How do you know what is working in your classroom? Or, if you sense that something isn’t working, how can you identify effective changes? You can gather feedback on your teaching in a number of different ways, each of which meets different needs.

What kinds of feedback can help to improve my  teaching?

There are two key forms of feedback to consider: 

• Formative feedback is intended to give feedback on course delivery or design in progress so that adjustments can be made for this current group of students. Examples include gathering input from students during the semester, peer observation, or a classroom observation conducted by Faculty Development.
• Summative assessments of teaching are designed to provide feedback after the experience is completed, and they usually have higher stakes. They may take the form of end-of-semester Student Feedback conducted by GW’s Office of Survey Research & Analysis or an evaluation conducted as part of a performance review or tenure or promotion packet.

This page focuses on formative feedback.

Why should I gather this feedback?

Formative feedback enables you to engage in a continual process of reflection and improvement. It can help you solve problems in a timely manner, diagnosing what is at the root of a classroom challenge you are experiencing and helping you consider how to address it. Gathering feedback from your students can contribute to the creation of a classroom community, as students feel that their concerns are heard and see that you are working to support their learning. Gathering feedback from other sources, like your peers or the Center for Teaching Excellence, can help you see different perspectives on what is happening in your classroom or the challenges you are having.  Finally, it can help you feel prepared for the higher-stakes, summative assessments of your teaching.

Who can give me feedback?

Your students, faculty peers, departmental or university leadership, the Center for Teaching Excellence, recent alumni, and even your own reflections and observations are all valid and valuable sources of feedback on your teaching. Different sources of feedback can bring different strengths and areas of focus to the assessment of teaching. As you select your reviewer(s), consider what each group can best assess and what would be most helpful for meeting your goals. In general, we recommend drawing on a wide range of sources for feedback to paint a well-rounded picture rather than relying on only one or two sources.

Students: Although students are not subject matter experts, they are experts on their own learning experiences in a course. In addition to the end-of-semester Student Evaluations, you can gather feedback from students during the semester.

• Feedback gathered from students during the semester can demonstrate your commitment to creating a valuable learning experience for them as well as give you the chance to make changes.
  • You can gather written feedback with paper-and-pencil or digital methods in the form of a longer mid-semester feedback survey or in the form of shorter exit tickets asking about specific sessions or activities.
• You can discuss with students what Student Evaluations do and how to provide useful, valuable feedback on them. Research has demonstrated that end-of-semester evaluations are often affected by bias in ways that limit their usefulness.
  • For critiques of student ratings, see this exploration of gender bias, this account of different gendered expectations, and this meta-analysis of multiple forms of bias.
  • This one-pager provides guidance for helping students communicate more helpful feedback.
• Recent alumni can also act as good sources of feedback. Past students can help evaluate whether changes to a course structure would have been effective for them or if the changes address their feedback. They can also comment on what lessons they found especially helpful or memorable months or years after the course.

Faculty Peers: Colleagues with disciplinary knowledge are well equipped to understand the objectives of a lesson and to discuss content and presentation choices. Colleagues can also possess valuable institutional knowledge that might influence a particular lesson or assignment—for instance, understanding WID or GPAC requirements. 

• Colleagues may not fully be able to assess student enthusiasm or engagement, or how well class time prepares students for course assessments.
• Have a conversation with your colleague ahead of an observation or review of artifacts so that you are on the same page about what kind of feedback is desired and what questions and challenges you are facing.

Departmental and University Leadership: Members of academic leadership are often involved in summative assessments of teaching but may be invited to perform formative assessment as well. 

Center for Teaching Excellence (CTE): GW’s CTE team specializes in higher education pedagogy and effective teaching practices across different course contexts and disciplines. We provide feedback that is not intended as an evaluation of teaching and exists independently of the tenure and promotion process. See below to learn what kinds of assistance we provide and how to request it.

Your reflections and observations: Your own experience of your teaching and sustained, critical reflection about it are also valuable. While you do not want to rely solely on your own experience, neither do you want to ignore it. If a particular class session did not feel like it went well from your perspective, for instance, it is worth thinking about why. Was it because you were not as prepared as you would have hoped, or was it because students were insufficiently prepared? What could be done next time to mitigate that issue? Jotting down a few notes after each class session about what went well and what did not can be invaluable the next time you teach that class.

This resource from the University of Georgia’s Center for Teaching and Learning includes a series of questions that you can ask yourself as you consider how a particular lesson, assignment, or course went. 

What can I receive feedback on?

Nearly any aspect of your teaching can benefit if you receive thoughtful, constructive feedback. As we discussed above, you want to thoughtfully match the source of feedback with what you ask them to evaluate. Students are not equipped to identify whether the content of the course is adequately addressing recent developments in the field, but they are the experts on whether your teaching methods helped them learn.

Three of the most common artifacts of teaching that you can solicit feedback about are:

1. Class delivery: Either your peers or the Center for Teaching Excellence can conduct observations of your teaching. Furthermore, your students can address how effective the delivery was for supporting their understanding and learning.
2. Syllabus: The syllabus is often students’ first introduction to the course’s material and expectations and your role as the instructor. Research demonstrates that a welcoming, learning-focused syllabus helps students feel that the instructor will help them succeed, that they will be involved in the class, and that what they learn will be useful. The Center for Teaching Excellence, your peers, or students can provide feedback on the syllabus.
3. Assignments and other course materials: Does the work that students are turning in reflect their learning and abilities? Evaluating your assignments and other course materials is one way to address any mismatches. Research shows that students’ academic confidence and their sense of belonging increases when they understand the purpose of the work they are doing, the tasks involved, and the criteria that will be used to assess successful performance. The TILT Project’s Transparent Assignment Design framework provides a format for such clarity.

How can the Center for Teaching Excellence help me assess my teaching?

The Center for Teaching Excellence offers a number of ways to help you with assessing your teaching:

• Teaching observations and mid-semester feedback sessions
  • We can observe your teaching or meet with your students to gather feedback from them without you present. Observations and mid-semester feedback sessions usually consist of a pre-observation meeting, the observation or feedback session itself, and a follow-up meeting. The meetings help us tailor our session to be most valuable and provide suggestions for next steps that match your needs and our observations or your students’ feedback.
  • Use our form to contact the Center for Teaching Excellence to request an observation or mid-semester feedback session
• Consultations
  • Consultations are a great way to get feedback on a particular artifact, such as your syllabus or an assignment.
  • We can also strategize with you about how to interpret student evaluations, either standard end-of-semester evaluations or a mid-term evaluation you conducted yourself.
  • Use our form to contact the Center for Teaching Excellence to schedule a consultation.
• “Build-your-own” workshops
  • We can come to your department or program to provide a tailored workshop on topics such as peer review of teaching or supporting graduate teaching assistants (who also benefit from receiving feedback on their teaching).
  • Use our form to contact the Center for Teaching Excellence to learn more about this option. We will work with you to plan a session that fits your needs and available time.