Student Feedback Data

Objective:

Demonstrate competency in using data from assessments and other data sources to modify content and to guide student learning

Survey Data

Every week, I collect student feedback based on the course and how things are going.  I find this incoming stream of data valuable to help me adjust my teaching on the fly.  I also survey my students at the end of major projects or the end of the quarter as a summative view that I can use to improve the next iteration of the project.  The data below is from a survey given after the Gapminder unit / project rebuilt for the Blended Learning Environments class.  The four questions I asked below include:

• • The unit lessons and content quizzes provided a good foundation for the Gapminder / Tableau video project

  • So far, this project is helping me deepen my understanding of the association between two or more variables

  • So far, this project is helping me learn how to visually and verbally explain a relationship between variables

  • Allowing me to choose my own partner for the first time this year has proven helpful for my learning

All of these questions received very positive responses from students.  In the past, this section lacked effective quizzes and the project was structured differently.  To see an enlarged view of the results, click on the image.

I also asked questions with text responses:

• • Tell me about the structure and clarity of this project.  Do you know what is expected of you?  Do you have the support and resources to accomplish your goal?

    • 100% of students said that directions and expectations were very clear, and when they were not, they could quickly have their questions answered.  This is a massive improvement over a project I assigned them a month prior where student feedback on clarity was very negative.

  • Tell me how the multiple iterations is affecting your project.  Even though each iteration is rushed, are you finding the interim deadlines and peer/teacher feedback valuable towards improving your final product?  Explain.

    • Somewhat surprisingly, students really liked the micro-deadlines.  They said it helped them stay on track and get the best possible grade rather than pushing off the task until the end.

    • Peer feedback was rated positively by some students and useless by others.  From my own observations, students were not as critical as I was, so students who had a decent draft were given nothing useful to work with.

  • Is there anything else I should know about the project in order to improve your learning and experience?

    • Many students did not answer this (optional question), but a few isolated comments asked for more training on the recording tools and more time.  Some students added that it was a good project.

Reflection

Gathering feedback from students in a semi-formal, structured manner is one of the most useful things I do.  Survey feedback has always proven helpful to me.  When it is positive, it reinforces that something is working, gives me a reason to expand on it in future projects / units / lessons, and gives me a feel-good moment.  When it is negative, it helps me see what fraction of students actually feel that way (not just listening to a vocal minority) and gives me specific insights for ways I can start to improve the situation.  More than anything, formal feedback helps me form relationships with my students.  They show me that they trust me by their willingness to share exactly what they're thinking, good or bad.  I show them that I trust their feelings and opinions by adjusting the course based on what they tell me.  I individually reach out to students who are voicing concerns in writing that may be too afraid or ambivalent to say something in class.  Weekly, non-anonymous surveys are my favorite tool to achieve all of this, but occasional anonymous surveys are also important in case students are unwilling to share certain things.

I was excited to see such positive feedback come back from this survey after making changes that addressed each of the ideas I asked about.  It is rewarding to see evidence from your students that changes you make lead to positive outcomes for students.