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First Day and Midterm Questionnaires
To enhance the relationship between the instructor and students in the class by using a student-centered approach to cater course content that better suits different learning preferences
Process
- Identify questions you are interested in asking students and create a questionnaire using a platform like Survey Monkey.
- Review the responses and integrate information into subsequent lectures. Reduce stress for students by normalizing any worries or questions students may have shared while building rapport among students. Respond to student feedback to show that the instructor is listening by making changes that reduce undue stress.
Benefits
These activities support a variety of conditions for well-being. By inviting the opportunity for students to share information about themselves and share feedback, it contributes to building a positive classroom culture. By making changes to the final exam based on students’ experience of the mid-term, it contributes to creating flexibility in the course.
Context
This was embedded in a synchronous Faculty of Health Sciences research methods class, where students are given time during class to complete this in their first lecture and during the middle of the term. This can be adapted to other teaching platforms.
Special note of thanks to Nicole Berry, Tim Takaro and Ryan Allen for offering ideas to support student learning and well-being.
Overview
First Day Questionnaire
Goal
- The goal of distributing this questionnaire at the start of the term is to get to know the students.
- Students are invited to complete the questionnaire and share more about themselves. This may include their preferred pronouns (to be inclusive), the time zone they are joining in (to give evidence for the need to record lectures and better support students), and their interests related to the course (to cater lectures that include topics shared by students).
Examples of questions
- What are your preferred pronouns?
- In what program are you currently enrolled?
- Is English your first language?
- Have you used iClicker before?
- What “Field of the course” topics are you most interested in learning about?
Midterm Questionnaire
Goal
- The goal of distributing this anonymous questionnaire at the middle of the term (after the mid-term) is to increase understanding of students’ experience of the mid-term and make adjustments for the final exam to reduce undue stress.
- Students are invited to complete the questionnaire and share more about their experience. This may include sharing what is working for them and what they would like to see change (both to inform future practices).
Examples of questions
- What is working best for me about this class?
- What I would most like to see change?
- Is there anything else we should know?
- Provide time for students to complete during the first lecture and in the middle of the term.