Student Rating of Instruction (SRIs) are often a love-hate relationship for professors. We love it when students love us but hate it when we get negative scores and comments that blindside us at the end of the semester. It’s that “ouch” feeling when we didn’t know some students felt a certain way until it’s too late. It’s also disappointing to hear comments from students that are not valid due to misunderstanding about something like a class policy or assignment expectation.

What can be done? SRIs are the primary data given to us as professors. Nevertheless, we don’t want negative scores to bring down our chances for tenure. We shouldn’t have to hold our breath until the day of reckoning when SRI results are available.

I’d like to propose a more proactive, thoughtful approach. Rather than waiting for results and feedback after the semester ends (a summative assessment tool), we should incorporate our own formative assessment tool earlier in the semester.

A definition of formative assessment from the Eberly Center at Carnegie Mellon University invites us to “monitor student learning to provide ongoing feedback that can be used by instructors to improve their teaching and by students to improve their learning.”

Teachers use formative assessment tools such as quizzes and assignments to determine how well students are gaining competencies and understanding of topics and skills related to the class. I posit we do the same for ongoing feedback about our teaching and their classroom experience. “The Glossary of Education Reform” outlines the strength of using ongoing assessments as an “integral part of effective teaching.” Why wait until SRIs to get a pulse of what the class was feeling?  Rather, consider the underused authentic assessment tool of student feedback during the semester.

To apply this concept, choose at least one “evaluation stopping point” such as midterm in your semester. Use part of a class to ask what students are thinking about you, the course, and their learning experience. Basically, it’s moving the SRI to mid-semester to get helpful information and have time to do something about it. Students are given a voice when it matters most! It empowers both the professor and students to work together in the creation of a better learning experience. Benton and Young stated, “Receiving feedback about ‘how things are going’ in the classroom can change instructors’ beliefs an attitudes about their students, strengthen confidence in teaching (Yi, 2012) and lead to improvements in instructor performance (Andrade & Cizek, 2010), as well as increases in students’ self-reported learning and satisfaction at the end of the term (Snooks, Neeley, & Revere, 2007).

One way I have done this successfully is to pass out one index card to each student in class. I make it an easy 3-question response they write anonymously on their card (if they want me to follow up personally with them, I let them know to add their name). You can easily adapt this to a Qualtrics survey given on Canvas, but I have found that doing it in class produces more accountability and the class feels unified as they give this feedback at the same time. The questions I’ve used are:

1. What has been the most impactful, positive learning experience so far this semester? Consider assignments, class discussions, in-class activities, readings, projects, etc.
2. I’d appreciate feedback about how I am meeting your learning needs. What has been helpful so far in my instruction and what can I do to improve?
3. If there anything with the class structure, course outline, or expectations that you are unclear about or have suggestions for improvement? Please outline in your response.

Thank you for taking the time to help us create the best class and learning experience.

I collect the index cards, read them through a few times over the next day or two, and identify both positive and negative common themes. The positives are affirming feedback on things I’m doing well and to continue doing. If you’re like me, you might need a little pick-me-up around mid-semester and the generous remarks make my day! When there are suggestions for improvement, they give me incredibly valuable information. I learn how students are really feeling about assignments, the class, and me as their instructor. I identify helpful items to discuss with the students.

It's important to leave time in the following class to talk about results while they are fresh on everyone’s minds. As I review the relevant feedback, it gives voice to the class and to those who would have been too reticent to self-advocate. I thank them for helping me identify what to keep doing and what to consider changing. From time to time, there will be a suggestion that has a reasonable request (such as dropping the lowest score on all quizzes). If I am willing to make that change, I ask how the rest of the class feels about that. Inevitably, they vote in favor of being more lenient (no surprise there!). The relief and gratitude in the classroom are palpable. If there is feedback about a policy or assignment that was misunderstood, I review that in class to avoid having those invalid complaints later on their SRIs. These discussions are some of the most honest and appreciated of the semester.

A corollary of in-class formative evaluations is integrating them into our tenure narrative teaching self-reflection. Utah Valley University administration has been clear that they evaluate professors not on their picture-perfect classroom performances, but on the professor’s ability to see and evaluate their own teaching. We demonstrate higher pedagogical awareness as we identify our weaknesses and make improvements year by year. Thus, we can use students’ feedback as a place where we addressed change.

To review, I have found that using student formative assessments, or “evaluation stopping points,” helps shape better SRI scores. Students don’t have as many issues at the end of the semester because they were addressed earlier. Students feel seen. They are heard and understood better. The class climate feels more a learning community with me as a facilitator.