Mid-Course Review

Mid-course reviews provide feedback that can potentially assist you in fine-tuning your course while it is still underway. Sometimes called a formative evaluation, the mid-course review is an optional and informal supplement to the end-of-semester summative evaluations. Interest in these reviews is driven by a desire to see what’s working well in your class and what could be improved to aid student learning. The advantage of doing these at mid-term is that you are able to make adjustments to your course this semester.

There are various models of mid-semester evaluations ranging from distributing a survey to using what’s called a SGID (Small Group Instructional Diagnosis) which usually takes about 20 minutes of class time. The general SGID format is that a facilitator will ask students in groups to discuss three questions:

1. What is working well in the class (i.e., what is helping you learn)?
2. What is not working well (i.e., what is hindering your learning)?
3. What suggestions do you have for improvement?
4. What can you, the student, do to enhance your learning in this class?

By the end of the 20 minutes, we will have a composite list of student reactions to these issues. Then, at a mutually convenient time, the facilitator will meet with you to confidentially discuss what the students said. In general, you will get an accurate “barometer reading” on how the class is going. If you have a particular question about the class, we can incorporate it into the review. CAT+FD can also help you to interpret the results of the students’ responses.