As we approach the middle of the semester, you might be curious how your students are experiencing and navigating your courses. 

Collecting midterm student feedback offers a low-stakes way to check in with student learning, learn what challenges your students are facing, and make adjustments that can impact your current students.

There are multiple ways to collect student feedback:

• The Midterm SPOT Check is a survey deployed through ICON. It contains the same questions as the end-of-term SPOT surveys. This is a good option if you want to give students practice answering SPOT survey questions, if you teach a large course, or if you want to quickly gather feedback.
• There are many informal ways to collect feedback from students, including student conferencing (if you already have that built into your courses), brief surveys in ICON or Qualtrics, or handwritten responses to prompts on index cards or paper that you collect at the end of a class session.
• The Center for Teaching can also help you collect and process student feedback.

Interpreting student feedback can be challenging. Because students are still learning how to give and receive constructive feedback, they may not always know how to express it actionably and tactfully. We collected a few main themes often seen in midterm student feedback and provided some ideas for interpretation and possible responses.

“My favorite part of the class is…”

When students name aspects of the class they like, they are naming things that support their learning. Don’t discount the positive comments. Positive feedback can serve as guidance for strategies to reinforce. If students endorse a strategy without telling you why it is impactful, consider asking for clarification in the next class session. This can help you understand if there are underlying principles to deploy in other parts of the course.

“I don’t like…”

Students often express feedback in terms of likes and dislikes, but the most valuable insights often come from comments pointing out learning obstacles. Distinguishing between student preferences and learning barriers is a challenging part of interpreting midterm feedback. As you review responses, ask yourself whether a comment reflects a preference for a particular format, policy, or activity, or whether it highlights an obstacle to understanding course material, participating fully, or achieving learning goals. When student feedback is not unanimous – for example, half of your students struggle with a group work format while the other half find it especially beneficial – discerning between students expressing a preference and students naming a learning barrier can guide how you respond. 

Students may express dislike for an activity for many reasons, ranging from scheduling challenges and workload concerns to the productive discomfort that often accompanies learning. Some frustrations are an expected part of the learning process, while others may create unnecessary barriers. If the reason behind the feedback is unclear, consider a follow-up conversation during a subsequent class session. Share what you heard, ask questions, and invite students to suggest possible solutions. For example, if students express frustration with a group project, you may find the challenge lies in coordinating schedules or clarifying roles, not in the collaborative work itself. Understanding the underlying issue can help you make targeted adjustments to support learning while preserving the assignment’s core purpose.

“This doesn’t feel useful...”

Not all student feedback requires changes to your course design or teaching strategies. In some cases, the most effective response is simply to clarify expectations and purpose. Students often express confusion about why they are being asked to complete a particular task or how it connects to the course’s learning goals. When students cannot see the value of an activity, they may view it as unnecessary or unproductive, even when it has been intentionally designed to support learning. For example, students sometimes describe low-stakes practice activities as “busy work,” even though these exercises provide useful opportunities to rehearse, apply, and internalize new concepts or skills. Explaining the rationale behind assignments and activities helps students see how the activities contribute to the course’s broader goals. The issue may not be the activity itself, but a gap in students’ understanding of why it matters.

Responding to feedback

Midterm student feedback can help you get a sense of students’ experiences so you can make small tweaks while the course is still ongoing. It can help you be responsive to students still in your classroom and show you care about their experience in your class. However, choosing feedback to act on can be challenging, especially if your students have multiple suggestions.

Some ways to prioritize feedback include:

• Focus on what is actionable now. Mid-semester changes are often most effective when they improve clarity, communication, or course logistics. Examples include adjusting due dates, clarifying assignment instructions, improving ICON navigation, or providing more flexibility.
• Save larger changes for future course redesign. Major mid-semester revisions to grading schemes, assessment structures, or core course components can create confusion. Consider documenting these ideas and revisiting them after the course ends.
• Choose one or two high-impact interventions. Rather than addressing every suggestion, focus on changes most likely to improve students’ learning experience and support course learning goals. Analyzing feedback for common themes is often a good starting point.

Once you analyze the feedback and decide how to respond, close the loop with your students. Thank them for their feedback and explain any changes you plan to make. You can also use this moment to clarify any confusion about their feedback (e.g., “many people mentioned struggling with ICON. What specific issue can I address?”) and identify the most impactful solution to common challenges (e.g., “I heard my office hours are not convenient for many of you. I’ve found two alternate times – which of these times works best for most of you?”). If feedback on a specific aspect of the course is mixed, acknowledge the differing perspectives and explain how you used their input and your instructional goals to guide your decision.

Students are often appreciative when instructors ask for feedback. Simply inviting students to share feedback sends a message that their perspectives matter and can help support a sense of belonging in your course.

This opportunity for feedback can also prepare your students to give useful feedback in the end-of-term SPOT student surveys. Review some advice on making the most of SPOT feedback.

The Center for Teaching can help you gather, analyze, and plan a response to student feedback.