You can administer your own midterm feedback following the steps below, or you can adapt the process to suit your teaching context. 

If you teach a class with 50 or fewer students, you can request a Classroom Assessment by Student Interview (CLASSI) to be administered by the Center for Teaching (see below for more information). Whatever method you choose, Center for Teaching staff are available to support you through confidential consultations. 

Schedule a date

We generally recommend asking for midterm feedback between weeks 5 and 10. Try to avoid asking for feedback immediately before or after giving or returning an exam. 

Consider what kind of feedback you would like to receive

Here are questions that would work for many teaching contexts:

  • What does your instructor do that helps you learn?
  • What gets in the way of your learning?
  • What can you do to improve your own learning?

Here are other questions you might consider:

  • What is the most valuable thing you have learned in this course so far?
  • What is still confusing or unclear?
  • What part of this course has been most beneficial to your learning and why? Least beneficial?

You can also ask for feedback on specific assignments, particularly if you are trying something new:

  • How did this assignment help you learn?
  • What specific steps did you take to engage with the assignment?
  • What, if anything, confused you about the assignment?

Whatever questions you choose, focus on your students' learning rather than your teaching. 

Classroom assessment by student interview (CLASSI)

CLASSI is a midterm service facilitated by Center for Teaching staff that allows students to reflect on their course and offer anonymous feedback. CLASSI helps instructors identify themes about their students' experiences as well as the proportion of students who are affected by each theme. CLASSI is best suited for classes of 50 or fewer student.

SCHEDULE A CLASSI

Ask for feedback

When asking for feedback, talk with your students about the importance of feedback for all learners, including yourself. 

  • Tell them why you are seeking their feedback and how the feedback will be used.
  • Emphasize that feedback is part of professional life and that asking for feedback is a common practice of successful people. 
  • Explain that the ability to provide constructive feedback is a valued skill that students should practice. Consider explaining to students what kind of feedback would be useful for you. 
  • Describe an example of how you changed your teaching in the past in response to students' constructive feedback 

You can choose a method that fits your context:

Review your students' feedback

One way to analyze your students' comments is by using the quick sort approach. The Center for Teaching is available for confidential consultations about how to contextualize and interpret feedback and how instructors can leverage this information to enhance student learning for the remainder of the semester. 

Follow up with your students

After you've had a chance to review the feedback, schedule time during class to follow up with your students. 

  • Thank students for their feedback
  • Acknowledge students' comments, either by explaining any adjustments you will (or will not) make or by helping students manage challenges they are encountering in the course.