Mid-Semester Student Feedback on Learning

Instructors know the value of actionable feedback on students' learning with enough time for any adjustments to make an impact. CELT offers a mid-semester course feedback service that provides insights and opportunities not only for the course at hand but also for an instructor's long-term development.

With a CELT facilitator, the feedback process is collaborative both with students—as we guide them to articulate and make sense of their learning in the course—and with instructors as we similarly seek to explore and interpret student feedback as it can inform the instructor's approach and understanding.

Request mid-semester feedback in your course(s) here!

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What are the benefits?

CELT-facilitated mid-semester student feedback is voluntary and confidential (i.e., we share the results only with the instructor). The benefits of the process include:

Receiving student feedback in the middle of the semester as opposed after the semester is over, which provides time to make meaningful adjustments;
Focusing the feedback on student learning in the course and customizing to get information and perspectives that are useful for the instructor;
Boosting student morale and instructor-student rapport because students feel heard and valued;
Working with experts in teaching and learning to ensure the most gain and insight from the process;
Gaining insights and perspective for long-term instructional development beyond the particular course and semester;
Generating materials and documentation for portfolios and dossiers, i.e., documentation of a reflective teaching practice;
Seeing one's students, courses, teaching, academic roles, and discipline in new light.

How does it work?

The mid-semester feedback process is flexible and customizable to fit any instructor's and course's needs. There are three ways we can collect students' feedback:

An in-person class visit
A virtual class visit (e.g., over Zoom or Teams)
A survey that is open for a certain period of time

For in-person and virtual class visits, the instructor is not present and the visit is usually the final activity of the class meeting, taking between 20-25 minutes. Surveys are usually open for at least a few days but usually no longer than two weeks. Regardless of the format, CELT consultants consolidate and organize student feedback in a confidential report we share only with the instructor. The process usually consists of the following steps:

An instructor completes the feedback request form;
A CELT consultant contacts the instructor ASAP to schedule an initial meeting;
During a pre-feedback initial consultation, we get to know the instructor's goals for the course and students' learning, as well as what would be the most useful for the instructor to learn about their students;
If needed, we follow up to confirm questions or survey design prior to the visit or survey launch;
The instructor prepares their class for the visit or survey by describing what they've asked CELT to do and emphasizing the value of student feedback on learning;
CELT visits the class in-person or virtually; or, the instructor shares the survey link with their students and invites them to take it;
After the visit or survey close date, the CELT consultant schedules a follow-up debrief with the instructor, during which the feedback report is shared and discussed.
Any further consultations are welcome and encouraged based on instructor interest.

Request mid-semester feedback in your course(s) here!

1,164 sections

CELT has facilitated mid-semester student feedback for 1,164 course sections across all 19 colleges since the fall 2020 semester, impacting 39,516 student learning experiences

"The CELT consultant obviously communicated well with students, and conveyed their feedback to me in a very positive and helpful way. What’s more, they not only helped pinpoint challenges, but helped me strategize about how I can address them. I will definitely be recommending this valuable service to my colleagues!"

— Associate Professor, College of Public Health

"The insight I've gained through CELT's mid semester feedback has been a guiding light as I've strived to make my teaching methods as meaningful as possible to students. Since utilizing this service, I've seen improvements in student engagement and performance during each class as well as across semesters. By engaging in this feedback and implementing the results transparently, I'm telling my students that their voices matter. I'm so grateful that the University of Kentucky offers this incredible resource, and I plan to continue seeking feedback through CELT each semester!"

— Lecturer, College of Fine Arts

"As a first-time graduate instructor, working with CELT to obtain mid-semester feedback was extremely useful. It boosted my confidence, helped me to understand what was useful (and not useful!) for my students, and allowed me to adjust my course to better help my students learn. CELT makes the process of scheduling very easy and was supportive in helping me work through the feedback I received. I plan on utilizing CELT’s mid-semester feedback for all my classes moving forward."

— Graduate Instructor, College of Arts & Sciences