Checklist for collecting mid-term feedback

The purpose of this seven-point checklist is to ensure a smooth collection process of mid-term feedback from students by a teacher. Following the seven-step procedure ensures you will receive feedback from students that can be used to make changes to the course you are teaching the students or to your future courses.

Checklist for collecting mid-term feedback

You can freely choose how you wish to collect the feedback. You may opt for paper slips handed out to students, or ask the students to give their comments on an interactive platform (e.g. Padlet/Miro wall) or alternatively you may wish to go for a formal feedback collection system in use at your own HEI. The choice of feedback collection medium depends on your school’s feedback collection process and the reason for collecting feedback. Feedback can be collected for instance when you are teaching a new course and as a result do not have previous experiences. Sometimes you may get a feeling of underlying tensions in a group hindering learning and as a result you may wish to detect the root cause of  the obstacles to learning. Collecting feedback anonymously may have students open up and provide reasons for not being able to learn. This may lead you having to involve other people as to resolve the issues within the student group.

  • The purpose of this form is to help you collect feedback as a teacher.
  • The form can be used to facilitate the collection of mid-term feedback.
  • Make sure to follow the seven points while collecting mid-term or interim feedback. Tick off items as you go.
Student in the classroom

Make sure to do the following while collecting mid-term feedback.

Tick off items as you go.

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1. Allocate in-class time for students to give feedback and let them know why feedback is collected and when.
2. Highlight the importance of honest and constructive feedback. Do also let the students know that you are collecting feedback to make changes to your future courses and the one students are taking with you. If possible, give examples of changes made based on previous student feedback.
3. Let students know that they can provide both negative and positive feedback. Ask questions, such as why has the course been educational so far and what has hindered effective learning?
4. Depict the nature of the feedback you wish students to give. Try to point out that comments, such as “The group discussions have been great!” are not going to take you far. Instead, the students should state why or what specific aspect of the discussions have been great, “I particularly enjoyed the discussion about xx as all students were heard and could share their point of view.”
5. Tell the students all feedback will be completely anonymous and will not affect course grading. Instead, they now have a chance to affect the remaining course and have a say if they are not happy with something or would like to praise the completion of the course so far.
6. Point out that you as their teacher are the primary audience for the given evaluations but that other people will also most likely read the feedback the students provide. This includes administrators and other staff whose job is to develop the curriculum based on the suggested changes.
7. Consider including language in the syllabus or course description, which will alert students to the fact that they will be asked to give feedback in the middle of the course.

Source: Vanderbilt University. Student Evaluations of Teaching

Additional reading: John Brennan and Ruth Williams. Collecting and using student feedback: A guide to good practice