This Mid-Semester Survey is for optional use by College of Natural Sciences instructors. It aims to:
- Provide mid-semester actionable feedback to CNS faculty on their teaching methods, course design and student rapport
- Provide faculty with targeted teaching tips, resources and professional development recommendations directly related to their identified instructional needs
- Provide students an opportunity to meaningfully reflect on their learning
Administering the Survey
CNS faculty are encouraged to administer the CNS Mid-Semester Survey in their courses sometime after the first exam. The survey is entirely for personal instructional improvement and is not collected or utilized for faculty evaluation (though faculty can opt to include these surveys in their FAR and promotion dossiers).
The CNS Mid-Semester Survey includes a core set of questions plus a couple optional sets of questions for extended feedback. Instructors are welcome to customize this survey and add or delete questions entirely at their discretion.
Below are instructions for administering this survey in Canvas. Thre is also an editable copy of the questions that can be used to create a paper-based version or used to populate another online survey tool.
Interpreting Feedback
Reading, interpreting and acting on student course feedback can be tricky. The following document outlines some approaches you could consider if you have received particular feedback. It is important to combine the student feedback with your own course context and your previous instructional feedback. Take the feedback as an opportunity for improvement.
Responding to Feedback
After you have given the mid-semester survey, it is important to follow up with your class to let them know you have heard their feedback and taken it seriously, which you can do verbally in class or in an email.