The benefits of student feedback

SFU instructors are helping to improve student experience of courses and teaching thanks in part to insights they have gained from their Course Experience Surveys.

Creating better learning outcomes

For biology lecturer Miranda Meents the Course Experience Surveys revealed key areas that she could adjust to make a big difference for learning.

“It’s sometimes hard to read the surveys because we put so much of our hearts into designing and teaching the courses, but I get such helpful information out of it. For example, in one of my third-year plant biology courses, the survey feedback highlighted areas in the course that were causing unintended stress and confusion for students. To address these, I made the learning outcomes of one assignment clearer and changed the format of another so that it shifted from a high-pressure quiz situation to a low-stakes practice opportunity. I didn’t take anything away, I just removed some of the barriers that were getting in the way of student learning and I can see the difference it is making. It’s taken it from a good course to a great one.”

For Department of History university lecturer Sarah Walshaw, student feedback not only provides insights for improving her courses, but is also a valuable tool for supporting student learning.

“I use one of my instructor questions to ask my students what advice they would give to their peers just starting the course. Then on the first day of class, I share these tips and experiences. It really helps break the ice and make everyone feel connected. It's like giving them a heads-up about what to expect and showing them that they're part of a bigger picture. Plus, they get a glimpse into what others have said or achieved in the course before them. For example, I was particularly happy to hear students offer that office hours were very valuable to them, and key to their success in the course. Hearing from past students that office hours were both welcoming and useful helped lower the barrier for the new crop of students.”

Beedie lecturer Negar Ganjouhaghighi found that the surveys helped her empathize with her students so that she could better design assignments from a beginner mindset.

“It’s easy to fall into the trap of designing assignments and assessments the way we would like to complete them, but we are experts in our disciplines and that is not who we are teaching. The Course Experience Surveys are a window into student’s experience, they show me simple changes to better meet my students’ needs as beginners in the field. For example, in one course I designed it with three large assignments because that is how I would like to do it but from the surveys I learned that students feel they can learn better by instead having several smaller assignments. Student feedback is my main resource when it comes to self-improvement and I value them very highly.”

This semester’s course survey reports were released April 29, 2024. If you would like support developing instructor questions for your Course Experience survey, please contact leap@sfu.ca.

If you would like support implementing changes based on your report results, you can book a consultation with an educational developer on CEE’s Contact Us page.

View an infographic of key Fall 2023 Course Experience Survey results below.