Formative Assessment of Classroom Teaching (FACT and eFACT) Program
Would you like to gather student formative feedback to improve your course this semester, rather than waiting for course evaluations at the end of the semester? Gathering mid-semester feedback from your students has multiple benefits: making changes for students this semester, addressing student comments prior to the end-of-the-semester SET, and fostering rapport. Through the FACT program, trained consultants facilitate discussions with your students and then share their anonymous feedback with you. FACTs are available for face-to-face and online classes.
- Goal of the FACT Program: To assist instructors with their own reflective teaching by providing anonymous mid-semester feedback from their students for their face-to-face and online courses.
- How do I Request a FACT? Any faculty member may request a FACT or eFACT for their own course by completing a request form. A FACT is most effective when a faculty member is willing to use reflection and self-assessment to improve their teaching. A FACT is not effective if it is required and is not intended for evaluation purposes.
- When Should I Schedule a FACT? FACTs are conducted mid-semester (recommended during weeks 4-7 for a regular semester course or during week 3 for a summer session or accelerated course) and after students have received at least one grade item and with enough of the semester left for potential changes in the instructor's approaches to facilitating learning. When requesting a FACT/eFACT visit, please consider a course from which you would get the most valuable feedback. CETL staff are happy to discuss this with you.
- What Happens in a FACT?
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- After a FACT is requested, CETL assigns a trained FACT Consultant from a different college to visit one of the instructor's classes, usually during the last 20 minutes. The instructor is not present during the FACT visit. A similar process is conducted for eFACTs for online courses with the comment period open for a week.
- The FACT Consultant asks the students to reflect on what helps and hinders their learning and to provide suggestions on how to improve their learning experiences in the course. The Consultant and the students discuss the responses and help one another better understand the learning process.
- After the FACT visit, the instructor and FACT Consultant meet to share the anonymous student feedback. Moreover, the instructor discusses with their students how they will use the feedback.
- Who are FACT Consultants? FACT Consultants provide a service to the USI community. They are trained to facilitate the FACT process. The training includes having a FACT conducted for one’s own class, observing a FACT visit, and conducting a FACT visit under observation. FACT Consultants and trainees meet at the beginning and end of the academic year to discuss common guidelines and processes and to share insights and suggestions. FACT Consultants must adhere to confidentiality.
References
- Responding to Student Feedback: An Opportunity to Make Our Teaching Visible (Rice University Center for Teaching Excellence, 2017)
- Soliciting and Using Mid-Semester Feedback (Vanderbilt University Center for Teaching, Marx, 2019; 10 min read)
- Mid-Semester Check-In (UC Berkeley; 5 min read)
- Mid-Semester Feedback (UNC Charlotte; 6 min read)
- Mid-semester Course Survey Question Categories and Examples (Univ of Pittsburgh; 2 min read)
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To schedule a FACT visit, please complete the brief request form below.