Yeah, you heard us! Here’s what you should do instead.
"Hey, can you please fill in this evaluation form? We really value your feedback and want to know how to improve this subject for the next cohort of students".
You watch as your students’ eyes glaze over. You know only a minority of them are going to complete the end-of-semester subject evaluation. And most of that minority are going to praise the subject saying you’re a GOAT Professor or say it was the worst thing they’ve seen since the Seine’s water quality at the Olympics.
This is the reality for evaluation when it comes to teaching. We hand out a generic survey to students after they’ve finished their classes in the hope that they will give us some meaningful pedagogical advice. And unless the evaluation is awful or amazing, there’s rarely any follow-up.
At GOAT Department, we’re not here to point fingers about the challenges of evaluations. We get it—running a course is tough enough without the added pressure of revising it based on feedback, meeting university requirements, and keeping everything relevant in a rapidly evolving, AI-driven world.
But, what we’re here to do is offer an alternative. For all the sport academics looking to improve their teaching and learning, evaluation is essential. We believe it’s so important that we even discussed it on the State of Sport Management Podcast with Matt Huml.
If you're looking for something more effective than a generic end-of-semester evaluation, consider trying a mid-semester one. Mid-semester evaluations are far more beneficial because they allow you to make improvements right away, enhancing the student experience in real time rather than waiting for the next time you teach the course.
Here’s how Kim and Sarah think you could run your mid-semester evaluations.
Kim’s Sticky Note Approach
At the halfway mark of the semester, hand out a sticky note to every student. Ask them to write down three headings – start, stop, and continue. Then give students about five minutes to write down things they’d like to see start in the classroom (i.e., new ideas), stop (i.e., stuff they find boring), and continue (i.e., things that are working well).
Once they’ve all written their feedback, get them to stick them on one spot on the wall for everyone to see. Make sure every student has a look at what other students have written. Then it’s your turn to collate it and share how you’ll take all their feedback into account in the next class.
Sarah’s Mid-Trimester Survey
The mid-semester survey approach is designed to collect targeted feedback that allows lecturers to make timely adjustments, improving the course experience for current students. At the midpoint of the semester, a brief, well-constructed online survey is distributed, with questions focusing on key aspects like course content, student engagement, and perceptions of the teaching style. The survey is concise, with space for open-ended responses, enabling students to express their thoughts clearly.
An example of an effective question might be: "How comfortable do you feel engaging with the course material in class discussions?" or "What aspect of the course content has been the most challenging for you so far?" These types of questions help lecturers identify specific areas where students may be struggling or disengaged.
Once the survey responses are collected, the lecturer can take actionable steps based on the feedback. For instance, if students express confusion over assessment expectations, the lecturer could create a dedicated discussion board or review assessment criteria in class. If time management or deadlines are flagged as a challenge, extending deadlines or offering additional support can show responsiveness. Sharing these changes with students demonstrates that their feedback has been heard and acted upon, fostering a more positive and collaborative learning environment.
Final Thoughts
End-of-semester evaluations have their place, but they need support. Try a mid-semester evaluation when you’re running your next course. If you do, your students will be calling you a GOAT in no time.
If you want to improve your teaching today, check out our resources page. We’ve just added Sarah’s mid-semester evaluation form so you can try it out today!
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