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Notes on Teaching and Learning

Making Mid-Semester Classroom Adjustments

March 1, 2023
ND Learning

By Jamie Trost

You’ve just graded your fifteenth student assignment. As you finish your student comments, you sigh. Thirteen of your students answered Question 4 incorrectly, but how?!? You covered the material extensively in class, and it’s important that they know about chemical bonds before you cover the chapter on chemical reactions scheduled for next week. What should you do?

Many educators can tell this anecdote, in one form or another. Especially for instructors new to the practice, but even for experienced instructors teaching a course on new material, designing a course is a large practice in trial and error. Setting the pace of lectures, deciding what material to cover and what to expect that students already know, and finding the best methods of delivery that match student needs are just a few of the considerations that play into designing an effective course.

In addition to gathering and responding to early student feedback, responding to evaluation outcomes such as test can quizzes can be a helpful way to gauge how a course is progressing. Noting that a number of students are struggling with a particular concept or course theme can aid an instructor in understanding areas of learning that could be improved with clarification or revisitation. A few tips can lend guidance on how to make mid-semester classroom adjustments based on indications from student assessments.

Take the Temperature with Student Learning

Whether posing a question in-class or grading the latest homework assignment, assessments of student learning can prove critical to gauging student’s progress on learning outcomes of a course in real time. If you ask a question in class and receive puzzled looks, this may be an indicator that students are having difficulty with the material at hand. This instantaneous feedback can allow an instructor to pause on a topic and resolve issues immediately by revisiting course material and providing needed clarification. Treat each measure of student learning as an opportunity to “take the temperature” of the class. Remain open to revisiting topics, dedicating some extra class time to especially difficult topics, and allowing ample time for questions. 

There are many ways instructors can address learning gaps creatively. Holding additional review sessions, encouraging students to take advantage of office hours, adjusting homework assignments to include review questions from previous units, and setting time aside during lecture to review past materials are all ways in which you can respond to signs that students are struggling with material. In many situations like this, making course alterations may be best for catching students up on material and paving the way to move forward in the course with comfort and confidence. Most importantly, follow up with students afterwards to reevaluate their understanding of the material.

When in Doubt, Talk it Out

After looking at the results of the last quiz, you’d like to offer an extra course session on solving hierarchical regressions to address student questions and clarify previous materials; but doing so would replace the “fun” lecture you build in regarding text analysis! Would it be better to offer additional office hours? Would students prefer addressing their questions outside of class? Ask them! Incorporating student input into your decisions increases student satisfaction with a course, creates student buy-in and lets students know that their voices are heard and appreciated.

Dr. Emily Whitehorse provides a great method for enlisting the help of students in making major course adjustments: “First, you present, discuss and explain the rationale behind the change you are making or thinking about making – and that whenever possible, you give the students a voice in the decision. These are adult learners, and I have found it to be true that they do better when they know what is going on and why in advance.” As Dr. Whitehorse points out, including students in course decisions can also be advantageous in that students may point out solutions that the instructor hadn’t even considered.

Remember that Student Misunderstanding Does not Imply Student Inattention

I often hear instructors say things along the lines of “I don’t understand why my students aren’t learning this material! They must not be paying attention.” It can be deceptively easy to disregard poor assessment outcomes as the result of students failing to engage with the material; however, these outcomes can more likely be attributed to confusion in assignment requirements, misunderstanding of course material, or lack of sufficient time to complete an assignment. Give your students the benefit of the doubt; at the same time, use your experience as a learning opportunity and take tangible steps to improve your course. As an instructor, your goal is not to be perfect, but to be better each day.

Considerations for Addressing Poor Performance on an Assignment: 
  • Ask yourself: What happened? Was there not enough time to complete the assignment? Were expectations and grading criteria well-defined and communicated? 
  • Consider how to move forward: Can your classroom and syllabus be adjusted? How might you prevent this issue from occurring in the future?
  • Communicate what you plan to do and why. Let your students know what happened and indicate how the issue will be resolved.
  • Focus on mastery above moving on. Do your best to fill learning gaps before moving on to more complicated material. 
  • Collaborate with your students– Work through the assignment with students in-class– You may opt to allow students to tackle the assignment open-book or in a group. You might also walk students through the assignment, problem by problem. This strategy is especially useful when many students struggle on an exam or qualitative assignment.
  • Decide whether you will adjust the grade. Curving a student’s grade, allowing resubmissions for extra credit, and entirely removing a grade from consideration are all avenues that may help relieve some of the stress that students may feel after receiving a poor grade.


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