Midterm Feedback
Implementing a midterm feedback survey is a helpful way to assess how the course is going for the current cohort of students. Typically given around the middle of the semester, these assessments of the class and the professor’s teaching can allow for changes to be made to the course if needed.
Research has found that:
- Midterm feedback improves teaching, especially when paired with professional consultation (Murray, 2006).
- “Mid-semester evaluations could help in obtaining more positive attitudes from the students towards the course and the instructor at the end of the semester” (Wickramasinghe et al, 2006).
- Midterm feedback “promoted two-way communication with learners on instructional design and decision making” (Diamond et al, 2004).
Mid-semester feedback is effective because students can really assess how much they learned in the first half of the semester, especially if the class is test-based and the students have experienced their first exam. Unlike feedback typically given at the end of the course, midterm feedback allows for the course to be improved for the current cohort of students.
Potential ways to conduct midterm reflections:
- Online survey (Google Form, Canvas, Qualtrics, etc.) done in or outside of class, similar to existing end-of-course reflections
- Survey moderated by the Center for Teaching and Learning at Amherst College
- Group conversation moderated by the Center for Teaching and Learning
- A group conversation in particular may evoke common themes that the majority of students in the course agree with.
Best practices:
- Anonymous midterm feedback encourages honest and open communication with students.
- It is important to address the midterm feedback with students if a survey is going to be conducted!
- When addressing the midterm survey with the class, professors can address the common themes of what is working and not working in the course.
- It is also important to discuss actionable items that both parties can do to make the class experience better.
Questions to ask:
Midterm reflections can consist of open-ended and close-ended questions. Depending on class size and time to spend analyzing the weekly reflections, it may be more effective to use more close-ended questions, however, some open-ended questions should be included to allow students to voice suggestions and concerns (see more at Mid-Semester Feedback | Center for Teaching & Learning from The University of Texas at Austin).
Examples of close-ended questions (rate on a scale of strongly disagree to strongly agree):
- I feel I understand the material in this class.
- The homework assignments in this class are helping me learn.
- Instructions/expectations for assignments are clear.
- I feel comfortable asking questions when needed.
Examples of open-ended questions:
- What are some things you are doing in or for the class that are useful for your learning?
- What are some things the professor is doing that you find useful for your learning?
- What are some specific suggestions for changes you feel could be made to the course in order to enhance your learning?
- What are some of the key learnings you’ve gained from the course?
Example implementations for midterm reflections:
- Professor takes 20 minutes at the beginning of class to leave the room and have the students fill out the midterm reflections. The professor then addresses these results with the class and reports on what feasible changes they can make to improve the remainder of the course.
- A third party, such as the CTL, comes and moderates a discussion surrounding how the class is going and what improvements the professors could make to improve the class. The third party takes notes and then reports common student concerns and suggestions of improvement to the professor. The professor then addresses these results with the class and reports on what feasible changes they can make to improve the remainder of the course.