Use Feedback

Center for Teaching Excellence

Getting Feedback

Feedback is one of the best ways to learn more about how your course is working, and it can come from multiple sources. Below are tips on how to receive - or increase - feedback about your course. Getting feedback from a variety of sources helps with seeing your course from multiple perspectives, which is helpful!

  • Request student feedback mid-semester (or earlier)

    If you'd like to make reasonable adjustments to your course while it's still ongoing, consider asking students for their feedback at or before the mid-semester break.

    This can be done through a simple D2L survey (set to anonymous) or by requesting the CTE to come and hold a short class feedback discussion.

  • Increase SAI response rates

    While Student Assessments of Instruction (SAIs) can be contentious, they also offer valuable information when the right questions asked and the most useful feedback from students is distilled out. (See below for more on how.)

    However, SAIs are completed voluntarily, and sometimes it can be difficult to get students to complete them at rates which are more representative of the full student experience in your course.

    We've provided a set of practices that can help you increase your SAI rates in this document: Increase your SAI Response Rates

  • Request formative feedback from a teaching expert

    While students can shed light on the "student experience" in your class, they likely don't know about best teaching practices.

    For insights about your teaching approach from a colleague who is trained on effective pedagogical approaches, you can request a Teaching and Learning Consultation (TLC) or Casual Consult at any time.

    These consultations are specific to a focus of your choice about your class, and are supportive from beginning to end. The goal is to help you learn what's working and get new ideas that can help you continue to grow and improve your course.

Using Feedback

Getting feedback is the first step; figuring out the best way to use it is the next one! Below are strategies for how to use the feedback you collect.

  • Look for action items

    Your feedback from students is likely to include both helpful and unhelpful comments.

    Unhelpful comments might be vague, personal commentary, or complaints about factors over which you have little or no control (e.g., the classroom space*).

    Helpful comments will indicate an action you are able to take, if you believe it is a reasonable adjustment to the class. If this feedback came from a mid-semester survey, and the adjustment will not be significantly disruptive or confusing to the class, consider implementing it that semester.

    Not every actionable feedback comment will be one you feel is beneficial. Evaluate these with an eye toward your course's learning goals and make a decision as the expert. If you are not sure, or need more assistance, contact the CTE for a consultation, or request a TLC/Casual Consult to discuss with others.

    * But let the CTE know about this! We can forward classroom space concerns to the Provost's Office for consideration.

  • Sort for themes

    When sorting through student comments, we often get "outlier" remarks. Some of these can be grumpy.

    Should we pay attention to these complaints?

    The best advice is to determine whether you see a trend when it comes to an aspect of your course or your approach to students within the course. If you are seeing the same concern coming from multiple students*, it may be time to consider making a change. If the remark comes from just one or two disgruntled students, hold it in mind, but also keep in mind that their filter may have created a singular and different experience than that of the remaining students in your class.

    In addition, if you receive similar observations or remarks from student sources (SAIs, mid-semester feedback) and colleague sources (TLCs, Casual Consults, or peer observations from your department), this may be a cue that the aspect of instruction being mentioned is one to consider adapting.

    * This is why increasing SAI rates can be helpful - you can get a better sense of students' collective experience in the class.

  • Learn new strategies

    You may identify actionable themes from student feedback*, but not be sure what the best approach is to make adjustments.

    This is a great opportunity to learn more through a Casual Consult, a full TLC, or just by seeing what is on offer from the CTE in terms of upcoming workshops, book clubs, conferences, or teaching retreats. If you don't know where to start, simply reach out to us at the CTE and we will either set up a time to talk or point you in the right direction!

    * Our staff assistance to lead student feedback discussions will help you find actionable themes, but these discussion leaders do not provide advice on how to address those themes.