Publication Date
7-2020
Abstract
This article shows how customized learning surveys can be used to capture students’ perceptions of their learning in ways that aid pedagogy and students’ growth. In contrast to relying solely on standardized university-designed evaluations of teaching, thoughtful use of self-designed surveys about learning offers four benefits. First, this technique generates timely feedback in a way that allows instructors to adjust our teaching when it matters most. Second, custom surveys allow instructors to center learning as the core outcome and therefore facilitate specific, educationally relevant, and useful feedback. Third, the approach can cue students to think of themselves as the core agent of their own education, which helps them move toward greater self-directed learning in the long term. Finally, the approach facilitates the collection of data that can be used in annual assessments or applications for tenure and promotion, which will be increasingly important as more universities seek alternatives to using standardized student evaluations in personnel decisions. In this article I lay out my rationale for adopting this method, describe how it works, and explain why I see it as fruitful for improving assessment, teaching, and learning.