Mid-Semester Evaluation

Providing students with an opportunity to share their experience in your course at mid-semester can deepen students' investment and engagement in their own learning. Because of this, TLI has partnered with RIS to provide an easy-to-add Mid-Semester Course Feedback form in Moodle.

The mid-semester feedback forms are designed to provide an avenue of communication between faculty and students. They are not seen by anyone but the faculty member teaching the course. To get the most out of them, be sure to prepare students, explaining to them how you intend to use this information, and be sure to report back out on your findings. Consider having students complete the forms in class for greater participation.

In general, a major redesign of a course is neither possible nor advisable mid-semester but various adjustments can be made, depending on the feedback; it is important for students to have reasonable expectations about the process and potential for adjustment. During the debriefing after you have collected the feedback, be sure to explain what changes you will make and why, as well as why you will not make other changes. Doing this gives the students a sense of ownership over the course, bringing them into meaningful collaboration with you, and often gives them further insight into your goals and expectations for the course.

Instructions

  1. Go into course on Moodle
  2. Turn editing on
  3. Go to “Add an Activity or Resource”
  4. Click on “Feedback” (Under “Activities, with orange icon)
  5. Name it (you choose).
  6. Click save and display. You can also include an explanatory note to students there in the “Description.” I’ve included sample language below.
  7. Go to “Templates” tab and add. Choose “mid-semester feedback template”
    1. If you want to edit questions, go to “Append new items” or “Edit” tab
  8. Defaults: immediately available and anonymous, single response per student
    1. You might want to restrict availability—for example, students cannot answer until after the papers are returned or exams are taken. Just click “enable” and put it date
    2. Please do not change anonymity!

Sample Language for Mid-semester Feedback Form

Thank you for taking the time to give me feedback on our work together this semester so far. Your responses will give me a sense of your experience and help me think about the best ways to support your learning during the second half of the semester. Your responses will remain confidential and will not be associated with your name.

Schedule a Mid-semester Evaluation Consult