Ah, feedback, the double-edged sword of teaching. On one hand, it’s a gold mine of insights; on the other, there’s that familiar feeling of bracing ourselves for comments like, “This course is the worst thing since dial-up internet.” Yeah, I got that one once. But student feedback, when done right, can be a game-changer for online courses. By actively gathering and implementing it, we can create a dynamic, evolving course that actually fits students’ needs, often saving us from repeating things that could be improved with a few small tweaks.
My advice is to start early and ask often. One of the best things about teaching online is the ability to collect feedback in real-time. Don’t wait until the end-of-semester evaluations when it’s too late to change anything for this batch of students. Consider doing a quick feedback check-in after the first few weeks, just as students have found their footing in your course. A simple survey asking, “What’s working well?” and “What could be improved?” can provide early clues. Maybe they love the discussion board prompts but feel lost when it comes to navigating weekly modules. I do mine in the 5th week of the semester. Early feedback lets us address issues before they snowball.
Make your feedback a routine. Building a regular feedback loop doesn’t have to mean a lot of work every week. Small, frequent check-ins can give you just the right amount of information to keep your course running smoothly. Try adding a “How’s it going?” question to your digital exit tickets, or dedicate five minutes in a synchronous session for a quick pulse-check. I build mine into the prospectus assignments every 3-4 weeks. They basically let me know what they are working on and how things are going. When students see feedback as part of the course rhythm, they’re more likely to respond openly and helpfully, rather than saving it all up for that anonymous evaluation at the end.
Let’s face it. Not all feedback will be actionable. Some students will want fewer group projects, while others wish there were more. Some will sing praises for your video lectures, and others will ask if they can just read a summary instead. It’s all about finding patterns in the feedback. Look for common themes rather than getting bogged down by one-off comments. And don’t forget to celebrate what’s working well—it’s easy to focus on the negatives, but feedback should reinforce what’s already effective, too. My feedback generals revolves around students own life challenges with feedback like “I need to work on time-management or I need to cut back my work hours.”
Don’t forget to implement and communicate the changes. If you’re willing to ask for feedback, it’s essential to follow through on what you can. For example, if students mention that deadlines feel too clustered, consider spreading out due dates if possible. If they struggle with instructions, maybe it’s time to add a brief weekly overview video or an “FAQ” section. I’ve moved to creating a short video overview of each major assignment add at the bottom as “Optional Help.” But here’s the key: Let them know you’re listening. A quick announcement saying, “I heard your feedback about the assignment instructions, and I’ve added optional video help at the bottom of each assignment” shows students that their input matters and that you’re actively making the course better for them.
At the end of the course, let students know how their feedback will shape future iterations. You might say, “Based on what you all shared, I’ll be adding more interactive quizzes next semester,” or “I’ll be tweaking the discussion board setup to better organize responses.” You can also explain why a suggested change would not work for your course. I had students say they felt the video discussion tool I was using was difficult to use, but it was the only one at the time that did auto-captioning and I had a deaf student. So I explained why we were using that tool and couldn’t change this semester. Closing the loop reinforces that feedback isn’t just a formality; it’s an essential part of shaping a quality course.
When we create a student feedback loop, we’re not just improving our courses, we’re building trust and community. Students see that their opinions matter, which motivates them to stay engaged and invested. And as faculty, we get valuable insights that make our courses more effective and enjoyable to teach. In the end, it’s a win-win that keeps us all moving forward, one round of feedback at a time. So consider creating a student feedback loop for your spring courses.
