Mid-Semester Inquiry

Overview

A Mid-Semester Inquiry (MSI) is a structured, confidential process designed to help instructors gather meaningful feedback from students while the course is in progress–when adjustments can still be made.

Unlike end-of-term evaluations, mid-semester feedback is formative. It creates space to reflect, adapt, and strengthen the learning experience in real time.

How Our MSI Service Works

When you request a Mid-Semester Inquiry, a CTL consultant partners with you through a three-step process:

1. Pre-Consultation

You meet with a CTL consultant to discuss:

• Your course context and goals
• Areas where you would like student input
• Any specific questions or concerns
• Teaching strategies you are experimenting with

This conversation helps shape the focus of the inquiry. Before meeting with a CTL colleague, consider reflecting on these questions:

• What aspects of the course are you most curious about?
• Where do students seem confused or disengaged?
• What teaching approaches are you experimenting with?
• What assumptions are you making about students’ learning?

2. In-Class Student Focus Group

A CTL consultant visits your class and facilitates a confidential, structured small-group discussion (typically 25–30 minutes). During this time:

• Students reflect on what is supporting their learning.
• Students identify challenges or areas of confusion.
• Students suggest changes that could improve their experience.

The instructor steps out of the room during the focus group to encourage candid feedback. Students’ comments are synthesized and anonymized.

3. Debrief and Summary Memo

After the focus group, you meet one-on-one with the consultant to:

• Review key themes
• Interpret patterns in student responses
• Identify actionable next steps
• Consider short-term and long-term adjustments

You receive a written memo summarizing emerging themes and practical strategies as well. 

Why Conduct a Mid-Semester Inquiry?

Mid-semester feedback offers benefits for both instructors and students:

Identify Perception Gaps

Research suggests that students’ perceptions of their learning and participation may differ from instructors’ perceptions (Carpenter, Witherby, & Tauber 2020; Deslauriers et al. 2019). Mid-semester feedback helps surface and narrow these gaps.

Make Timely Adjustments

Because mid-semester feedback is gathered while the course is still in progress, it creates an opportunity to make thoughtful, timely adjustments. You may choose to clarify expectations, adjust pacing, revisit particularly challenging concepts, or make small structural changes that better support student learning. Rather than waiting until the next iteration of the course, mid-semester feedback allows you to respond in real time to the needs of the students in front of them.

Strengthen Classroom Trust

When students see that their feedback is invited and taken seriously, they are more likely to feel invested in the course. Studies suggest that soliciting and responding to student input can positively influence students’ perceptions of their learning environment (Hurney et al. 2014; McGowan & Osguthorpe 2011)

As one instructor reflected after participating in MSI:

“Students [had] a good opportunity to reflect on their learning experience in the class, and maybe empowered them to think about how to make the class serve their learning goals even better... I was able to decide what to do more of, what to change, and in some cases what pedagogical approaches or learning goals to make more explicit. It was a valuable experience, it helped me grow as an educator, and it was time-efficient.”

Schedule your MSI today and make the most of this opportunity to benefit both you and your students! 

Collecting Feedback on Your Own

If you prefer to conduct a mid-semester check-in independently, you can gather student input using:

• A bCourses survey or quiz
• Qualtrics or Google Forms
• Small-group in-class discussions
• Anonymous written responses (e.g., index cards)

Some instructors use a structured Small Group Instructional Diagnosis (SGID) approach, in which students discuss feedback in small groups before sharing common themes. The MSI service follows a similar model, facilitated by a CTL consultant to ensure confidentiality and structured synthesis.

Examining and Responding to Student Feedback

Collecting feedback is only the first step. How you respond shapes its impact.

Look for Patterns
After collecting feedback, begin by reading through students’ comments with an open and reflective mindset. It can be helpful to first notice what students identify as working well, since constructive feedback often feels more salient. Then review suggestions for improvement, looking beyond individual comments to identify broader themes. Rather than focusing on isolated remarks, consider sorting responses into recurring categories or areas of concern. Treat student feedback as qualitative data: patterns across responses are typically more informative than any single comment. Identifying common threads can clarify where small adjustments may have meaningful impact.

Close the Loop with Students
Whether you conduct a mid-semester check-in independently or through a CTL-facilitated MSI, sharing what you learned with students is an essential part of the process. Reporting back signals that their input was taken seriously and thoughtfully considered. As Pingree advises, even if you can’t implement all the suggestions, simply engaging in a conversation about why shows students that their opinions are valued. When reporting back:

• Thank students for their input.
• Identify changes you will implement this term.
• Note suggestions you will consider for future iterations.
• Explain decisions where changes are not feasible.