Tanya,
I agree with your comments. By soliciting feedback and then reflecting on it instructors can make adjustments in their instructional delivery that can benefit the learning of students.
Gary
Hi Dr Meers,
I beleive that student feedback can help instructors ensure that the objectives of the class is being met. It also help the teacher to ensure that his/her teaching method is clear and concise. In addition, an instructor can focus on students who need a bit of improvement to ensure that they learn and apply the content.
Student feedback helps me to refocus and figure out where my short comings are. I like to know if my students are grasping what I am teaching, that they are interested and enjoying my class. Feedback is a positive thing because it helps me learn from my mistakes and success.
It help you to individualize the feedback to the particular person. It promotes a relationship that exist in the class room and outside as we review who this person is by their performances. I often tell the student that their project will present to me a snapshot of who they are in class and outside of class.
Henry
keeps you from being too wrapped up in yourself
Student feedback is a way to learn from others. You will learn what worked and what did not. You will learn areas that different approaches may be needed if the students did not understand a particular part of the course.
Toni,
"Reading" students is a skill that all instructors need to develop for the reasons you mentioned. This way you can adapt your delivery to make sure the students are "getting" it.
Gary
It can help you adjust the way you teach that particular class to meet the needs of those particular students
It is important to monitor the student's reaction and understanding of the course material by asking questions and assessing the student response. If a student is engaged with the learning process they should be able to interpret what they heard from the lecture in their own words.
Student feedback is very important. It lets me know whether I am getting the information across to them. My presentation of the information may be very clear to me, but if a student doesn’t understand the information. I need to have their feedback so that I can present it in another way.
Just as it was described in one of the videos, your class is like a horse with you holding the reins. If the feedback coming from my students is full of bucking or friction, it tells me very clearly that I need to make an adjustment.
Maggie,
Yes, it can and it is important to have ways for it to be received throughout the course. This input will help to keep your content and your delivery focused on the needs of students.
Gary
Student feedback can help you fing out what is working and what isn't working about your teaching methods.
Student feedback is kind of like a hamster wheel. You spend a significant amount of time with students, you get feedback from them, you use it to apply to the next new group of students. I find their feedback very useful in preparing for my next group. I try to keep a note book of ideas, some of which originated from feedback.
Student feedback helps me keep my focus on my students by telling me exactly where their weak-spots are, and I help them improve on them.
By: Elizabeth Price
As instructor providing regular feedback to the student regarding his or her work with you is the most powerful teaching tool you have.
Providing the right kind of feedback to students can make a significant difference in their achievement. There are two key considerations. First, feedback that improves learning is responsive to specific aspects of student work, such as test or homework answers, and provides specific and related suggestions. There needs to be a strong link between the teacher comment and the student's answer, and it must be instructive.
This kind of feedback extends the opportunity to teach by alleviating misunderstanding and reinforcing learning. Second, the feedback must be timely. If students receive feedback no more than a day after a test or homework assignment has been turned in, it will increase the window of opportunity for learning. Feedback is a research-based strategy that teachers, and students, can practice to improve their success.
It can help you to realize your strengths and weaknesses in regards to which methods really helped the students to grasp the material.
Hi Kevin,
Thank you for this great forum comment. The comparison is a good one. It will be interesting if the campaign for Dominoes is effective. Even if it isn't in one sense it has and will be successful in the recognition that has been generated by them being willing to listen to feedback. This has been great publicity for them.
Gary
This is a very interesting question. It actually reminds me of a set of commercials that the Dominoes Pizza company is currently circulating. If you haven't seen it, the basic premise revolves around the fact that the C.O.O had set up hidden cammeras to get feedback on what the average customer thought of his product. Let's just cut to the chase by saying that it was less than flattering. Now, I can only imagine that the executive was disheartened; after all, who wants to hear that you are product is not that good, or that you yourself are not doing a good job. However, I commend this man for his approach. I think only by knowing exactly what his customers thought of his product, could he then determine if he was on the right track, or if changes needed to be made?
I believe this is the same with teaching. As an Instructor, I may feel I have a great plan to present material to my students for a particular session, or course; however, if the students as my target audience are getting nothing, or at least very little out of my presentation, am I actually teaching? or I am just reciting material which to me is familar?
This is why I like the idea presented in the module about getting feedback from students on the 3X5 cards at the end of the class. By looking at the comments from all the students, both the well prepared, and less prepared students, I can get an idea about how the concept I was trying to share was received. If it was received well, I may be able to gain time for the class as a whole, and move on to another concept. However, if it was not well received I now know that I have an opportunity to regroup, and approach it in a different way. Either way, I believe by obtaining student feedback and responding to it, this will show my students that I am genuinely interested in focusing on them understanding, and applying the material; Using it as a building block for other concepts to follow, and utimately for future success.
There is no way ultimately to know if the Dominoes campaign will result in greater success, however one thing is for sure, no one can say that the comapny was not listening.
Student feedback is always important, especially in a survey type format, I have always, improved my teaching skills, after reading feedback from student, very positive tool
