods used in this course were fair and appropriate.
Q12: I was provided with useful feedback on my progress in the course.
Q13: The course workload was appropriate, given the credit weight and the scheduled activity hours.
Q14: As a result of this course, I have a greater appreciation for the relevance of this topic to my chosen profession.
Q15: The course satisfied the Canadian Architecture Certification Board (CACB) student performance criteria identified in the course outline.[1]
Q15: The course satisfied the Canadian Engineering Accreditation Board (CEAB) graduate attributes criteria identified in the course outline.[2]
#1A: Lab Component
attached as secondary evaluation to lecture evaluation (applicable only to courses administered by engineering units)
Q16: The written instructions for the lab activities were clear.
Q17: The lab activities were designed to facilitate learning.
Q18: The lab equipment and infrastructure were in good working order.
Q19: Overall, the lab experience supported and aided in understanding the course material.
Questionnaire #2: laboratory/studio course
used for laboratory courses where the instructor is the course organizer
I. General Questions
*Q1: Overall, this is an excellent course.
*Q2: Overall, I learned a great deal from this course.
II. Questions about the course organizer
*Q3: Overall, this instructor is an excellent teacher.
*Q4: Overall, I learned a great deal from this instructor.
Q5: The instructor was responsive to students’ questions and concerns, given the class size.
Q6: The instructor fostered an environment of mutual respect and engagement in learning.
Q7: The instructor in charge of the lab or studio was available and willing to give help.
III. Questions about the Lab
Q8: The evaluation methods used in this course were fair and appropriate.
Q9: I was provided with useful feedback on my progress in the course.
Q10: The course workload was appropriate, given the credit weight and the scheduled activity hours.
Q11: The prerequisite and co-requisite courses prepared me adequately for the lab or studio activities.
Q12: The written instructions for the lab or studio activities were clear.
Q13: The lab or studio activities were designed to facilitate learning.
Q14: The use of lab or studio equipment and software was satisfactorily explained.[3]
Q15: The lab or studio equipment and infrastructure were in good working order.
Q16: Through this lab or studio, I learned to apply knowledge and skills in relevant situations.
Questionnaire #3: Courses with No Lab + No Lecture
used for project courses where the instructor is the course organizer
I. General Questions
*Q1: Overall, this is an excellent course.
*Q2: Overall, I learned a great deal from this course.
II. Questions about the course organizer
*Q3: Overall, this instructor is an excellent teacher.
*Q4: Overall, I learned a great deal from this instructor.
Q5: The instructor was responsive to students’ questions and concerns, given the class size.
Q6: The instructor fostered an environment of mutual respect and engagement in learning.
III. Questions about the course
Q7: The evaluation methods used in this course were fair and appropriate.
Q8: I was provided with useful feedback on my progress in the course.
Q9: The course workload was appropriate, given the credit weight and the scheduled activity hours.