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Mid-Semester Feedback Program
Mid-Semester Feedback (MSF) is a discovery process that solicits feedback from students on important aspects within a course. MSF allows faculty the opportunity to understand how studens are experiencing the course at mid-semester, allowing them time to make positive changes that can impact students' learning experiences. This process also allows students the opportunity to use their voices to empower their own learning.
Request Mid-Semester Feedback Here
How MSF Works
- The complete Mid-Semester Feedback process starts with you signing up for a session, filling out one Google Form for each class you wish to receive MSF on.
- One of our facilitators will claim the session and reach out to you to set up a meeting, where you will discuss goals and schedule the MSF session and the Last Class Interview.
- The 30-minute MSF Session takes place between weeks 7 & 8
- After the MSF has taken place, you will receive a report that summarizes the data collected by individuals, groups, and your whole class.
- During weeks 11 or 12, your facilitator will return to class for the Last Class Interview, to follow up with your students on how things are going. You will receive a report summarizing your students' input within 7 days of the LCI.
| Mid-Semester Feedback is: | Mid-Semester Feedback is NOT: |
|---|---|
| Voluntary | Required |
| Non-Evaluative | Punitive |
| Confidential | A formal Course Evaluation |
| Qualitative | Quantitative |
| Facilitated across ALL class modalities! | Limited to in-person courses |
Findings from Fall 2023 MSF Sessions
This fall, the CTL received Mid-Semester Feedback requests for 62 classes, and had over 1,000 students participate in providing anonymous constructive feedback for faculty.
What were the top responses? The data revealed general feedback in these three areas: faculty, curriculum/practice, and desired changes in courses. The responses are represented in the word clouds below, with the largest words indicating the most mentions.
Check out what Humboldt Instructors Have to Say About Mid-Semester Feedback!
| “This service [MSF] was helpful to understand the needs of my students while maintaining a rigorous course with quality assignments. For instance, I made changes to a homework assignment that I had introduced in the Spring 2016 semester for my Learning and Motivation courses. This new assignment was inspired by comments from the student evaluations from the previous semester. The changes I made to the assignment were well received, as evidenced through my student evaluations. It is important to students that their instructors acknowledge their thoughts and suggestions as it empowers them to take a more active role in their own education. This in turn may make students more invested in the class. I was happy that my students noticed and appreciated my efforts to work with them, as one student’s evaluation comment says, “Dr. Sanchez is a teacher that is really open to feedback from her class. Throughout the year she allowed her students to provide feedback and she listened. I noticed that she would change some of the class structure to help the flow. She has done an amazing job!” - Mari Sanchez, Psychology |
| "The mid-semester feedback process was very user-friendly, informative, and felt like class time well spent. It was helpful to get student feedback when there is still time in the semester to respond and make changes. In response to student feedback through these evaluations, I now write more on the whiteboard, talk more slowly, and hold review sessions before each exam. These evaluations are nice in that you feel compelled to make changes and respond to the critiques because the students know you heard their feedback and expect to see some adjustments.” - Lucy Kerhoulas, Forestry and Wildland |
| “Mid-Semester Feedback helped me to see the students’ perceptions on course strengths, weaknesses, and needs. Once I had it, I incorporated them into my next half of teaching and finally my overall evaluation was 4.5 out of 5.0. Therefore, MSE is really important to instructors to get the feedback from students early and then improve the teaching the next half of the semester.” - Buddihika Madurapperuma, Environmental Science Management |
The Mid-Semester Feedback Program has been offered at Cal Poly Humboldt since 1997, pioneered and faciliated by Dr. Diane Johnson, Department of Mathematics. As we continue this incredible program at Humboldt, we are building on its benefits by looking at long-term impact on student success.
Questions? Please contact the Center for Teaching & Learning (CTL) at: ctl@humboldt.edu or call 707.826.4461.