94 Getting Student Feedback with Joe Anistranski – 12.08.2017

In the 12.08.2017 Active Teaching Lab, Joe Anistranski shared how he builds student feedback into assignments. 

This lab explored both traditional methods (e.g., surveys) to get student feedback and creative ways to build student feedback into assignments. Participants discussed the pros and cons of anonymous feedback and drawing explicit attention to learning objectives. Joe then facilitated a brainstorming session on ways to disguise getting formative feedback through formative assessments. 

Takeaways

• Don’t be afraid to ask for overt feedback through surveys, conversations, LMS comments, and course evaluations.
• Build assessments, activities, and discussion assignments to gather covert feedback. 
• Check out Google Slides Q&A to get feedback during slide presentations.
• Use student journaling not only to garner personal statements (that point to covert feedback) but also to encourage students to connect course content with their own objectives and goals. A week one journal assignment can be repeated as an end-of-course assignment to get a pre-/post- type comparison.
• Try the Piazza function in Canvas for anonymous discussions.
• Learn more with the Vanderbilt Gathering Feedback from Students resource and Harvard Making Student Feedback Work resource

For ways to use Canvas to cultivate student feedback, check out the session’s activity sheet.

Active Teaching Labs are held Fridays from 8:30-9:45am (and every other Thursday from 1-2pm, see events calendar for dates) in room 120, Middleton Building. Check out upcoming labs or read recaps from past labs. To stay informed about upcoming Labs, sign up for regular announcements by sending an email to join-activeteaching@lists.wisc.edu.

Watch Joe’s Story and follow along with his slides: