Surveying and Adapting Courses
Speak From Your Own Experience
A common pitfall in the classroom that leaves many marginalized and historically excluded students feeling unwelcome is when their identity or experience is being discussed, subject to debate, or theorized by people who do not have a shared experience. A helpful guideline for discussion is asking students to focus their classroom contributions by sharing their own experiences on a topic and focusing their discussion on others’ experiences by talking through the language used and experiences shared by the authors of a text examined in class. This approach allows students to discuss the experiences of others without speaking on behalf of, or by appropriating, the experiences of those who have been marginalized and excluded.
Surveying and Adapting Courses to Feedback
When we rely on spontaneous student feedback, we tend to only learn about what really is or isn’t working and not the in-between. Using surveys and other feedback formats can help students share their classroom experiences, needs, and priorities in confidential or anonymous ways. Surveying can also centre on feedback that is driven by self-reflection, in addition to feedback on the course itself, as well as peer interactions. Further, students who face barriers, challenges, or harmful encounters in a classroom context will not always express these experiences with a teacher or even their peers. Students who stop showing up or stop participating are often invisible to faculty members. Anonymous surveys can open a door for students to provide feedback and share their experiences while reducing the potential for fear of retribution.
When surveying students, invite them to self-reflect (e.g. what am I struggling with in this class? I could use more support and help on…) and reflect on their peers (e.g. communication, what is working, what isn’t working, what could help) to help identify possible areas where more support, resources, and attention could be helpful. This approach has the added benefit of providing opportunities for students to evaluate their own participation, progress, and role in the course, making feedback not simply uni-directional.
Course Surveys
Pre-Course Survey
Pre-course surveys can help you prepare for the semester and plan around the needs and priorities of your students. Below are some suggested questions that you can include in your pre-course survey:
- The name you’ll use in this class and whether this name can be used outside of this class as well?
- The pronouns you’ll use in this class, and whether these pronouns can be used outside of this class as well?
- Is there anything else you’d like me to know about your name and/or pronouns before the start of class (e.g. you’re waiting for the university to process your name change request; you would prefer not to have your current pronouns shared with the class; etc.)?
- Do you have any access or accommodation needs that are not already provided by access