Collecting student feedback can offer educators valuable information that helps enhance teaching methods, establish connections with students, and inform future classes.
Before you start collecting feedback, there are a few things you should consider to make sure you achieve your desired results.
- Think about what you’re hoping to achieve – do you want to improve your teaching or just check that your students are understanding everything? Both?
- Consider how your students are performing and feeling at the time you’re asking for feedback.
- Plan out how you will use the results of the feedback you receive.
By considering your goals for collecting this student feedback, you can create effective and meaningful questions to ask your students at a time that will generate the most engagement and honest feedback.
If you’re not sure where to start, don’t worry – we’ve got some tips to help you get going.
Share your why with students
To better engage students, share the role their feedback plays in the classroom and how you plan to use it. Sharing the “why” behind your request for feedback and how you plan to use the information helps students see the value in their voice and how their feedback will help them and future students. This will not only help build pedagogical partnerships but also help to foster an inclusive learning environment.
Get to know your students
As you gear up for the new teaching term, one of the most impactful things you can do is get to know your students better.
A simple, effective way to do this is to ask students to complete a short survey at the start of the term. Lumen One makes this easy with its built-in “Introduce Yourself” survey, designed specifically for faculty. This tool allows you to gain valuable insights into your students’ backgrounds right from the beginning, setting the stage for a more personalized and effective learning experience.
Taking the time to understand who your students are can make all the difference in how you connect with them and how they engage with your course. So, as you start the term, consider making this small but significant step a part of your teaching routine.
The following questions can be incorporated into a survey for students to introduce themselves.
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- What is your goal for this course?
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- How are you feeling about this course?
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- Do you have any obligations outside of class that would be helpful for me to know about?
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Once you’re ready, here are some ways effective strategies to gather feedback:
Leverage Discussion Boards: Don’t just limit discussion boards to simple Q&A. Transform them into dynamic forums where students can ask questions, share thoughts, and engage in meaningful discussions throughout the course. By creating a dedicated feedback thread, you open up a space for students to voice their opinions and concerns in real-time, making the feedback process ongoing and interactive.- Use Anonymous Feedback Boxes: Encourage candid feedback by providing anonymous feedback options. Whether it’s a physical box in your classroom or a digital version online, anonymity can help students feel more comfortable sharing their honest thoughts without fear of repercussions. This approach often uncovers valuable insights from those who might be hesitant to speak up otherwise.
- Conduct Online Surveys: Online surveys are a convenient and effective way to gather detailed feedback. Utilize tools like Kahoot, Polling Apps, Google Forms, or your LMS to create surveys and email them to your students. Be sure to include both open-ended and closed-ended questions to capture a broad range of insights that are easy to analyze and apply.
- Prompt Feedback After Assignments: Integrate feedback collection into your regular workflow by adding prompts after assignments or assessments. Ask students to share their input weekly as they complete their work. Additionally, consider using Classroom Assessment Techniques (CATS) to quickly gauge what’s working, what’s unclear, and what needs further reinforcement, helping you adapt your teaching on the fly.
Things to Consider:
If you’re already collecting student feedback, take a moment to reflect on how you gather feedback and explore ways to make it more impactful for you and more accessible for your students., here are some tips to elevate student engagement:
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- When gathering student feedback, it’s important to consider the diverse ways students might feel comfortable sharing their thoughts. Some students may prefer to remain anonymous, while others might be more inclined to share verbally or need time to write out their responses thoughtfully. To truly involve students in feedback, consider asking them how they’d like to provide input. This approach respects their preferences and helps build pedagogical partnerships, leading to more meaningful and effective feedback.
- Consider whether you want to “compensate” students for their time. Feedback takes time, and most students have other responsibilities. Incentives can come in many forms, including extra credit, early release time from class, or additional assignments during the feedback window.
- Whenever possible, acknowledge students’ contributions to your changes due to their feedback. Students will appreciate seeing how you’re using the feedback! This will help you build trust with your students and show them that you are actively listening to their feedback and involving them in the process.
By Angelica Halbert and co-authored by Lumen Team
Resources:
https://schoolguide.casel.org/resource/strategies-for-gathering-student-feedback/
https://www.linkedin.com/advice/1/how-can-entry-level-critical-thinking-professionals-jye6e
https://vcsa.ucsd.edu/_files/assessment/resources/50_cats.pdf