Midsemester Feedback

Schreyer Institute faculty consultants are available to discuss any aspect of midsemester feedback. Find the consultant that serves as your academic unit liaison, find a consultant you already know in our directory, or email SITE@psu.edu.

Benefits of Midsemester Feedback

The instructor stays in touch with the class
The instructor shows they care about and will respond to student feedback
It can reveal unknown issues in the class while there is still time to address them
Students can identify what resources they are and are not using
It provides an opportunity for instructors to remind students of helpful resources

Strategies for Success

Keep it short
Include at least one open-ended question
Collect feedback early enough for you to implement changes
Wait until after students have received at least one assignment or exam grade
Avoid assignment due dates and exams so the feedback doesn’t reflect student stress
Promptly share the feedback with students
Explain what you will and won’t/can’t change
Collecting feedback and ignoring the results may be worse than not doing it at all

SITE Faculty Suggestions

Example Midsemester Feedback Questions

Select 3-4 questions.

What helps you learn in this course? (Please provide an example)
What changes would support your learning? (Please provide an example)
What comments do you have about [insert aspects of the course you want to know about, e.g., assignments, participation, or class environment].
How useful was the feedback you received?
Are you comfortable participating in small/large group discussion? Why or why not?
Is the overall course climate inclusive and welcoming?
What challenges, if any, have you faced with feeling included in this class?
To what extent did the problems worked in class help you to understand how to answer questions on your own?
What suggestions do you have for making labs more productive?
How does the course Canvas page (and its resources) support your learning in this course? Please provide examples and suggestions that might make it more helpful.
What actions can you take to support your learning in this course?

STOP-GO-CHANGE

Instructors can ask these questions by anonymous online survey or by handing out notecards. If using notecards, be sure to ask students to label each card with Stop, Go, or Change.

In order to promote students’ learning in this course, what is one specific thing that I (the instructor) should stop doing?
In order to promote students’ learning in this course, what is one specific thing that I (the instructor) should continue doing?
In order to promote your own learning in this course, what is one specific thing that you (the student) could change about your approach to the course?

Midsemester Class Interviews

Student feedback is gathered by a SITE consultant during a class session after the instructor leaves the room. Students work in small groups to discuss and answer questions, then report out to the class, with the consultant helping students achieve consensus and recording the feedback. The consultant summarizes the feedback and meets with the instructor to discuss student feedback and develop responses to the feedback.

Written Feedback

Instructors can collect individual feedback from students using this form on paper or using an electronic survey. Please contact any SITE faculty consultant to identify additional questions pertinent to your course or context. SITE faculty are also available to discuss results with an instructor and can helpinstructors develop responses to relevant feedback.

Class Observation

SITE consultants are available to visit courses and observe a class session. Getting feedback from a trained observer can provide useful insights for instructors. All class observations are confidential. Prior to the visit, instructor and consultant discuss the process (e.g., a specific observation protocol) and the goals for the observation. The consultant shares a summary of the observation with the instructor and meets to discuss next steps the instructor wishes to take to improve their teaching.

Canvas Commons

A wide variety of Midterm Feedback and Student Feedback tools are available in Canvas Commons. We have not evaluated all of these surveys, but below are a few that might work for you. For any feedback instrument, consider whether it includes confusing wording or exacerbates biases. Avoid items that you cannot act upon, including items that ask about more than one aspect of the course.

Feedback Survey
Midterm Student Feedback
Student Feedback Survey
Midsemester Student Feedback
Critical Incident Questionnaire (originally developed by Stephen Brookfield)