The Department requires all new TAs and all those teaching a particular class for the first time to conduct mid-semester student assessments. The assessments should be completed before or as close to the end of the sixth week as possible. These assessments will help you find strengths and weaknesses in your teaching and will give you time to address any major problems before the end of the semester, when students will be completing the final evaluation of your class with SRTEs. The SRTE numbers become part of your department file. The mid-semester assessment results, on the other hand, are for your own personal use and are confidential. You should share the results with your faculty mentor, but please do NOT turn your results in for 602.

You may administer the assessments yourself when you have 10-15 minutes of class time to set aside for this purpose. The forms are to be anonymous. Students must feel sure that they can be honest without penalty.

It is recommended that each instructor develop his/her own form, which usually asks a number of specific questions. You are not required to follow any particular format, but the following suggestions may be helpful.

• Ask specific questions. This serves two purposes: first, it lets you find out exactly what you want to know, and second, it prevents students from making comments which are not relevant to your teaching (such as "I really hate coming to class early" or "I enjoy this class because I can sit next to my girlfriend.") For example, instead of asking "What do you like best about this class?" you could ask, "Are you satisfied with your own level of participation in the class?" or "How do you feel about the pace of the class?"

• Whenever possible, phrase the question in a positive or neutral way, or in a manner that, when appropriate, reflects the students' as well as the instructor's responsibility for class effectiveness. For example, rather than asking "Is the pace of the course too fast?" ask "How do you feel about the pacing of the course materials?" Instead of asking "How good is the instructor at getting everyone in the class to participate?" rephrase to say, "How do you feel about your own level of participation in class discussion?" This will make students realize that they also have some responsibility for the learning process and will avoid a tone which unnecessarily encourages a negative frame of mind or a tendency to lay all blame on the instructor in responding to the questions.

• Don't make your questionnaire too long, especially if you are asking students to write out answers to questions. Try to decide in advance what kind of specific information you require and write your questions accordingly.

If at all possible, discuss some of the information you learned with your class. You may be able to make some very SIMPLE changes (such as writing more clearly on the blackboard, if that is a problem which is mentioned). Or you can explain why you do things which students seemed to complain about, even if you can't or don't want to make changes. The main point is to let students know that you have read and reacted in some way to their comments.

One final word -- don't take any evaluation comments too personally. Be assured that EVERY INSTRUCTOR has at least one unhappy student in class. If one or two students write very negative or rude comments, just mentally toss them out and concentrate on the positive and constructive comments. Some students will take out their frustrations about their grades or their performance on you in the mid-semester evaluation, but you should be mostly concerned with trends you see in the comments rather than individual reactions.

SAMPLE QUESTIONS: You should probably ask no more than six or seven questions. Add your own questions or adapt some of the following questions to your particular course.

1. Why did you register for this course (a special interest, to fulfill a requirement, etc.)?

2. Has this class met your expectations? If not, why?

3. Is this class easier/about the same/more difficult than other similar courses you have taken at Penn State?

4. How many hours per week do you spend preparing for class (including written homework)?

5. How regularly do you attend class? always / almost always / usually / from time to time / sporadically / rarely

6. Which format/activity do you enjoy the most? Circle one: lecture / discussion / group work

7. How do you learn the most? Circle one: lecture / discussion / group work

8. How do you feel about the pacing of this course? Is it too fast / about right / too slow?

9. What is the most important thing you have learned in class so far?

10. Are you satisfied with the progress you have made? If not, what do you think is the problem?

11. If you could change ONE thing to improve this course, what would it be?

12. Are you satisfied with your own level of participation in class? If not, what could be done to make you feel more comfortable?

13. Do you feel encouraged to ask questions in class? If not, what could be done to make it easier for you to ask questions?

14. Do you feel that you get enough practice of new material in class? outside of class?

15. Are the instructor's explanations clear and sufficient?

16. Have you been having any specific difficulties with class material up to now?

17. How do you like the textbook(s)?

18. Are you satisfied with your performance on exams/quizzes? If not, how can your grades be improved?

19. Are there any topics or approaches which have made you uncomfortable? If so, which ones and why?

20. Do you feel that the amount of background material being presented is too much / about right / too little?

21. Would you recommend this course to a friend? Why or why not?

22. Please make any additional comments not addressed in the questions above.

Analyzing the Data (from Center for Excellence in Learning and Teaching):

1. In what ways, if any, do the data seem surprising?

It is useful to begin you analysis by reflecting briefly on how you expected students to respond. This exercise will put things in perspective and also help you get a sense of how accurately you are "reading" the class. How do their responses compare to other kinds of feedback (e.g., non-verbal cues, questions during class and in office hours, attendance patterns) you already have? How do your own responses to the questions on the form compare to those of your students?

2. Are there any patterns in the data?

As you read through the responses, begin by getting an overview of the data. Do not become obsessed with a few less than positive comments -- it's all too easy to be misled. Very unhappy students may deserve attention, but before you ponder them for a long time, determine how representative they really are. Is the overall picture a relatively consistent one or are there clear differences in how students are experiencing the course? What could account for these differences? What are the relative proportions of students giving a particular response? Which responses stand out? Why? How representative are they? Are there reasons for the responses which can be determined within the survey (for example, a student who spends only one hour a week on your class and attends sporadically may complain that the class is too difficult or that s/he is not satisfied with her/his grade)? Remember that you are not the only one responsible for student learning -- students are also responsible.

3. What are you doing in the classroom that is resulting in these responses, both positive and negative?

Now that you've compared your ideas to the actual responses and analyzed the general pattern in the data, some specific questions or  responses may stand out as requiring further interpretation. If, for example, students indicate that they "feel very encouraged to participate in class discussions," try to think of what you are doing in class that encourages them. Similarly, think of specific ways to address difficulty (such as, "the instructor does not allow time for students to copy notes from overhead").

    4.  How will you respond to the feedback?

After collecting and analyzing the feedback, most instructors find it useful to reflect somewhat more generally on their data. What are you doing right? What could be improved? Although sometimes responding to data means simply following student suggestions (e.g., leaving the overhead notes up longer), it usually requires more thought. For example, if a majority of students complain about the textbook, eliminating it is not an option. But perhaps you could find ways to incorporate the text into the class more effectively. You might explain that there is a very limited choice of textbooks available and that you have chosen the best one. Whether or not you decide to make any changes, students need to know that you have carefully considered the feedback they have offered, so share your response with your students in the way that is most appropriate for your situation. You may not be able or willing to make any specific changes, but you can explain to students why you have made the choices you have for the course. The WORST thing you can do is collect the midsemester assessment of learning from students and then IGNORE IT COMPLETELY, giving the students no indication that you have read their thoughts. Even an explanation without specific changes is a response which indicates that you have taken the time to consider their point of view.

Consult your Penn State Teacher II for additional information regarding midsemester feedback.