Student feedback affords the instructor insight into the student's perspective. It's very easy to get tunnel vision, as an instructor, with the end clearly visualized. It's often not as clear to the students, who are living from week to week....often procrastinating or simmering over issues they're unwilling or uncomfortable addressing. Purposefully giving them the opportunity to submit their opinions and deliberately soliciting their feedback opens the channel of communication....if it's been blocked.
Of course, one has to take some of the "feedback" with a grain or two of salt, as not all of it is constructive.
Camille,
It is simple and quick and I know you are going to like the results you get.
Gary
Gary Meers, Ed.D.
I will definitely apply this method (utilizing 3x5 cards to obtain feedback)after projects/assignments going forward.
Camille,
Right you are about the value of student feedback. I collect feedback from my students on 3X5 cards after each major project or assignment. They do not sign the cards so they are candid about how the effort worked for them. Over the years I have received very good input and have been able to improve my instructional delivery as a result.
Gary
Gary Meers, Ed.D.
Student feedback can help to establish how the students are progressing. Based on the student feedback, an instructor can also determine if he/she is on right path with training or reevaluate teaching methods and make changes as need be.
Lori,
Student feedback is how course and instructional improvement is made. I have my students give me feedback, via writing on a 3X5 card after we complete an assignment or project. They don't put their names on the cares so they are candid. I have never had a student write anything offensive in my many years of teaching. All the feedback has been well thought out and very helpful. I think this feedback is much more helpful than the end of the course evaluations that our school uses because they are done in real time.
Gary
Gary Meers, Ed.D.
If you allow your students to give you feedback...it gives you a way to evaluate the things in your teaching that are working with the students and to discard and restructure some of the things that may not be working in your teaching skill set. It can be a very good growing and learning tool as an instructor as long as you allow yourself to be open to both the positive as well as the negative feedback that you may receive.
Lisa,
Right you are and this is why it is so important to have a system for ongoing feedback from students. That way you can see how your students are interpreting what is being taught.
Gary
Gary Meers, Ed.D.
It is important to know if, indeed, you are reaching your students. However, 2 students can be in the same class and have different interpretations.
Christie,
This ongoing type of feedback allows you to make adjustments in the instructional process if needed because the feedback is real time. This will keep students engaged and the class progressing as planned.
Gary
Gary Meers, Ed.D.
At the end of every class I ask for student feed back on what they liked and did not like about the class. I helps me find problem areas of information retention and makes the students feel like they have a say in their education experience.
student feedback is pretty crucial. if there is a flaw with instruction, its always good to get feedback in order to make adjustments.. also its nice to know if you're doing a good job or not.
Pearlmarie,
This feedback helps you to make any adjustments you need to to keep the students on track in the course. This is how instructional improvement is made and growth experienced.
Gary
Gary Meers, Ed.D.
Getting feedback directly from a class at midpoint also is a concrete way to verify what was accomplice as the base for the class. It is a time to reconfirm the course objectives that were met.
It can help you find areas of improvement in lecture and lab, so you can bring it up to the next level.
Allison,
This is a good way to help students to see the value of the evaluation process and how they benefit from it. Their discussion about their results helps them to see how you evaluated their work and then how they can grow from the evaluation process.
Gary
Gary Meers, Ed.D.
Feedback can help diffuse upset/animosity about grades. Whenever I hand back a major assignment, I tell my students in 2-5 sentences, they should defend or comply with their grade.
If a student feels like their hard work does not reflect the grade they received, they get a chance to articulate their frustrations on paper, and then we can chat about it after class. Usually it also helps to diffuse some of the raw emotion so we can have a logical conversation and work towards a new plan of action for study.
Jennifer,
So true. Student feedback should be collected throughout the course so you as the instructor can make any needed adjustments to keep the students on target in terms of goals and objectives. Also, through feedback as you know you can learn what activities really work well with the students and those that need some improvement.
Gary
Gary Meers, Ed.D.
Student feedback can tell the instructor what is or is not working for a particular group of students. If a teaching technique or strategy is not working, the instructor will then be able to adapt or use a different method that may further assist the students.
Arlene,
Listening is a powerful learning tool. We instructors need to learn how to listen and then use the information we have learned from our students to format our instruction in a way that will generate excitement about the course.
Gary
Gary Meers, Ed.D.
