Sample Questions for Anonymous and Mid-semester
Feedback Surveys
In addition to the four general, open-ended questions in Canvas for the Midsemester Feedback
Survey, you may want to ask your students more specific questions about your course goals,
inclusive teaching practice, classroom dynamics, pacing, and content. Below are some sample
questions you may use in lieu of or in addition to the default questions in Canvas, including
questions focused on remote teaching in the online environment. Curating your own questions
enables you to gather targeted student feedback and be responsive to that feedback through
adjustments to the course to benefit students and their learning for the rest of the semester.
General Questions (pre-populated in Canvas)
● What is helping your learning in this class?
● What is hindering your learning in this class?
● What could the instructor change to improve your learning experience in this class?
● What could you do differently to improve your learning experience in this class?
Inclusive Teaching Questions
● Does the instructor make you feel that you belong in the class? What suggestion do you
have for promoting a greater sense of belonging?
● How comfortable do you feel participating in the class? Is there anything that the
instructor could do to encourage more equitable participation among all of the students?
● What does the instructor do to foster mutual respect among students? What else could
the instructor do?
● Does the instructor teach in a manner that supports students like you to succeed? In
what ways?
● How accessible is the instructor outside of class to support you in your learning?
● Are you able to access all course materials? Do you have any suggestions for making
materials more accessible?
Course Materials & Goals Questions
● Does the instructor clearly communicate course expectations? Do you have any
suggestions for improvement?
● To what extent are the course materials valuable? Which of the materials--used in class
or assigned out of class--have been most useful and least useful to your learning?
● How has the professor’s use of materials (readings, slides, multi-media such as
podcasts or films, etc.) helped you understand the subject of this course? What changes
might help you learn better?
● Is the volume of course material appropriate?
Student-Learning Focused Questions
● What are the most significant things you have learned thus far from taking this course?
● How does the instructor help you understand what are the most important points within
class? Could they do anything differently?
● Do you feel as though your performance in the class is a reflection of your understanding
of course material? Why or why not?
● Do you have any suggestions to improve the quality of feedback that you are getting on
your understanding of course material?
Classroom Dynamics & Pacing Questions
● How does your instructor engage your attention? Are there other approaches that would
make you feel engaged in the class?
● What types of opportunities do you have to interact with the instructor and the other
students in the course? How are these interactions supporting your learning and
improving your experience in the course?
● How is the pacing of this course for you? Do you have any suggestions for
improvement?
Remote Learning Questions
● Is the course organization clear to you? What could be improved?
● Have you been able to get to know other students in the course? Would you like more
support in getting to know others (e.g., to form study groups)?
● Approximately how much time are you spending on class work? Does this seem to be
manageable?
● Has any of the in- or out-of-class technology been a barrier to your learning in this class?
Likert Questions
If you teach a large course, reviewing qualitative questions from many students may not yield
clearly defined feedback. Instead, consider using Likert scale questions, which can’t be used in
the midsemester feedback tool on Canvas but can be used in various other survey options.
When viewing your results, consider looking at the median and mode responses and a
histogram of all of the responses, as to not allow outliers to skew your interpretation. Below are
some questions that could mostly be answered on a 1 to 5 Likert scale with 5 being strongly
agree and 1 being strongly disagree.
Inclusive Teaching Questions
● The instructor makes me feel that I belong in the class.
● I am able to easily get answers to questions about course material.
● The instructor fosters mutual respect among students.
● The instructor of the class is accessible for questions or concerns.
● The course materials are all accessible.
Course Materials & Goals Questions
● The instructor communicates course expectations clearly.
● I find the course materials to be valuable.
● The volume of course material is appropriate.
Student-Learning Focused Questions
● The instructor helps me understand what are the most important points within class.
● I feel as though my course performance is an accurate reflection of my understanding of
course material.
● I am getting enough feedback on my understanding of course material.
Classroom Dynamics & Pacing Questions
● I am engaged during class.
● The level of interaction in the course is supporting my learning.
● The pace of the course is: 1- much too fast, 2- a little too fast, 3- just right, 4- a little too
slow, 5- much too slow
Remote Learning Questions
● The course organization is clear to me.
● I interact with other students outside of class time to support my learning.
● The amount of time I spend on this course is manageable.
● I feel comfortable using all the in- and out-of-class technology.
