Feedback Form Template

Academic Affairs Common Questions

These eight questions appear on every course feedback form. They focus on students’ own engagement and on specific parts of the course, rather than a rating of the instructor.

1. 1

   My key reasons for taking this course were: (Select all that apply.)

   Interested in the subjectRequired for major, minor, or programFulfilled Liberal Arts requirement/distribution (undergraduate only)Reputation of instructorFit into my scheduleAdvisor recommended courseFriend(s) recommended courseOther (please comment)
2. 2

   For this course, on average, I spent the following time, outside of synchronous or in-person class sessions, on course work:

   0 hours per week1 to 34 to 67 to 1011 to 15More than 15 hours per week

3. 3

   I feel that I performed to my potential in this course.

4. 4

   The syllabus was an accurate guide to course requirements.

5. 5

   Student participation and the contribution of ideas, comments, and questions were encouraged.

6. 6

   I felt a sense of belonging and community in the class.

7. 7

   Course assessments (e.g., exams/quizzes, papers, presentations, projects, performances, etc.) allowed me to demonstrate what I learned.

8. 8

   I received helpful feedback from the instructor to guide my progress in this course.

School, college, and department questions

Some schools and colleges use one form for their entire area. In others, each department has its own form, and the school or college may add a few questions across all of them.

Schools, colleges, and departments can build their forms from the item banks, or work with OIE to include other questions. Changes to a school, college, or department form need to be in place before the term’s course feedback project begins.

Instructor questions

Each school or college decides whether instructors can add their own questions. Where it’s available, instructors can write their own or choose from the item banks, starting 21 days before a course’s feedback opens. We recommend adding no more than 5, so the full form stays a manageable length for students.

Reviewing your form

Consistent questions make it easier to see trends over time, but forms also benefit from periodic review to make sure they’re collecting useful information. Research on course feedback points to a few good practices:

• Focus on learning, not the instructor. Ask about students’ engagement and specific course elements, as the Academic Affairs Common Questions do.
• Ask what students can answer. Students can speak to their own experience, but not always to things like an instructor’s knowledge of the field.
• Avoid global ratings. Questions like “Rate this instructor” are hard to interpret, since students may mean very different things by effective teaching.
• Avoid repeating the common questions. Remove department questions that overlap with the Academic Affairs Common Questions.
• Use the University’s six-point agreement scale. It replaces a neutral midpoint with “Somewhat disagree” and “Somewhat agree.”
• Call it course feedback. “Course feedback” signals that students are sharing their perspective on the course, not rating the instructor.

Involving students in deciding which questions are most meaningful can also strengthen a form. The OIE course feedback team is glad to meet with your area, virtually or in person, to support a review.