Respond & Improve

Responding to students and improving instruction are fundamental to an equitable learning community founded in a dialectical teaching philosophy, which is dynamic by its very nature. The key is to provide ample and varied opportunities for students to respond within the course. If students were not afforded the opportunity and encouraged to provide feedback, we would miss out on an important channel of communication for improving instruction by the very people whose lives are changed by that instruction.

It's clear that in order to create a more equitable learning community, it's paramount that we seek student input. Less direct input from students comes from their assignment submissions, whether in discussions, quizzes, essays or other products. From their evaluation of these submissions, instructors can respond and adapt their instruction to meet the needs of individual students and the class as a whole.

Getting more direct student feedback about the class can be hampered by the built-in imbalance of the educational system--not just in the institution but the classroom itself. Many students may be hesitant to express their confusion, frustration, fear, or concerns about the class as a whole or an individual assignment because they fear how they'll appear to their peers or the instructor or they may fear that their grade will be negatively impacted. The challenge for the instructor is to gather this important information while reducing if not eliminating the fear factor.

Where I was

• Hindered. I've longed for anonymous student feedback for a long, long time. I'd get such feedback from class evaluations when they came up. But most often, the best way I could garner anonymous student feedback was if I asked students to turn in a sheet of paper with their comments while withholding their names. This hindrance also existed between students when they tried to give feedback to their peers. Aside from anonymous feedback, responding to student work in general meant quite a bit of logistical planning. Portfolios were never where they should be when either I or my students needed them. Formative assessment was similarly hampered by time and place, requiring additional orchestration.

Where I am

• Empowered. After my @ONE courses, I now know several new ways to respond to students and know how to create similar opportunities and activities for them to respond to me and each other. I'm thrilled I can now get anonymous student feedback anytime I need it without jumping through logistical hoops, and students can provide it for each other, too. Beyond anonymous feedback, I develop new just-in-time interventions and assessments, and I can scaffold learning activities that incorporate student collaboration at key points. This latter activity is especially helpful in student groups, and groups help to foster a less intimidating learning environment for many students.

Where I'm headed

• Emboldened. With each class, I'm learning more about fostering agency in my students using the Canvas platform and other platforms outside Canvas. My goal is that my students become stronger independent learners, stronger discoverers of knowledge. I'm learning more about how I can extend the learning environment provided by Canvas to create an even more responsive learning community.

To see a few examples of responding and improving in action, click the Examples link below.