Mid-term Student Feedback

by Jen Gregory, Director of Instructional Design

If you’re like most people, when you eat a meal at a restaurant you appreciate the waiter or waitress coming by and checking on your soon after you’ve received your meal and probably again about half way through. Maybe you forgot to ask for a condiment or they failed to cook your food properly. But what if they only waited until you were ready to leave the restaurant to ask you if everything was okay? There may have been something they could have done to make your experience better if they had just asked for your feedback earlier.

Our classes are no different. Both the student and the professor would benefit by gathering feedback shortly after classes begin and again near the mid-term.

So, what kinds of things can you ask? Ask about the things that you can change and things that you think the students will be willing to answer. The following five questions are available in Blackboard survey format for you to import into your class.

What kind of challenges are you facing in this class?

• What has been your biggest insight in this class so far?
• What would you like to learn in this class?
• What things have you like about this class?
• How can I make this class better for the rest of the semester?

If it is relevant to your course:

• Ask if they think you spend too much time explain new concepts or not enough.
• Ask if they feel you give everyone the opportunity to talk in class.
• Ask if they wish you gave more examples or worked out more problems on the board.
• Ask if they like the way you utilize Blackboard to supplement your course.
• Ask if they have other ideas or suggestions for how to make your course better.

Of course, there will be things that just can’t change but your students will appreciate being asked for feedback.

For more help with mid-term feedback, contact me at Jen.Gregory@valpo.edu