Multi-Semester Evaluation Trend Analysis

Overview:

Tool: NotebookLM*

Time: 30–45 min

What you need: quantitative and qualitative course experience data from 3 or more semesters of the same course, your course syllabi from the past 3 or more semesters

How to do it:

1. Gather your Student Feedback on Course Experiences reports from at least three semesters of the same course. These can include both quantitative score summaries and written comments.
2. Go to NotebookLM and create a new notebook. Upload each semester's feedback report and each semester's syllabus as a separate source so NotebookLM can draw on all of them.

3. Paste the prompt below. 

   "Looking across these evaluation reports from multiple semesters, have my scores on any dimension changed over time — either improving or declining? Are there specific items where student response patterns shifted after a particular semester? Identify any changes I made between semesters that seem to correlate with changes in feedback."

4. Then ask a follow-up: "In semesters where I made a deliberate design change, does the feedback from that semester look different from the one before it?"
   1. NotebookLM can cite which source (which semester) a finding comes from — use this to trace patterns back to specific points in time.

Notes:

The correlation between changes you made and score changes is not causation. Class size, composition, semester timing, and external factors all influence evaluations. Treat patterns as hypotheses to investigate, not conclusions.

To pair with your student feedback on course experiences data, consider analyzing course grade data relative to your department or college — connect with our Educational Effectiveness team to learn more.

*We encourage you to exclusively use UMD-approved GenAI tools, which are deployed in alignment with institutional security and compliance requirements.