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Explorance Blue - Students' Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) About Course Evaluations
- How do I complete my course evaluations?
- What surveys do UW-Superior students complete in Explorance Blue?
- How long do surveys take to complete?
- Why should I complete my course evaluations?
- How do course evaluations change an instructor's teaching and course?
- Is my participation anonymous?
- Does completing course evaluations affect my grades?
- Need Help?
How do I complete my course evaluations?
UW-Superior uses Explorance Blue to survey students about their courses. You can access your surveys by logging in to Blue here: https://uws.bluera.com/uws.
You can also access surveys using email invitations sent from Blue to your UW-Superior email address and from a Navigation menu link in many Canvas courses. For instructions, read this guide: Explorance Blue - How to Complete Your Course Evaluations and Other Surveys
For more detailed information about how to use Blue, visit: Explorance's detailed guide for students.
What surveys do UW-Superior students complete in Explorance Blue?
You will complete your end-of term evaluations for all courses in Explorance Blue. Some courses may also have a midterm feedback survey which is also completed in Blue.
How long do surveys take to complete?
Surveys take about 15 minutes to complete.
Why should I complete my course evaluations?
Your feedback matters. Your participation in this process helps instructors to make their teaching and course design more effective for future students in the course. Your feedback also helps us identify patterns across departments to make your overall experience at UW-Superior better.
Surveys also allow you to reflect on your own learning experience and preferences.
How do course evaluations change an instructor's teaching and course?
Although these are the words of a single instructor, they reflect the feelings of many of our instructors here at UW-Superior.
As an instructor, it is important to me to hear from students about what they like about my courses and how I teach and in what ways I can improve as an instructor.
Student feedback from course evaluations has been valuable in trying to understand the needs of my students. In one of my on-campus courses, students provided feedback about wanting more engaging in-class activities. Since receiving that feedback, I have tried to integrate more opportunities for students to engage with course material by being more intentional about asking students questions in class and having more activities for students to practice using course content and to work with one another in groups.
In my online classes, students have requested more of my presence in the class, so I am trying out new strategies such as sending out more course announcements, participating in online discussion boards, and recording more course videos.
Is my participation anonymous?
Your feedback is confidential. Survey reports are not associated with your name or any other identifying information. Your comments are included in the survey reports exactly as written. The end-of-term survey report will be sent to your instructor after they've submitted the final grades.
Anonymity cannot be guaranteed within course evaluation reports provided to instructors if (1) you're in an extremely small class or (2) provide individually identifiable information in your survey responses.
Does completing course evaluations affect my grades?
Course evaluation surveys are optional to complete and are completed anonymously.
Some instructors may offer extra credit for classes which reach a certain rate of completion, but individual student responses remain anonymous. You will never be penalized for opting out of a course evaluation.
Need Help?
Contact us by email at courseevals@uwsuper.edu.