Background
Using quick and informal ways to collect feedback during class time provides an opportunity to take student views on board at various points throughout a course, and take prompt action to remedy any issues that occur. There are lots of ways in which to use technology to do this, but it isn’t essential and there are not-digital approaches that can be equally successful.
Recipe Card Detail
| Collecting in-class student feedback is a quick formative way to evaluate how a class is going and provide an opportunity for meaningful student engagement. In-class feedback is good for: – Getting quick feedback from the whole class – Formative evaluation where there is an opportunity to make ‘real time’ changes PREPARATION: Set up digital tool, if using. TIMING: 5-15 minutes during lecture / class. EQUIPMENT: Post-it notes, evaluation cards. |
| 1. SELECT FOCUS Decide on the key areas of your course you want to evaluate and consider how often you want to evaluate the course. It could be a regular slot in each lecture, or something you do once or twice during a term. The focus of your evaluation will drive the methods and tools you use. | 2. SELECT METHOD Consider whether you are most interested in finding out the consensus of opinion, which will involve collecting quantitative data, or in discovering more detailed answersto why students feel a certain way or in generating ideas, both ofwhich will involve collecting qualitative feedback. Or consider a combination of both. | 3. SELECT METHOD Digital tools can be useful for collecting quick feedback, but pen-and-paper methods work too. For example, you could collect in-class qualitative data with Twitter or Padlet, but post-it notes or a suggestion box would also work. Kahoot or Microsoft Forms can collect quantitative data, but a show of hands works as well. | 4. CONSIDER PRACTICALITIES Think about when you want to collect feedback in the session: at the beginning may set it off with a negative tone, but at the end may not leave enough time. Collecting feedback in the middle may provide a break and a change in focus. Also consider whether feedback should be anonymous (and whether this will get you better data) and choose an appropriate approach for this. | |
| 5. ANALYSE FEEDBACK Either in class (if using a digital tool) or afterwards, review the feedback that you have been given. Get a feel for the overall mood of the class (it’s easy to be swayed by very vocal or negative feedback, but it may not be representative). Identify the dominant themes and ideas. | 6. REPORT TO STUDENTS Ensure that you report back to students as soon as possible so that they do not feel that their engagement was a waste of time. Crucially, if there is anything you can act on, make those changes quickly and report back to your students. | 7. EVIDENCE Provide context on when, where, and how you used quick feedback throughout your course. Give an overview of the key quantitative and qualitative data. Show what changes you made as a result of feedback received. | Download a full colour version of the recipe cards.Recipe Card (PDF) |
Links to Online Resources
- Berenson, C., & Jeffs, C. (2021). Making Sense of Student Feedback Guide. Calgary, AB: Taylor Institute for Teaching and Learning Guide Series, https://taylorinstitute.ucalgary.ca/sites/default/files/20-UNV-005-TITL-MSSF%20Guide_FINAL.pdf, Last Accessed January 22
Links to Papers/Books
- Cortes, Antonio. “Using Informal Student Feedback to Enhance Learning.” Journal of Aviation/Aerospace Education & Research 15.2 (2006): 3. http://commons.erau.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1499&context=jaaer