Mid-Course Reviews

The Center for Teaching and Learning conducts mid course review services for graduate student instructors interested in getting feedback from their students on how the course is going. Typically, this exercise takes only 15 minutes of class time and can produce information very valuable to classroom teachers. We suggest this review be conducted somewhere during the 4th through 6th weeks of class.

It is comprised of three steps:

1. Request an MCR from the Center for Teaching and Learning.
2. A CTL staff member arrives at your class 15 minutes before it ends, divides the students into small groups and gives them guidelines for feedback. Each group comes to a consensus on what is contributing to their learning in the class and what needs improvement. Students are also asked what they might do to improve the course. The evaluator summarizes these responses, seeking to make them as specific as possible and to resolve or clarify contradictions among groups.
3. The teacher and the Center staff member will meet (at a time decided upon by the two) to discuss the students' feedback on the course.

All reports are confidential.

The Mid-Course Review is beneficial for several reasons. Because students actively discuss and debate their ideas, they become more aware of their own learning in relation to the demands of course goals. Instructors get feedback that is clear, detailed and useful in improving the course at a time when it is still possible to make changes.