Course surveys provide important feedback to your instructor

Course surveys are an important way for students to share feedback about their learning experience directly to course instructors. Overall, feedback from course surveys contributes to ensuring academic excellence in the university’s curriculum and fulfilling the commitment to quality teaching and learning. It is vital to the ongoing improvement of student learning. 

What is “good” feedback?

Not all feedback is useful feedback. “Good” feedback is:

• Commenting on your learning experience with concrete examples.
• Explaining what worked for you in the class design, or what you thought needed improvement.
• Giving feedback on course materials, with specific examples or points for the instructor to consider.

Constructive feedback, with specific points about your learning experience, can help an instructor understand your perspective of the class, and what worked for you, or didn’t. Personalized feedback about the instructor’s appearance, race, gender or sexual orientation is inappropriate, unhelpful and not to be included. The University of Calgary is building a community of caring, and all students, faculty and staff have a role to play.

Provide your feedback today

Your course surveys are now available! Now until April 15 complete your surveys online. Visit D2L (click on “D2L” in the red banner at the top of any ucalgary.ca page) and select “Complete your surveys” on the bottom-right side of the page.

You may see more than one survey. Why? The university administers the Universal Student Ratings of Instruction (USRI). This is a quantitative survey and you will receive one for each of your credit courses. Some courses also have faculty-administered surveys. These are qualitative, or surveys with mostly open-ended questions. If you have more than one instructor for a course, you will also receive a survey for each of your instructors in that course. The surveys will have the same name, but once you’ve clicked on the link and the survey opens up, the instructor’s name will appear on the survey.

 

Visit ucalgary.ca/usri for more information.