Ongoing Course Assessment (OCA) survey
Overview
The Ongoing Course Assessment (OCA) system is a Web-based survey tool that enables UT-Austin instructors to create instructional assessment instruments to collect anonymous feedback from their students at any time during the semester within a secure environment.
With OCA, you can implement surveys in three ways. You can use pre-existing templates, create your own template using OCA's question library, or create your own survey by writing your own questions. Compare OCA with other electronic survey tools .
Suggested uses of OCA surveys:
- Adjusting instructional practices during the semester.
- Gathering anonymous feedback about your performance and course organization.
- Gaining insight into students' attitudes about course content and assignments and students' satisfaction with quizzes, exams, and the course in general.
- Assessing changes in instruction, especially when used as part of a single-group experiment.
- Measuring the effects of an instructional activity or innovation by conducting a pre- and post-survey.
- Works well in courses already using Blackboard, Web-content or email.
- Works especially well for large classes.
Limitations of OCA surveys:
- Respondents must have UT EID and be enrolled in the course.
- Not suitable for assessing individual student performance.
- Requires having clear assessment goals and an understanding of assessment practices in order to write effective questions and properly organize the survey.
- Electronic surveys generally have lower response rates than in-class paper surveys.
Resource requirements
A moderate level of knowledge about instrument design and writing survey questions is required unless you are using previously existing survey templates or items from the question library. In addition, training or experience in using the OCA system is recommended. Students must have computer access and an UT EID to access the OCA system. [more]
Planning your OCA survey
STEP 1. Describe the context
Include the age, majors, educational background, motivation level, and skill levels of students. Also consider central goals of the course, your ability to implement changes, and how the instructional setting impacts your course. A worksheet is available to help you document your instructional context.
STEP 2. Identify stakeholder needs and develop central questions
Identify what is most essential for students, your needs, and any organizational priorities that impact your course. Central questions, informed by these needs, specify what you want to learn from an assessment. For example, "Are students effectively using online technology in my course?" A worksheet is available to help you identify stakeholder needs and develop central questions.
STEP 3. Determine the purpose of the survey
A survey should have a clear purpose and focus. Avoid the temptation of asking too many questions in a single survey or surveying students "just to see what's going on." Using your central questions as a guide, specify how your survey will help you gain insight, change course practices, or measure the effects of a change you have implemented. A worksheet is available to help you develop and refine your study’s purposes.
STEP 4. Determine how you will use the results
How you intend to use results should also guide the content of your survey. If you will not use responses to a survey question to guide course or program content or instruction, leave the question out. A worksheet is available to help exemplify how to use results after determining the purpose of a study.
STEP 5. Design the template
The OCA system enables you to edit a pre-existing template or to create a new template by selecting pre-existing questions or writing your own. Selecting Tutorials under the OCA's Navigation Menu connects you to step-by-step instructions for using these OCA features.
Using pre-existing templates
Use a pre-existing template from the OCA Template Library when you do not have enough time to create your own or a pre-existing template fits your purpose. [more]
Using the Question Library
Use the OCA Template Builder to add questions to a pre-existing template or create a new template. [more]
Creating your own questions
Use the OCA Question Builder to write your own questions. You can find detailed instructions for this feature in the OCA tutorial. [more]
If you do not have adequate time to develop good questions, use the Template Builder and/or Template Library.
The information you want to obtain and how you plan to use it should dictate the question type or response scale you create.
[more about OCA question types]
[more about scaled questions and response sets]
Editing the template
Once you have created a template and saved it in your Personal Library, you should review and edit it using the OCA's edit tool. The edit tool allows you to insert text, insert questions, delete questions, and organize questions. [more]
Additional information
Babbie, E.R. (1973). Survey research methods. Belmont, CA: Wadsworth Publishing Company.
