By: Arby T. Siraki, Teaching and Learning Support Analyst
Reflecting on teaching is something instructors often do without thinking about it. Like many of those things we do unwittingly, however, it doesn’t hurt to think consciously about it.
Of course, reflection can take on many forms. The most obvious is an instructor asking him/herself, “What did I do right or wrong? What can I make better? How can I teach X better?,” and so on. The problem with asking only ourselves these reflective questions is that we are not impartial spectators. Many of us are either too harsh or too easy on ourselves, and it’s difficult, if not impossible, to put ourselves in someone else’s (i.e., the learner’s) shoes. What’s needed, then, is another vantage point.
One way to achieve this is by simply asking the students. Of course, we already have student evaluations at the end of every semester, and they serve a purpose. However, one can easily incorporate regular, specific feedback into a course. I was recently reminded of this idea when an instructor asked me whether she should diversify the components for the evaluation in her course (the entire evaluation consisted of a mid-term and a final exam). Having never taught a class in her discipline, I didn’t know what to say, except “You know what? Why don’t you ask the students?,” a suggestion that was well received.
The problem is that many students are hesitant to participate, especially if they are worried they might be walking on eggshells by telling an instructor what is or isn’t working. The trick is to provide students with an easy opportunity for anonymous feedback. There is a useful tool in cuLearn that can provide us with just that: the feedback tool. With this, you can ask a question and set the responses to “anonymous.” Students will see only their own answers and instructors will not see the names of the students who contribute.
On top of being directly useful, exercises like this are also beneficial because students really appreciate when instructors ask them for feedback; they feel more invested in courses in which they feel their thoughts and opinions matter. Periodically asking them for feedback on the course (such as with the feedback tool) is one way of doing just this. To learn more about using the feedback tool, click here.