Dublin City University Learning Innovation Unit: Teachng Enhancement Cycle
Learning Innovation Unit
Teaching Enhancement Cycle
Tools for gathering feedback from students
Getting student feedback is a valuable aspect of teaching evaluation. Summative feedback, while it is useful, can only inform you of your teaching practice. The following formative approaches are useful ways to get feedback from your students during a module or semester. They allow you to focus your inquiry on student learning and how you are meeting learning needs or any aspect of your teaching you require feedback on. Gathering any form of feedback and data from students requires the usual ethical considerations of data collection and you should also be cogniscant of the students' workloads when adding additional tasks.The following student evaluation tools are approaches to getting mid-semester feedback from students to gauge their opinion on the topic or topics of your inquiry.
Teaching Analysis Poll (TAP)
This is a mid semester feedback technique that enables you to get feedback and collective suggestions for improvement from students.Student focus groups
Student focus groups allow for structured discussion around courses, teaching or specific topics of teaching or learning. They allow a greater explanation of topics that may have come up in your reflections or through formal student questionnaires. Use the following guidelines to help you get the most from your focus group.The one minute paper
This is a quick and easy end of lecture exercise that asks students to write down: the three most important things they learned in the lecture; and any area that needs clarification.- The one minute paper explained (.pdf format)
- Use the Minute paper template (.doc format) to create your handout.
The muddiest point
This is a similar quick and easy end of lecture or mid-lecture evaluation to gauge students feedback on any topic.- Use the Muddiest point template (.doc format) to create your handout.