Recently, I had the privilege of participating in an insightful education workshop titled “Soliciting Meaningful Student Feedback through Course Surveys.” I ran a workshop alongside Dr. Negar Farakish and Hue Soo Chae, for the faculty in the Division of Programs and Business at SSP. The workshop focused on designing surveys that elicit valuable insights from students.
The workshop began by emphasizing the importance of soliciting feedback directly from students to understand their learning experiences. We explained and highlighted how well-designed course surveys can uncover students’ perspectives on instructional methods, course content relevance, assessment strategies, and overall classroom environment. This feedback supports faculty in making data-informed decisions to enhance their teaching practices.
For the group activity we had the faculty go into breakout rooms and discuss ways that they are using surveys in the classroom, or ways that they could begin using surveys. Discussions revolved around selecting appropriate response scales, knowing when a survey was appropriate, and taking action on what was learned through the surveys that are given.
The “Soliciting Meaningful Student Feedback through Course Surveys” workshop emphasized knowledge, skills, and strategies to harness the power of surveys in improving teaching and learning experiences. Using these insights, faculty can cultivate a culture of continuous improvement by actively soliciting and acting upon student feedback to create more engaging and impactful learning environments.