New software that gives university administrators an efficient way to gauge the quality of courses and teaching is finding a market among educational institutions.

Known as the Course and Teaching Evaluation and Improvement (CATEI) program the web- or paper-based program can be tailored to include a mix of standard and customized questions for courses and teacher assessment.

Student responses are summarised by the CATEI software and the system's functionality includes web interface with on-line delivery, database building, evaluation and report generation.

Developed by the UNSW's Institutional Analysis and Reporting Office, a division of DVC (Academic), the software is based on the Oracle relational database management system.

"CATEI helps staff to critically reflect on their teaching and engage in productive dialogue with students, peers and administrators," says Graham Morton, a Senior Business Development Manager at UNSW's tech-transfer arm, NewSouth Innovations.

"These benefits are being seen at other institutions that have bought the software."

NewSouth innovations is commercialising CATEI by licensing it to other higher educational Institutions. Flinders University has contracted to use the software while other universities are looking to license the software.

Graham Morton, NSi Senior Business Development Manager, 0419 581 114

Dan Gaffney, NSi Media, 0411 156 015