focus on what can be changed during the semester--for example, the pace of the
course, turnaround time on exams and assignments, or the level of difficulty of
the material
three or four weeks after the semester begins
teaching a course for the first time or have significantly revised a course you
have taught previously, you may want to canvass students as early as
three or four weeks after the semester begins
Distribute blank index cards during the last five or ten minutes of class
Ask students to complete a brief informal questionnaire
four to six short-answer or multiple-choice questions
issues posed should be ones you can respond to during the term; otherwise your
students may develop false expectations about the remainder of the course
Consider asking students to list the one or two specific behaviors or incidents
that weighed most heavily in their ratings
Arrange for your students to be interviewed
Select a spokesperson who will also write down the groups' comments.
Name something in the course that they find helpful or worthwhile or that
has helped their learning.
Name something that has hindered their learning and that they would like to
see changed.
Suggest how the course could be improved
groups of five or six
Respond quickly to students' comments
Consider carefully what students say
Let students know what, if anything, will change as a result of their
feedback
Thank your students for their comments
Ask students to write a "minute paper."
"What question is uppermost in your mind at the end of today's class?"
Ask students to list key concepts or ideas
Ask students whether they are understanding you or not
avoid the generic "Any questions
refrain from posing general questions that might put students on the spot: "Who
is lost?"
Have students briefly paraphrase a lecture or a reading assignment
Ask students to provide a closing summary
Encourage students to form study groups.
Have students turn in class notes as an assignment
Encourage graduate student instructors to give you comments about the
course