Applying Student Evaluation of Teaching (SET) in virtual learning environment (Case Study: Syrian Virtual Learning)

The evaluation of tutors using Student Evaluation of Teaching (SET) is an important Mechanism for quality assessment of teaching either in traditional learning or in virtual learning. However, the main question that could be raised here: Is there any difference in student evaluation of teaching (which is done by means of well-organized questionnaires) between traditional and virtual environments?In this paper, we apply SET within virtual learning environment. This is performed by modifying and introducing new factors to a standard SET evaluation questionnaire used in traditional environment, in order to transform it to a new one compatible with virtual environment. Our aim is to prove, using an empirical methodology, the validity of the new SET evaluation questionnaire within virtual learning.Our results prove that many traditional factors such as: number of attendees, tutor gender, tutor age, tutor specialty, have no effect on students? evaluation in virtual learning environment, while new introduced factors such as: course success rate, learning management system organization, well organized on-line sessions, interactivity during on-line sessions, tutor?s commitment, responding to students? questions out of the online sessions by mail or social media...etc. affect SET positively.