Faculty Members' Testimonios
Faculty Member in Chemistry
“It was intriguing that they have a much more different perspective to look at the material I submitted, which I found refreshing and also asking my self why did I not look at it from that angle?”
Faculty Member in Mechanical Engineering
“I got feedback on incorporating open-ended survey during the semester which was great as the student explained value of this survey and provided resources and help on preparing the survey and then evaluating it with me. I also got feedback that some of the language used might come off to be very aggressive and unwelcoming as a first impression. I had not noticed this but I see the point of value of the student. The student explained it clearly and gave an example of how such wording had an impact on him in another class that used similar language. The feedback has opened up my eyes to be more observance of impact of my statements on student's learning and perception. I have also learned to be more detailed in explaining various topics and give students personal or at least actual real life examples.” Faculty Member, Mechanical Engineering Department
Faculty Member in Mathematical and Statistical Sciences
"The syllabus is the first point of interaction with my students and I had never known how it sounded to the students, whether my points and intentions were clear to them, and if I was able to get their attention in a positive way or if my syllabus seemed too rigid and scared them! The feedback helped me adjust my tone in certain parts of the syllabus to show my intention and show that I am approachable and supportive of my students.”
Faculty Member in Mathematical and Statistical Sciences
“I embraced all feedback. The feedback was always well received, without resistance. I would try to implement and act up on the student partner's suggestions, for the most part, it meant a positive development in the course. I used to have the feeling that I couldn't improve my teachings much. Reflecting on the partner's feedback, I engaged more on providing feedback to students and motivated them to reach out. I found out I can be more open to students needs if I have a clear course focus on a weekly basis.”
Faculty Member in School of Nursing
“This experience was an eye opener for me. It was great collaborating with a student as this provided a weekly responses from a student perspective. I have also learned how to communicate with students and understanding my implicit biases that I was not aware of."
Faculty Member in Chemistry
“Their feedback can be a valuable resource for instructors. After reading their comments, I made some changes to my PowerPoint. I am sure everyone can benefit from their point of view.”
Faculty Member in Civil Engineering
“Yes, I am now more aware of the importance of putting myself in my student's shoes! The teamwork grading challenge is one example.”
Faculty Member in Physics and Astronomy
“The feedback was received in form of comments on specific sections, and it was very helpful. It gave student perspective on sections that I can now take into account on my next documents. It was interesting to know that students would prefer to know about me more, and I would definitely consider adding a paragraph about me, or I might include a "about me" video in my blackboard welcome page (I have done that before, but don't know if the students have watched that video)”
Faculty Member in Physics and Astronomy
“The generations change faster than I thought: even though I am considering myself not far away generationally from the typical current students (even freshman), still there are things I did not know (such as using he/she pronouns to facilitate interaction).”
Faculty Member in Writing and Languages
“I always welcome and crave honest student feedback, so I was happy to see examples of students willing to give me their unfiltered opinions. These interactions made me want to learn more about how to get students to get out of their shells in my classrooms.”
Faculty Member in Writing and Languages
“The process was easy to work through. The student's feedback was thorough and detailed; I can tell that she spent a significant amount of time with my assignment. Her feedback seemed honest, well-informed, and with the best interests of the students at heart. When I am trying a new assignment that differs significantly from an approach I've tried in the past I will be sure to seek feedback from SaLT partners. I often have anxiety about how my students will receive and react to these new assignments, so it helps a lot to have student feedback before I give it to my students in class.”
Faculty Member in Writing and Languages
“Since the feedback was in forms of critical and reflective questioning, I wasn't told explicitly what changes to make to my documents. Rather, I was forced to reflect and on my own decide what changes were best to make going forward. For example, rather than being told that I was excluding speakers of languages other than English and Spanish, I was asked: "do you allow other languages in your class other than English or Spanish?" I realized then that I was being hypocritical. I expressed in my syllabus to inviting other languages in students' writing, yet I focused only on emphasizing bringing in Spanish. I was still excluding students and their language practices. Figuring out for myself made a bigger impact on me by being more willing to make the change in my syllabus. I was doing it for my students rather than because I was 'called' out.”
Faculty Member in Writing and Languages
“All the suggestions from the reviewer made sense and really reflected the point of view of a student. The suggestions seemed more helpful than judgmental, so I really took them as feedback designed to help me communicate better with my students, for which I am grateful.”
Faculty Member in Teaching and Learning
“At first, to be honest, I was thinking that with my experience, the syllabus was fine but after listening to the different areas and through this lens, I realize that I was not being (welcoming) of all students (i.e., blind and bilingual students). I allowed myself to be open because in reflecting on the experience, I have never asked for student input on my course syllabi. This realization allowed me to be receptive to the feedback because it can potentially strengthen the course syllabus”