Win-Win with Student Feedback Sessions
by Liz Norell, associate director of instructional support
Student feedback sessions are one of CETL’s core offerings. Engaging in this practice is a powerful way to achieve several meaningful goals, including:
Emphasizing to students that they play a key role in the learning process,
Giving faculty access to information about how their students are experiencing a course, and
Creating greater trust between professors and students.
Participation in student feedback sessions is entirely voluntary and confidential. In other words, the feedback we collect and share with instructors is not shared with departments or peer faculty members. As with all of CETL's offerings, our focus is on promoting exemplary teaching and effective learning. We do not recommend that department chairs or deans require participation in student feedback sessions for any instructor.
Typically, these sessions are most effective if conducted around (ideally just before) the midpoint of the course, although they can be useful at any point during a semester.
Here's what's involved:
An instructor requests a session from CETL. These are available to anyone teaching a course, regardless of rank or title.
A CETL consultant will collaborate with the instructor to gather information about the course, the student, and any specific issues or questions the instructor wants us to focus on. These collaborations can take place in person, via Zoom, or by email.
The CETL consultant meets with students during a class session, generally towards the end of a class session. The instructor is not present during this time. We lead students through a discussion on these questions:
What is working well to facilitate your learning? How are you contributing to your own learning? How is the instructor?
What is making it difficult for you to learn? How are your actions hindering your learning? How are the instructor's?
What changes, if implemented, would accelerate your learning? What could you do? What could your instructor?
The CETL consultant organizes student feedback for instructors without identifying any students by name.
The instructor meets with the CETL consultant for a debrief, ideally before the next class meeting. We summarize and synthesize what we heard from students, providing anonymous feedback and engaging in discussion about any strategies that might prove useful. We emphasize to students that their comments will be shared with the instructor anonymously.
The instructor--ideally at the next class meeting--leads a short discussion with students about what they learned and any changes or adjustments as a result.
There is a lengthy body of evidence that sessions of this sort have positive impacts for both student learning and instructor experiences. For example, one classic study found that instructors who collected student feedback experienced more favorable student evaluations, higher levels of student success in the course, and more enjoyable teaching and learning experiences for all involved. Another study linked the practice of student feedback sessions to principles for good practice in undergraduate education.
The emphasis on both instructor and student contributions to (or distractions from) learning can also facilitate deeper metacognitive reflection and student agency in their learning.
CETL offers student feedback sessions on request, depending on staff availability. We recommend requesting these as far in advance as possible. To do so, fill out this form.