Additional module basic texts – Münster questionnaire for evaluation (MFE-ZBa)

Abstract

The Additional Module Basic Texts (MFE-ZBa) is a supplementary, validated instrument designed to assess the quality and utility of required basic texts within university-level courses. It functions as an optional add-on to the core Münster Questionnaire for Evaluation (MFE), which is used for the comprehensive assessment of seminars (MFE-Sr) and lectures (MFE-Vr). Consisting of five items administered in German, the MFE-ZBa is focused on the specific domain of learning materials management as part of overall teaching evaluation.

Developed at the University of Münster, this scale prioritizes high economy for use in web-based surveys. Psychometrically, the module demonstrates adequate internal consistency, with a Cronbach’s Alpha of .79, and provides clear evidence of convergent and divergent validity relative to other established evaluation metrics.

Keywords

Teaching evaluation, Lehrevaluation, Academic texts, Course materials, Münster Questionnaire for Evaluation (MFE), Higher education quality assurance, Student feedback, Unidimensional scale.

Authors

Dr. Dipl.-Psych. Meinald Thielsch, B. Sc. Ina Stegemöller

Purpose

The MFE-ZBa module was constructed to allow instructors to customize the teaching evaluation process by focusing specifically on the quality, relevance, and instructional support provided for required reading materials. Since general evaluation instruments often fail to capture the nuances of various teaching formats, the MFE-ZBa provides a targeted assessment of how well basic texts facilitate student learning and preparation for class sessions.

The development prioritized high efficiency and brevity (economy), making it particularly suitable for online data collection where student time constraints, especially near the end of the semester, are a significant factor. By keeping the core evaluation modules short and moving specific topics like basic text assessment into optional modules, the MFE system ensures students are only presented with questions relevant to the specific format of the course being evaluated.

Construct

The scale measures the single-dimensional construct related to the perceived Quality and Effectiveness of Basic Texts used in academic teaching. This construct covers several key aspects of the learning experience, including the comprehensibility of the texts, their relevance to the subjects discussed in class, the instructor’s role in clarifying difficulties, and the overall usefulness of the texts and associated assignments as preparation tools.

As a supplemental module to the MFE, the MFE-ZBa contributes to the broader assessment of teaching quality by isolating one critical component of course design and delivery: the effective integration of foundational reading materials.

Validity

Validity analyses confirm that the MFE-ZBa module functions as an effective and distinct measure of teaching quality related to reading materials. The validation strategy focused on establishing convergent, divergent, and discriminative validity against other established indicators within the MFE system.

Convergent and Divergent Validity: The scale demonstrated strong positive correlations with related evaluation metrics, including the overall rating of the course (Seminars: .56; Lectures: .35) and the self-assessed learning success (Seminars: .56; Lectures: .39). High correlations were also found with the MFE core scales “Instructor & Didactics” (Seminars: .63) and “Materials” (Seminars: .62). Importantly, the MFE-ZBa showed a medium to high negative correlation with the “Overburdening” scale (Seminars: -.53; Lectures: -.40). This expected pattern suggests that high-quality, effective basic texts enhance learning without causing undue stress or cognitive overload, thereby supporting the scale’s construct validity.

Discriminative Validity: The module’s ability to differentiate between various courses was confirmed using an Analysis of Variance (ANOVA). The results indicated significant differences across the evaluated events with a medium effect size (F = 2.14; df = 15; p < .01; Eta-Squared = .12). This confirms the MFE-ZBa’s sensitivity in detecting variability in the quality of basic text usage across different university courses.

Reliability

The internal consistency of the MFE-ZBa scale is assessed as sufficient for evaluations conducted at the course level. The measure of internal consistency, using Cronbach’s Alpha, yielded a value of .79 based on a sample of N = 242 evaluations. Item analysis further confirmed the scale’s cohesion; the removal of any single item did not significantly increase the overall Alpha, with values remaining between .73 and .79.

Factor Analysis

The scale’s dimensional structure was rigorously tested to ensure its unidimensional nature. Initial analysis utilized exploratory factor analysis (EFA) on data collected between the 2008/9 and 2009/10 winter semesters, which confirmed that the five items loaded clearly onto a single factor.

Subsequently, a Confirmatory Factor Analysis (CFA) was performed using linear factor analysis and the conventional Maximum Likelihood estimator in AMOS. The results provided acceptable model fit indices for the single-factor structure: Chi-Square = 11.51 (df = 5); TLI = .93; CFI = .98; and RMSEA = .08. These findings support the practice of aggregating or averaging the item scores to create a single scale score representing the evaluation of basic texts.

Instrument

Test Type: Self-report questionnaire module

Format: 5 items, utilizing a 7-point Likert response format (1 = “stimme gar nicht zu” [strongly disagree] to 7 = “stimme vollkommen zu” [strongly agree]). An additional option, “nicht sinnvoll beantwortbar” (not reasonably answerable), is also provided.

Language Available: German

Population Group: University students participating in academic courses (seminars and lectures).

Age Group: Sample age ranged from 18 to 49 years (M = 22.2, SD = 3.8).

Population Details: The validation sample (N = 242) consisted primarily of students from the Psychology Bachelor program (70.2%) at the University of Münster, with additional representation from Educational Studies and other related fields. The sample was predominantly female (76.9%).

Test Methodology: The module is administered online via a specialized, web-based platform developed using PHP and MySQL databases (Haaser et al., 2007). It is presented as an optional supplement immediately following the core MFE evaluation modules (MFE-Sr or MFE-Vr).

Keywords

Psychometrics, Unidimensionality, Online survey, Student feedback, Course evaluation module, University of Münster, Confirmatory Factor Analysis, Reliability assessment.

Authors

Author ORCID Identifier: Not provided in source content.

Affiliation Email addresses: [email protected]

Correspondence Address: Dr. Dipl.-Psych. Meinald Thielsch, Westfälische Wilhelms-Universität Münster, Psychologisches Institut 1, Fliednerstr. 21, 48149 Münster, Germany. Website: www.uni-muenster.de/PsyEva.

Permissions & Fee and Test Year

The module was developed and integrated into the university’s web-based evaluation system starting in 2003, with the first major item revision and validation occurring in 2010. Specific information regarding external permissions or usage fees is not detailed in the source content, suggesting it is primarily intended for internal academic use within the University of Münster’s evaluation system.

Reference’s

• Bechler & Thielsch (2012).
• Göritz, Soucek & Bacher (2005).
• Grabbe (2003).
• Haaser, Thielsch & Moeck (2007).
• Marsh (1984).
• Moeck & Thielsch (2004).
• Rindermann (1996).
• Schmidt & Loßnitzer (2010).
• Thielsch & Weltzin (2012).

Items of the additional module basic texts – Münster questionnaire for evaluation (MFE-ZBa)

IMPORTANT: The following scale items must be preserved in their original language and must not be changed in any way.