Frequently Asked Questions
For Faculty
How do I find results from the old Online Course Evaluation (OCE) system?
OCE results are now hosted at https://my.gwu.edu/mod/studentfeedback. This website will have results from Spring 2015 and earlier. Click on Administration, then click on Archived Reports to find your results.
How do I know when my course is open for feedback?
We upload courses to the Student Feedback system at the end of the month prior to when the course will be reviewed. For instance, if you have a course that ends and will be reviewed in November, the course will be uploaded at the end of October. After the course has been uploaded you can log in to the Student Feedback system (https://gwu.smartevals.com) to see the start and end dates. You can also check with your school or department.
My course was scheduled for the wrong dates and/or I want it to be open during different dates. What can I do?
Please contact our office while your course is still live to make any changes to the dates. Once a feedback period has ended we cannot make any changes to your course. The responses received from students become finalized into a report and we cannot re-open the course survey. We send at least two emails to instructors (via their GW email address) during a feedback period to ensure instructors are aware that their course is live.
I am listed as an instructor for a course I did not teach and/or a course I did teach is not listed in my notification email. What can I do?
If there are errors in your course assignments please contact us as soon as possible with the course number, section, and CRN for the course that should be added/removed. If you are not the instructor and you know who is, please also CC this person on the email so we can verify before making any changes.
For Schools, Chairs, and Directors
How can I add department-specific questions?
Contact Kim Dam at [email protected] to inquire about adding department-specific questions. Please get in touch at least a month prior to when you want the questions to be live to ensure we have time to add your questions to the Student Feedback system.
How do I find results from the old Online Course Evaluation (OCE) system?
OCE results are now hosted at https://my.gwu.edu/mod/studentfeedback. This website will have results from Spring 2015 and earlier. Click on Administration, then click on Archived Reports to find your results.
How do I get a summary of results for my department?
Log in to the Student Feedback system (https://gwu.smartevals.com), hover on "Reports" in the menu bar, and click on "Survey Results." Click on the hyperlinked abbreviation for your school, then click on the subject code you are interested in. A list of courses with results will be displayed. Click on the bar chart icon next to any course. This will take you to that particular course's results, but it will also allow you to access "Custom Reports." From there you can change filters. For example, select Fall 2015 - Sum 2016 for the academic year (use the top left drop down). Where you see an instructor listed, you can change it to "See all instructors." Results will update as you make your selections. See the image below for a sample of these drop down menus.
How do I email results to myself?
Log in to the Student Feedback system (https://gwu.smartevals.com), hover on "Reports" in the menu bar, and click on "Email PDF Reports." Use the drop down boxes to filter for what you're looking for. The top left box is to select a time period (e.g., semester, academic year). The top right box is to select a school. Use other drop downs as needed to narrow to a subject code, instructor, or specific course. See the image above for an example of these drop down filter options. Once the filters are selected, the list will display the reports available for sending as a PDF. Click on the check box next to the reports you are interested in, then click "Email me the selected reports." You will receive one file for each course unless you check the box that says "Group reports into one PDF file," in which case all results will be compiled into one email.
For Students
How do I access the Student Feedback system?
In order to access the system you will be prompted to enter your GW UserID (the part of your email before the @ symbol) and your GW UserID password. Once logged in, you will see a list of courses ready to review (note: not all courses participate in the Student Feedback system, so it is possilbe that not all courses in which you are enrolled be displayed). To provide feedback for a specific course, simply click on the course name and answer the questions provided. Not all courses need to be assessed in one sitting. Simply follow the same steps to reaccess the system at a later time to provide feedback to the remainder of the courses, but be aware of deadlines as the feedback system typically closes within a week.
Are my responses anonymous?
Yes. Names are never tied to responses, so instructors cannot know which student provided which score or comment. When providing written responses, please phrase your answer in a manner that ensures your comment cannot identify you.
I missed the deadline for providing feedback, can you re-open the survey?
No, we are unable to re-open a survey once it is closed. Please carefully read the email reminders we send during the feedback period and note the "End" date, listed in the table showing your courses. You have until 11:59pm on the end date to provide feedback.
I want to change an answer and/or I reviewed the wrong course. Can I retake a survey?
Yes. If you have completed all of your open surveys, log in at https://gwu.smartevals.com and you will see a "Re-take" button. Clicking this button will clear your previous responses and allow you to retake the survey. This option is only available while the feedback period is open. If you have not yet submitted all of your surveys the Re-take button will not be available. In these cases, contact our office at [email protected] and we can manually clear your survey for you. Please specify the course number (e.g., BISC 1001.10) in your email.
How will responses be used?
The feedback you provide will be used in three important ways:
- By your instructor in considering improvements to the course and its instructional methods;
- In professional reviews of your instructor's teaching performance;
- In departmental, program, school, and university assessments of what students are learning.
All the information you provide will be held in the strictest professional confidence. It will in no way affect your academic standing at GW or in the course (except in cases where an instructor offers extra credit for providing feedback). Your instructor will not be able to look at any information on the evaluation form until after he or she has turned in the final grades for the course.
I'm receiving an error message or need technical assistance.
If you experience any problems, please contact Kim Dam at [email protected] as soon as possible. Please copy the error message into the email.