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By: Dr. Laurel Willingham-McLain, Center for Teaching and Learning Excellence (CTLE)

In Fall 2020, for the first time, Syracuse University offered a systematic way for students to provide mid-course feedback across the University. Students received pop-up announcements on BlackBoard with links to provide feedback specific to each course. Here is what students saw:

Introduction: The COVID-19 pandemic has had profound effects on higher education. Both students and faculty have had to adjust to new modes of instruction and learning. The purpose of this mid-course feedback form is to offer you the opportunity to provide constructive comments about your learning experience to your instructor. The more specific and descriptive your comments are, the more useful they will be to your instructor.
What is working well for you in this course?
What, if anything, is not working as well for you in this course?
Do you have any suggestions that would enhance your learning experience in this course?

Faculty can access the feedback through MySlice under "Faculty Services." The feedback is visible only to the course instructor.

Early-course feedback from students is helpful so that faculty can revise aspects of their teaching early enough for student respondents to benefit from their suggestions. At the same time, during a pandemic, when faculty are investing their energy in teaching well in entirely new contexts, receiving such feedback might be difficult. Furthermore, student feedback might skew toward the negative, because many students are also expending more effort than usual to stay well and figure out their learning contexts, in addition to succeeding in their courses.

Here are some ideas for instructors receiving mid-course feedback.

Open your feedback in the presence of a trusted colleague or CTLE staff member. This can help you contextualize the stinging comments—which, though they are limited in number, can take over our minds day and night.
Completely set aside the comments that don’t provide helpful teaching and learning information. For example, “the course sucks” or “I don’t have one good thing to say about this course.”
Divide the negative comments and recommendations into two groups:
- those where you can make changes
- those that are beyond your control or you don’t think are wise to change
Take time to savor the comments that show you’re reaching students and that they’re learning.
Address the perceptions that students have even when you don’t agree with them or can’t imagine them being true. Sometimes you need to delve deeper rather than simply denying the students’ perceptions. For example:
- “My prof is unavailable”—even though you have offered multiple ways for students to contact you. You might respond: “Some students reported that I’m unavailable. I really care about this. I want to be available to help you succeed in this course.” And then you could poll students anonymously to learn about the ways students have found you available or not available.
As soon as possible, tell your students what you learned from the mid-course feedback. Explain the changes you plan to make and why. Equally, explain aspects that you will not be changing although students requested it.
Honor the students for giving feedback and address them as if they were your colleagues giving you professional feedback. Why? Because the act of giving feedback is important for students to learn. Equally important is your modeling of how to receive and act on feedback.

Faculty alone can view the mid-course feedback. That doesn’t mean that you have to be isolated. You are most welcome to consult with CTLE staff on how to interpret and respond to the feedback you receive in a private, one-on-one Zoom session.

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