Mid-Course Feedback on Instruction
Overview
The Michael V. Drake Institute for Teaching and Learning recognizes the value of formative feedback to instructors. Formative feedback provides instructors insight into what is working and not working in a course and allows the opportunity to make reasonable changes.
Gathering feedback early in a course creates the opportunity for instructors to have conversations with students about the feedback and their plans to implement changes (as well as what kinds of changes may not be feasible during the term), adding transparency to instructional methods and course design. Instructors are able to reinforce course goals and outcomes during the process. Finally, gathering formative feedback can emphasize and support students’ responsibility for their own learning and how they can support it. The Drake Institute is partnering with programs to introduce a Mid-Course Feedback on Instruction (MCFI) survey hosted in Blue.
About Blue
Blue is an Explorance platform built to manage feedback initiatives. Blue allows for an automation of feedback gathering processes that makes survey administration easy and scalable. It also provides strong reports that assist in a given administration and across time.
Administering the MCFI Survey
Instructors may choose to administer the formative feedback survey in class or as an out-of-class activity. Below is a script instructors may choose to use to introduce the administration. The script may be spoken and/or included on a slide or posted in Carmen.
Administration script: "Today, I'd like you to fill out a short formative feedback survey in Carmen. The information you provide is just for me, and your input is extremely valuable. It helps me gauge how the course is progressing at the moment -- what is going well from your standpoint and whether you have any suggestions for how we might proceed for the rest of the term. It also helps me understand what and how you are learning. I will report back to you about the results of this evaluation." (https://sites.dartmouth.edu/edtech/2016/07/15/mid-course-evaluations/).
To increase student completion rates of a formative feedback survey, consider the following:
provide students time in class to complete the midterm survey
offer an incentive (such as participation points or extra credit) for student completion
notify students of important deadlines or dates (for example, when a survey opens or closes)
make surveys relevant to student learning
share results and plans with students
Consultation Support During and Following Survey Administration
Drake Institute consultants are available as needed to assist academic programs with piloting the MCFI including selecting questions, orienting instructors to MCFI, as well as training them to analyze the report and debrief with students.
Debriefing with Students Following Administration
It is critical to debrief formative feedback survey results with students. Drake Institute consultants can assist instructors in determining what, if any changes, they would like to make to course instruction or content as a result of feedback and how to present these decisions to students. In general, participants should consider sharing the following:
- changes that will be made this semester (for example, the turnaround time on homework assignments)
- changes that must wait until the next time the course is offered (for example, the textbook or readings)
- changes recommended that cannot or, for pedagogical reasons, will not change (for example, the number of quizzes or tests)
For additional information, visit http://teaching.berkeley.edu/sites/default/files/respond.pdf.
Resources
Teaching Center Websites:
- From the Drake Institute for Teaching and Learning: https://drakeinstitute.osu.edu/instructional-support/using-feedback-improve-teaching
- Vanderbilt University Center for Teaching: https://cft.vanderbilt.edu/soliciting-and-utilizing-mid-semester-feedback/
- Indiana University Center for Innovative Teaching and Learning: https://citl.indiana.edu/teaching-resources/documenting-teaching/mid-semester-eval/index.html
If your program is interested in piloting the use of MCFI, contact the Drake Institute.