What is a Mid-Semester Small Group Feedback?
Mid-Semester Small Group Feedback is an assessment technique conducted at the mid-point of the semester. This technique allows faculty to gather feedback from students on:

• Parts of a course that are new or changed from the previous semester
• Course activities such as class time, homework, projects, lab work, use of technology (Blackboard)

The resulting feedback then allows faculty to implement changes in the remainder of the semester based on student comments. When faculty members implement small course changes, this also communicates to students that their feedback is valued and relevant.

How does it work?

• The faculty member works with CNDLS staff to develop questions asking about student perceptions of their learning in the course.
• Two CNDLS staff members administer the 35-minute feedback session during class time.
• Students are asked to respond in writing to the questions in small groups. Each group must then choose one response per question that they most want to communicate to the professor.
• CNDLS staff assembles the written, anonymous responses. CNDLS and the faculty member meet briefly to discuss results and plan to implement a few changes in the remainder of the semester.

How much time does it take?

• Pre-Consultation: Work with CNDLS staff to prepare questions: 30-40 minutes.
• Class time needed to conduct the diagnostic: 35-40 minutes (5 minutes to introduce, 20 minutes for students to discuss & write responses, 10-15 minutes to debrief & wrap up).
• Post-Consultation: Review responses and plan changes: 30-60 minutes.

What questions do you ask?
The MSGF consists of four questions, two standard (general) questions and two questions tailored to the specific course issues the faculty member specifically wishes to address.

[Example from a psychology course]
Standard Questions:

• What is going well in the course?
• What is working for you?
• What could be improved?
• What would you like to communicate with the professor between now and the end of the semester?

Tailored Questions:

• An important part of this course is the final project. Think about your project in the context of the material we cover during class time.
• How well does the final project allow you to integrate concepts and ideas of the course?
• Think in particular about how the course material integrates statistics.
• Where would it be most helpful for you to discuss the statistical parts of this course? In class? Homework? Projects?