Mid-Semester Feedback
A mid-semester feedback session offers faculty the opportunity to gather structured feedback from their students regarding the design and delivery of a class: What aspects of class are going well? What aspects of class might need improvement? What changes in the course would benefit student learning?
Sessions take place mid-semester, giving faculty information to modify their classes to enhance student learning and performance. A Center staff member conducts the review process and meets with the faculty to discuss results and support course changes. Feedback sessions provide instructors with valuable information regarding student perceptions of instruction and learning, while conveying to students the importance that faculty hold for the instructional process.
For templates and instructions for conducting your own mid-semester check-in, see Faculty Managed Course Check-ins.
Options for Feedback Sessions
CETL offers mid-semester feedback options to fit a variety of course modality types and instructor needs. These options include full small group instructional diagnosis sessions, asynchronous surveys, and abbreviated sessions. After you have filled out the sign up form, a member of the CETL staff will contact you to schedule the feedback session. Please use the process information below as a general guideline, knowing that we will work with you to customize the process based on your class's structure and format.
The General Process
- Faculty schedule mid-semester feedback.
- Students complete the feedback process.
- Center staff organize and summarize form data in a report for faculty.
- Faculty meet with a Center staff member to review results and discuss changes, as appropriate.
The Evaluation Questions
The Individual and Group Feedback forms address three standard questions:
- What aspects of class are working well? What are the strengths of the class? What aspects of the class are having a positive impact on your learning?
- What aspects of the class are working poorly? What are the weaknesses of the class? What aspects of the class are having a negative impact on your learning?
- What aspects of the class do you believe should be changed? How should these aspects be changed? (Please be as specific as possible.)
Anonymity and Confidentiality
Students' responses on the Individual Feedback form are anonymous and confidential. Students are not asked to sign the Individual Feedback form, the instructor will not see these forms, and the forms will be stored safely. The instructor will receive an aggregated report of feedback.
The Mid-semester Feedback process and report is confidential. The Center for Excellence in Teaching and Learning will not share results or reports with others (e.g., Department Heads, Tenure and Promotion Committees). The individual faculty member is free to share their engagement with the process and the results of the evaluation at his/her/their discretion.
Reporting the Results of the Feedback Session
Faculty members will receive a formal letter with a summary results. Typically, the faculty member will receive the evaluation results within three days of the conduct of the evaluation.
Using the Feedback-Best Practices
The Mid-Semester Feedback session is designed to collect data regarding student perceptions of instructor performance and student learning in order to modify the course, as necessary, to enhance the learning experience for students. To maximize the beneficial effects of the evaluation, the instructor should (a) reflect on the information contained in the feedback report, (b) construct a specific set of course changes that address the recommendations, (c) discuss the proposed changes with the class, and (d) make the agreed upon changes. Discussing the results of the evaluation and the proposed changes with the class is important as it validates for the students the importance that the instructor places on learning and provides an opportunity for the faculty member to discuss the conduct of the course.
Scheduling a Mid-Semester Feedback Session
Access the scheduling form. You will be asked to offer at least two different dates in the middle of the semester.