Midterm Student Evaluation of Course

Each semester, I ask students to complete a midterm course evaluation adapted from Stephen Brookfield’s (2015) Critical Incident Questionnaire. I encourage students' participation as it helps me make the second half of the semester a better learning experience.

I always remind students that:

  • All responses are anonymous! No one, including me, knows who said what.

  • I post the responses in aggregate for the class to see after the survey closes.

  • I would appreciate their honesty and for them to be forthcoming.

The questions I use for the survey are:

  1. What was the moment in the semester when you were most engaged or interested in what was happening?

  2. What was the moment in the semester when you were most bored, distanced, or disconnected from what was happening?

  3. What action that anyone in the class (instructor, TA, or classmate) took did you find most helpful, affirming, or supportive?

  4. What action that anyone in the class (instructor, TA, or classmate) took did you find most puzzling or confusing?

  5. What has surprised you most about this course so far?

I'm always amazed at what comes from these evaluations. Often, although half of the class really likes X, Y, and Z, the other half dislikes those things. But sometimes the students’ responses align, giving me a clear insight as to what needs to change in the second half of the course (and if I teach the course again in the future).

References

Brookfield, S. D. (2015). The skillful teacher: On technique, trust, and responsiveness in the classroom. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.

ReflectionsLes T. Johnson, PhDSRIs