Student Feedback of Instruction In order to address our concern about low SFI rates, we investigated possible challenges, problems, and or questions surrounding low Student Feedback of Instruction (SFI) rates. First we asked “Why is this important?” and “Why do we care about this?” in order to diverge possible questions. Ladder of Abstraction Response Rates…Meaning of Life! Defer Judgment Combine and Build on Ideas Seek Wild Ideas Go for Quantity

How might we better understanding what’s happening in the classroom? How might we understand student perception of their learning? How might faculty use student feedback to improve instruction? How might faculty use student feedback to improve learning? How might we determine whether the SFI impacts instruction? How might we motivate students to complete the SFI? How might we communicate the importance of student feedback to students? How might we communicate the importance of student feedback to faculty? How might we better help students recognize how important their feedback is to us? How might we create an environment where students feel comfortable and safe to provide feedback anytime (empowered vs. entitled)? How might we prove to students that their feedback is valuable to us? How might we understand what students care about/ how they might care? How might we create feedback opportunities that are meaningful to students? How might we create feedback from students that is meaningful to faculty? How might we communicate the value of the SFI to students? How might we instill the value of completing the SFI? How might we create a meaningful process for students and faculty? How might we create and communicate a clear SFI process? How might we clearly communicate to students how SFI affects them (including how it does not affect their final grade)? How might we help students gain an assurance that we want their How might we create questions that are meaningful and appropriate for students to answer? How might we create feedback questions appropriate/ specific to specific courses/ programs? How might we ask different questions at different points in the semester that offers ongoing and meaningful feedback to both students and faculty? How might we move from a “forced” feedback to a valuable and desired continuous process? In what ways does the SFI inform faculty evaluations? How might we better capture student feedback? How might we help faculty better inform students about SFI and the process?

How might we identify the SFI stakeholders? How might we include students as important stakeholders? How might we capture student perspective/ opinion on providing feedback? How might we determine how come response rates vary from instructor to instructor (department to department)? How might we investigate how faculty impact response rates? How might there be a relationship between student feedback and instructor in “real time”? How might there be an ongoing feedback loop? How might we determine the purpose of the SFI (tool versus feedback)? How might we fully understand our SFI history? How might we understand our history and changing practices in relation to our changing student population? Next we asked “What is stopping us?” in order to diverge further questions: How might we determine the validity of the SFI tool? How might we determine how students want to be asked for feedback? How might we understand Rate My Professor contribution rates and student uses of the website? How might we understand student perception/ value in Rate My Professor? How might we understand what information students would want to have access to? How might we investigate how current student feedback is/could be valuable or important to future students? How might we explore the potential of providing information to students? How might we determine whether adjusting the SFI will lead to more meaningful feedback? How might we determine what “meaningful” feedback is? How might we collect unbiased feedback/ create a whole picture of what’s happening in a classroom? How might we understand why students aren’t completing the SFI? How might we understand why students do complete the SFI? How might we determine/ decide who “owns” the SFI process (faculty?)?

Next we aked “What is stopping us Next we aked “What is stopping us?” in order to diverge further questions: How might we determine the validity of the SFI tool? How might we determine how students want to be asked for feedback? How might we understand Rate My Professor contribution rates and student uses of the website? How might we understand student perception/ value in Rate My Professor? How might we understand what information students would want to have access to? How might we investigate how current student feedback is/could be valuable or important to future students? How might we explore the potential of providing information to students? How might we determine whether adjusting the SFI will lead to more meaningful feedback? How might we determine what “meaningful” feedback is? How might we collect unbiased feedback/ create a whole picture of what’s happening in a classroom? How might we understand why students aren’t completing the SFI? How might we understand why students do complete the SFI? How might we determine/ decide who “owns” the SFI process (faculty?)?

Why do we care? How might we better help students recognize how important their feedback is to us? How might we create an environment where students feel comfortable and safe to provide feedback anytime? How might we prove to students that their feedback is valuable to us? How might we understand what students care about? How might we create feedback opportunities that are meaningful to students? How might we create feedback from students that is meaningful to faculty and deans?

Why is this important? How might we determine whether the SFI impacts instruction? How might we motivate students to complete the SFI? How might we communicate the importance of student feedback to students? How might we communicate the importance of student feedback to faculty? How might we better help students recognize how important their feedback is to us? How might we include students as important stakeholders?

What is stopping us? How might we determine whether adjusting the SFI will lead to more meaningful feedback? How might we determine what "meaningful” feedback is? How might we collect unbiased feedback in order create a whole a picture of what’s happening in a classroom? How might we understand why students aren’t completing the SFI? How might we understand why students do complete the SFI?