CETL Map Program

THE MAP PROGRAM

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[Midterm Assessment Process]

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Showing students that you care about and are responsive to their perceived needs can be a powerful motivator for them.

WINSTON-SALEM STATE UNIVERSITY

Center for Excellence in Teaching & Learning (CETL) O’Kelly Library, Room 202 Telephone: (336) 750-8723; Fax (336) 750-8690

Midterm is a good point in time to gain insights on how your course is contributing to the students’ learning. It also provides an opportunity to make changes before the course ends.

What is the Midterm Assessment Process (MAP)?

Midterm assessments provide feedback from your students while concerns, thus enhancing the learning experience you provide. responsibilities for articulating their needs in a meaningful way.

The fact that you allocate class time for this purpose reinforces your genuine interest in students’ experiences. When facilitated by a CETL consultant, the midterm assessment is a powerful and respectful process that promises anonymity for students and confidentiality for instructors.

How Does the MAP Work?

Ideally midterm assessments are administered between the 4th and 9th weeks of the semester. A CETL consultant may talk with you prior to the MAP to discuss your expectations for and early impressions of the course and set a date and time for collecting 15-20 minutes of a regularly scheduled class. During that time, the instructor steps outside of the room to allow students privacy as they work on a brief consultant-administered survey that will elicit their perceptions about their experiences in your course, e.g., what is contributing to their learning in the class and what the resulting information to be unusually rich and readily translatable into productive course changes.

Preparing Students for Your MAP We suggest that you set the stage by letting your students know that you have requested a MAP because you care about their learning experience. This is generally best done the class period prior to the MAP. You might say something like the following: A CETL consultant will be with us for approximately 20 minutes at the experience with me up to this point in the semester. I will leave the classroom during this time in order to give you privacy as you talk in small groups. I have requested this service from CETL because I care about your learning experience. I value your input and will consider the information you share to make changes to the course, this semester when appropriate and possible or for future semesters when the change can’t be accomplished in the remaining time of this semester.

Reviewing the Feedback As quickly as possible this data will be analyzed and available to you for discussion in a private consultation. You will have an opportunity to look through the prepared report for repeated themes—things suggest changing. You will likely discuss the feasibility and desirability of some of the suggestions or how to address issues that may have arisen. Students often have excellent ideas that you may not have thought about; you may wish to implement those. Some comments may pertain to things you choose to do for pedagogical reasons or that you have no control over. Your CETL consultant will offer suggestions and resources as appropriate.

You will leave your consultation with a copy of your MAP report.

If you wish to share your students’ feedback or even an intact MAP report with colleagues, you may; that will be your decision. your experience.

Research has shown that using student ratings to improve instruction is especially effective when used as part of a faculty development program that includes personal consultation.

Acknowledging Students Involvement participation and to share what you have learned. This is an opportunity to address their concerns, to clarify something confusing to them, or to respond to their suggestions. You may wish to let them know the two or three things that you can incorporate into the class now and/or ones that are not appropriate to incorporate and why. Your CETL consultant can help you select what to share that will have the greatest impact. You will have the opportunity to thank your students for their thoughtful contributions. Showing students that you care about and are responsive to their perceived needs can be a powerful motivator for them.

CETL

Center for Excellence in Teaching and Learning

To request a MAP, please contact Dr. Nancy Polk, CETL, at polkn@wssu.edu or 336-750-8609.