Student feedback is an integral part of the teaching and learning process here at Stony Brook. The information you provide to your instructors is what helps them make improvements to their teaching methods and overall course design. Therefore, it is important that your feedback is as constructive and helpful as possible.
Your comments are used by...
- The instructor(s) to assess their course and make possible improvements.
- Students to help them decide which courses to take.
- Program administrators to make specific course and/or programmatic improvements.
Remember, your course evaluations are...
- Completely anonymous, both the numerical results and written comments. Your responses are not linked to your SBU ID and/or your name.
- Not provided to instructors until AFTER the final grades for the course have been submitted.
Open-Ended Questions from the Evaluations
End of Semester
What, if anything, did you find most valuable about this course?
In what ways, if any, could this course be improved?
What suggestions would you offer for improving the organization of the course menu, tools, resources, and overall navigation?
Mid-Semester
What has been most helpful for your learning in this class so far?
What has caused you the most difficulty in this class so far?
Feedback should:
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Be specific.
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When commenting on the course or the instructor, be sure to provide detailed examples.
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Focus on observable behaviors of the instructor or particular aspects of the course.
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Describe the situation you are commenting about for the feedback. For example, "We couldn't follow in class," leaves the reader wondering what the instructor did to allow for this. A more helpful comment,
"It was great that the PowerPoint presentations were online; that way, you can follow in class and not have to worry about frantically taking down notes and worry about not getting everything."
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Be respectful.
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Derogatory remarks or criticisms based on identity (e.g., race, color, age, religion, national origin, sexual orientation, gender identity, genetic information, sex, marital status, disability, or status as a U.S. veteran) are not appropriate.
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Avoid personalization or emotional comments; instead, describe actual incidents.
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For example, commenting that, "The professor is sarcastic at times during lectures, which makes learning difficult and confusing" is more helpful than commenting that the instructor is a "sarcastic loudmouth."
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Describe how the instructor’s behavior or elements of the course affect you.
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Describing how a situation makes you feel offers the reader a different perspective. For example, "I found the final exam fair, but long. I knew all the material but struggled to finish the exam on time. I felt very stressed by the time pressure and may not have performed my best." This feedback allows the instructor to understand the situation better instead of saying, "The exam was unfair."
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Offer alternative solutions or suggestions to critiques of the instructor or the course.
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For example, "The course could be recorded which would help with studying, I could easily just go back and listen to that part of the class." is very helpful to the instructor when planning the course design for the following year.
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Provide both positive and negative comments about the instructor or the course that are formative.
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Constructive comments offer specific reasons for judgment. These are very helpful as they inform the instructor of what you suggest to be kept or changed. While comments regarding what needs to change may come more readily, it is just as helpful to remind the instructor about what went well.
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Include course Teaching Assistants (TAs).
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If your course had Teaching Assistants, you might provide feedback to them. Please take the time to offer constructive comments about strengths and areas for improvement. Feedback early in their teaching careers will be instrumental in helping them become great educators.
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Categories of Comments
Thinking of the following categories when completing the questionnaires may help you organize your thoughts:
- Overall (Course or Instructor)
- Clarity & Difficulty
- Organization & Structure
- Teaching Strategies
- Assignments
- Interest or Motivation
- Outside of Classroom Communications
- Physical Environment
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Less Helpful:
Vague critique or praise
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More Helpful:
Specific suggestions that could improve your learning, or explanations of why the course helped you learn.
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"The professor just lectures."
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"The professor just lectures...
... and a short break would help me pay attention for the full lecture."
... but we need more time for student questions during lectures."
... and I would learn more if I got hands-on practice."
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"The readings were redundant."
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"The readings were redundant...
... I didn't understand why we read so many different articles on the same topic."
... could you offer more guidance on what we are supposed to look for in readings?"
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"Discussions were awesome!"
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"Discussions were awesome...
... I loved how the professor created an environment where students were willing to share perspectives and disagree."
... It was really helpful that you kept notes on the board during our discussions."
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Adapted From:
Center for Research on Learning and Teaching (CRLT), University of Michigan
Center for Excellence in Learning and Teaching (CELT), Iowa State University
Teaching and Learning Services (TLS), McGill University
