Sometimes I think that a particular teaching technique I am using is working great. When I get student feedback telling me that the technique is confusing to them or isn't working for them, it helps me to remember that no matter how great I think a technique or teaching tool is, it's only great if it works for the students. That helps me refocus on my students.
Getting student feedback helps an instructor because if the instructor is not getting the material across and the students are letting the instructor know, then the instructor has to stop and refocus to make the material more interesting or appoarchable
Having your students give you feedback helps you to know what they need to know. Your students are your audience and learners. If, as an instructor, you are not helping them learn, they need to give you that feedback to remember that you are teaching because of the students.
I agree with this also students preceptions allows me to evaluate stratgies and make improvements.
I think that student feedback allows the instructor to connect with the students and focus on what their current needs are. Their needs are constantly changing and that allows us to stay connected.
Student feedback is invaluable to me as an instructor. Students are brutally honest and in general give excellent comments about my classes. Sometime they seem to fear criticizing the instructor but I explain the fact that I evaluate them in order to test their lnowledge and they in turn keep me fresh by giving me their true feelings about what I have taught them.
Student feed back would help me by giving me insight into whether students are understanding things the way I want them to. I think it is easy to have a disconnect from my end to theirs as I already know the info and I may think I'm presenting it in a way they can grasp, but that might not be their interpretation! I think you also learn more about their indivdual learning styles with feed back as well.
Hi Susan,
I have had the same results with the 1 minute paper. You are right about how the students responses give you an idea of how effective that day's lesson was.
Gary
student feedback allows the instructor to know if what they are presenting is or is not getting through to the students. It allows us to know if the style we are using is effective or not.
The concept of the 1 minute paper asking students what they have learned in class always seems a good idea to me. One learns quickly what did "fly" in the day's lesson and what didn't. It allows an instructor to refocus for the next class meeting to cover any important materials missed perhaps a bit differently to make certain that something important is not lost. If also provides the kind of positive feedback to instructors that can be energizing with the thought that the students actually made progress in what was taught that day!
Student feedback can help me see where my strengths and weaknesses are. I can get a lot of good suggestions from student feedback that can help me better meet my students' needs.
I feel feedback should be elicited at least once per week. When I have a class meeting 4 times per week, I take a few minutes at the beginning of one of those meetings to ask them, "how are we doing? how can we improve? is there something we need to change or are you feeling good about the material?" This develops a group participation effort in the manner the material is delivered. I usually get very honest feedback and when it is negative, we collaborate on how we can make it better. We then agree as a group on a different path and pursue it. This empowers the students.
It helps us in recognizing student expectations, needs, requirements and refocussing on them.
I see this as being a part of constructive criticism. As instructors, we can always find ways to better ourselves for our students, and what better way to do this than to obtain feedback from your students. This will also help the instructor to focus more on the needs and wants of the students.
This can be a challenge, but easily understood if you take the time to ask the right questions. I was taught to never ask a question unless I already knew the answer to when questioning students. I make sure I am prepared for what ever answer can arise from that question and use this to dive further into the curriculum. When students do not provide any feedback, I find that they do not have a complete understanding of the material and thus do not know what to ask, nor answer the questions. This requires you to be fully prepared to back up and redeliver in a way the students can relate to.
Student feedback is valuable in your own self assessment of your class. This lets you know if your style and approach are working for the whole, and will help identify if you are losing a few students. Not all students react the same to our teaching styles, so this feedback allows me to identify if I need to change something up to keept them engaged or if I need to focus on a student whom may be struggling with the style of instruction.
It gives you the info that you need to understand what the students need from you.
Hi Antoinette,
Good point about how to receive and use student feedback. As we know student feedback is valuable but it needs to be considered in the total context of the course and how the end results will be evaluated. This way we instructors can fulfill our professional responsibilities but also be sensitive to student needs.
Gary
This could have is postive and negative points. SOmetimes a students feedback can help because they will share what helps them stay focus. Than there are times that they will use their feedback to allow you to allow them to be in charge how things in the class will go. You have to allow them to share their opinions but make sure they are aware you are in charge of the class and how the class will be conducted at the same time using some of their opinions and siggestions.
I think if you evaluate where your students are, then you can refocus what you are doing in the classroom. Things like, variety, delivery methods and it will also help your students see where they are.
