Mid-Semester Feedback: An Essential Checkpoint, Now More Than Ever

In the midst of this crazy semester, consider taking some time to check in with your students to see how they are faring, and how they are responding to your course. There are many ways you can gather feedback:

  1. Ask an open-ended question. At the end of class, pose an open-ended question such as, “What is the most important idea you learned today?” or, “What questions do you still have?” (Poll Everywhere is a great tool for this!) Start the next class with a short recap of the essential information, and clear up any misconceptions that were revealed in the responses.
  2. Try a Start-Stop-Continue. Ask students what you can do differently to help them learn better by posing three questions:
    1. What should I start doing?
    2. What should I stop doing?
    3. What should I continue doing?

    Here’s a Google form you can copy — modify the questions to suit your needs, and ask your students to complete it anonymously.

  3. Conduct a Mid-Semester Feedback survey. This survey is also anonymous, and provides you with more detailed feedback on how your course is structured, and what is most effective. This semester, CTL is trying something different: you can import the survey into Canvas or Blackboard and administer it yourself, or we can assist you as we have in prior semesters. Register to receive a version that can be imported directly into your LMS of choice, or to request CTL assistance.

Whatever you choose, remember to report back to your students about what you’ve learned. And let us know how we can help, too!