Gathering mid-semester feedback from students is a powerful tool for enhancing the teaching and learning experience. It allows instructors to make timely adjustments to teaching strategies, address students’ concerns, and better align course content and their teaching practices with learner needs. This page provides several types of resources on how to collect meaningful feedback, interpret responses, and implement changes that can improve student engagement and academic outcomes. By actively involving students in the process, instructors can foster a collaborative, responsive classroom environment that promotes both teaching effectiveness and student success.
Instructional Guides
- Gathering and Using Student Feedback Instructional Guide: This instructional guide includes step-by-step instructions for you to develop a low-stakes formative assessment plan to check students' understanding and a mid-semester study feedback survey to determine what teaching strategies are working well.
- DUE's Instructor Quick Guide: Whether you’re tenured or adjunct, there is a lot on your plate as a faculty member. That’s why we made supporting success as easy as one-two-three with these strategies and dates to remember. Read this guide to mark your calendars for pre-semester planning, set your early feedback date, and plan for end-of-semester reporting.
Sample surveys
- Sample mid-semester student surveys – This open access folder contains examples of mid-semester surveys gathered from various teaching centers and includes sample questions on inclusive climate, technology use, classroom experience and more.
- Check out this anonymous Canvas survey created by Christina Downey, vice provost for undergraduate education, dean of University College, and professor of psychology. It can be easily imported into any course. To access the survey, go to Canvas Commons in your Canvas navigation and search for “mid-semester student feedback.”
Video Resources
- Video recording of the Gathering and Using Mid-Semester Feedback Webinar offered by CTL consultants on February 28, 2023. The presenters discuss a variety of ways to gather mid-semester feedback including surveys, focus groups, and classroom assessment techniques, and how you can respond to what your students say.
- Quick Video Guides on Gathering and Using Student Feedback (scroll down to accordion to select video listing): A collection of three short videos that describe the benefits of gathering student feedback, how to close the loop by responding to students, and survey design best practices.
Articles
- Conway, A. (2022, November 2). Recovering student engagement at mid-course time. Faculty Focus.
- Pingree, A. (n.d.) The Importance of Gathering and Incorporating Mid-Semester Student Feedback. Into Practice. Office of the Vice Provost for Advances in Learning, Harvard.
- Payette, P. R., & Brown, M. K. (2018). Gathering mid-semester feedback: Three variations to improve instruction. IDEA Paper# 67. IDEA Center, Inc.
- Weimer, M. (2016, June 15). Benefits of talking with students about mid-course evaluations. Faculty Focus.