What do you do if your teaching methodologies need enhancement through feedback in Higher Education?

In the realm of higher education, continuous improvement is paramount, and feedback is a critical tool for enhancing teaching methodologies. If you find yourself questioning the effectiveness of your teaching strategies, it's essential to actively seek out and constructively use feedback to refine your approach. This process ensures that you remain at the forefront of educational excellence, adapting to the evolving needs of your students and the academic community.

1 Gather Data

Initiating the enhancement process requires gathering comprehensive feedback. You might start by distributing anonymous surveys to your students, focusing on specific aspects of your teaching style and course content. Encourage honest and detailed responses by assuring students that their feedback is valued and will be used to improve the learning experience. Additionally, consider peer observations; invite colleagues to attend your lectures and provide their professional insights. This multifaceted approach will yield a rich array of data to inform your teaching methodology enhancements.

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Dr. Faisal Sheikh

'Accounting Navy SEAL': Principal Lecturer, Qualified Accountant (FCCA), & Published Author (4 Books)
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Consider implementing a structured feedback system involving students, peers, and educational experts. Solicit feedback through surveys, focus groups, or one-on-one consultations to gather diverse perspectives. Analyze feedback to identify strengths, weaknesses, and areas for improvement. Collaborate with colleagues to share insights and strategies for enhancing teaching effectiveness. Attend professional development workshops or courses to learn new methodologies and instructional techniques. Experiment with innovative approaches in the classroom and evaluate their impact on student learning outcomes. Continuously iterate and refine teaching methodologies based on feedback and self-reflection.

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Timothy Mirtz DC, PhD

Associate Professor, Chair of the Department of Secondary and Physical Education at Bethune-Cookman University
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The question is: What do you do if your teaching methodologies need enhancement through feedback in Higher Education? 1. Get the feedback from whatever source you can get; a. students: directly or indirectly; direct is from student rating of instruction; indirect is "ask around" and find out what others are saying; b. peer evaluation; c. supervisor evaluation; d. your own self-reflection; 2. The feedback is the data. 3. It may not be quantitative but it will certainly be qualitative;

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2 Reflect Deeply

After collecting feedback, take time for deep reflection. Analyze the information with an open mind, identifying patterns and areas for improvement. It's crucial to separate personal feelings from professional critique to objectively assess your teaching methods. Reflect on how your teaching aligns with learning objectives and whether students are engaging with the material effectively. This introspection can reveal mismatches between your teaching style and student learning preferences, guiding you toward necessary adjustments.

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Timothy Mirtz DC, PhD

Associate Professor, Chair of the Department of Secondary and Physical Education at Bethune-Cookman University
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Teaching cannot be based on a numerical scale as if there is some formula one plugs numbers into and get's a solution; teaching is an artform and it can only be appreciated by the one viewing it. But you can reflect upon it to see if there are things you can do to enhance your artform by the sound of your voice, your inflections, how your lecture content stands up and most importantly, how you can question your students to see if they are truly mastering the material.

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3 Plan Changes

With insights in hand, develop a strategic plan to implement changes. Prioritize areas that require immediate attention and those that can be gradually improved. Your plan should include specific, actionable steps, such as incorporating more interactive elements if students crave engagement or clarifying complex topics that consistently confuse them. Establish a timeline for these changes to ensure that they are manageable and systematically integrated into your teaching practice.

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4 Test Innovations

Once you have a plan, start testing new teaching innovations in your classroom. Begin with small-scale changes to gauge their impact before committing to more significant alterations. For example, if feedback suggests a need for more discussion-based learning, try introducing short, focused discussions in your next few lectures. Monitor student reactions and participation levels to determine if these innovations are enhancing the learning experience.

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Zoha Seddighi

12 years teaching across 7 countries 🔸 Transformative ESL/EFL Lecturer🔸 Expert in inclusive education 🔸 TESOL certified 🔸 Published author
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Ask yourself these questions when testing new approaches: 1- Monitor the frequency and quality of students' contributions during class discussions, group work, or other interactive activities. Are more students volunteering to answer questions or share their thoughts? 2- Pay attention to students' body language, eye contact, and overall attentiveness during class. Are they actively participating in discussions, asking questions, or contributing to group activities?

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5 Seek Feedback

As you implement changes, continue seeking feedback to gauge the effectiveness of your enhancements. This ongoing dialogue with your students can help fine-tune your methodologies. Use quick, in-class polls or feedback forms to get immediate reactions to new teaching strategies. This iterative process ensures that your teaching remains dynamic and responsive to student needs, fostering a collaborative and adaptive learning environment.

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6 Adjust Continually

Finally, recognize that teaching excellence is an ever-evolving goal. Be prepared to make continual adjustments based on ongoing feedback and self-reflection. Keep abreast of new pedagogical research and trends in higher education that might inspire further innovation in your teaching. By committing to a cycle of feedback, reflection, and adjustment, you'll cultivate a resilient and effective teaching practice that resonates with the diverse needs of higher education learners.

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7 Here’s what else to consider

This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?

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Nurul Huda Abd Kadir, PhD

Graduated from Imperial College London and Currently an Associate Professor at Universiti Malaysia Terengganu
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In my university, all lecturers need to have portfolios for each subject they teach. The portfolios need to comply with many aspects including student assessments, lecture notes, exam questions in accordance to course learning outcome (clo) and program learning outcome (plo), rubrics, teaching activities and etc. Our teaching portfolios need to meet Malaysian Qualification Framework (MQF) standards and it will be audited by faculty members, internal auditors and SIRIM auditors to make sure our teaching standards comply to OBE system by ISO standards. Furthermore, the exam questions, answers and students exam answers will be collected and send to accredited auditors from other universities

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Timothy Mirtz DC, PhD

Associate Professor, Chair of the Department of Secondary and Physical Education at Bethune-Cookman University
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The most important thing a person can do is have fun with your material. Have students interpret images by having them explain what is going on instead of regurgitating facts. Instead of "what" they need to know, how about inquire "how" the content works? Why not have them answer "why" is it the answer?

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What do you do if your teaching methodologies need enhancement through feedback in Higher Education?

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

1 Gather Data

2 Reflect Deeply

3 Plan Changes

4 Test Innovations

5 Seek Feedback

6 Adjust Continually

7 Here’s what else to consider

Higher Education

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What do you do if your teaching methodologies need enhancement through feedback in Higher Education?

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

1 Gather Data

2 Reflect Deeply

3 Plan Changes

4 Test Innovations

5 Seek Feedback

6 Adjust Continually

7 Here’s what else to consider

Higher Education

Rate this article

Thanks for your feedback

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