15 Revise and Improve Your Course
Collecting and analyzing assessment data to inform instructional decisions is important for USask professors to ensure effective teaching and student mastery of learning outcomes. By systematically gathering data from assessments, teachers gain valuable insights into students’ strengths, weaknesses, and progress. This information enables educators to tailor their instructional strategies to meet the diverse needs of students, providing targeted support and enrichment where necessary. When analyzing assessment data it allows professors to identify trends, patterns, and areas for improvement in their teaching practices, leading to continuous professional growth.
The University of Saskatchewan’s Learning Analytics unit utilizes data-driven insights to enhance teaching and learning practices. By analyzing various data sources, including course evaluations, student engagement, and academic performance, the unit provides valuable information to support faculty in optimizing their instructional strategies. There are a few Learning Analytic Tools that you can use to collect, analyze, and interpret data related to student learning and performance.
Assessment results to identify areas for improvement and adjust teaching strategies
Using assessment results to identify areas for improvement and adjust teaching strategies can help educators to enhance student learning by addressing areas where students are struggling to meet learning outcomes. By tailoring instruction to meet individual student needs, teachers can provide targeted support and enrichment, ultimately improving student understanding and performance. Analyzing assessment data supports continuous improvement in teaching practices, as educators can evaluate the effectiveness of their methods and make adjustments accordingly. This process helps address learning gaps, promote student engagement, and ensure all students succeed.
Improvement and Evaluation
Reflecting on assessment practices and seeking feedback for improvement
Continuous improvement and evaluation are integral components of assessment practices at the University of Saskatchewan, aligning with the institution’s commitment to excellence in teaching and learning. A fundamental aspect of this process involves reflecting on assessment practices and actively seeking feedback for improvement. Faculty members are encouraged to engage in regular self-assessment and reflection on their assessment methods, considering factors such as alignment with learning outcomes, inclusivity, and effectiveness.
Implementing Feedback Results
Soliciting feedback from students through formal evaluations, surveys, or informal discussions provides valuable insights into the strengths and areas for improvement of assessment strategies. By embracing a culture of reflection and feedback, educators at the University of Saskatchewan can iteratively enhance their assessment practices to better meet the evolving needs of students and uphold the institution’s standards of academic excellence and student success.
Though reading feedback from your learners may feel straightforward, in carefully considering your feedback you may find you avoid red herrings. Here are some key details to keep in mind:
After considering the above, you will likely have ideas for changes that should be made to your course or your teaching. The next important decision is whether to and when to implement a change. If there is a detail mentioned in your syllabus, then changing it while the course is in progress would require a more formal process that may not be worth the effort, depending on the impact on learners. For example, you may have planned weekly quizzes, but students feel that weekly is too frequent. Other actions may not need syllabus changed and can be implemented relatively easily. Going back to the idea of too many quizzes, perhaps a compromise could be to offer shorter quizzes or to change the question structure to make them easier to complete without changing the frequency from what is mentioned in your syllabus.
For each piece of feedback, ask yourself the following:
1. How does the learner perspective align with my teaching goals or what I expect my learners to experience? Even if feedback is less positive, accepting some negative feedback may be necessary in your teaching. As an example, students with less exposure to Indigenous ways of knowing and learning may push back on a decolonized or Indigenized approach because it is new and different for them, but this would not be a good reason to reintroduce colonial structures to your teaching.
2. Are students asking for reasonable changes? It may be that your students are suggesting changes that go beyond what you can do.
3. What else could you do? Consider what root causes could be for any comments made by students, then consider what you could do to address those root causes. It may be that your students have helpful feedback, but do not know enough about teaching to make good suggestions for changes.
4. When can you make the changes? Some changes can benefit your current learners, but some will need to wait until the next time you teach the same course.
Additional Support
After receiving feedback and seeking to revise and improve your course based on this input, you can connect with the Flexible Learning Team and the Gwenna Moss Centre for Teaching and Learning for support. The team offer supported course design development services tailored to enhance teaching practices. By leveraging these services, faculty members can collaborate with experts to create innovative and adaptable learning experiences that meet the diverse needs of students. Through resources, workshops, and consultations, faculty members receive assistance in designing courses that foster student engagement, flexibility, and accessibility.