The Teaching
Analysis Poll (TAP) a mid-semester feedback technique which offers is a great way to find out what the majority of your
students think most helps and impedes their learning in your course. A
TAP also elicits suggestions for improving their overall learning experience.
Best of all, you can take advantage of the information right now - not
next semester.
How does
a TAP work?
 1. Arrange
for a trained staff member to visit your class on a convenient
day.
2. End your
class 30 minutes early, introduce the consultant, and go
on your way.
3. In small
groups, the students answer the following questions:
• What
most helps you learn in the course?
• What
most impedes your learning?
• What
suggestions do you have for improvements?
4. Each group
writes its answers on the board; the consultant clarifies
any vague comments
and makes sure that majority opinion stays
on the board.
5. The consultant
transcribes the responses and meets with you for
about 30 minutes to discuss
the feedback.
During the
follow-up meeting, the consultant gives this information to the instructor
and offers suggestions for responding to the comments. Consider some of
the benefits:
- Everybody
wins and wins fast.
- The TAP
gives you more details than do written evaluations because students
have time to discuss the course in a confidential and interactive setting,
while the consultant monitors responses to eliminate vagueness.
- Students
appreciate your interest in hearing their ideas about the course. You'll
appreciate not having to read through written evaluations which can
offer grating ambiguities and negative remarks.
- TAPs are
completely confidential; the consultant keeps no written records at
all. TAPs can be requested only by the instructor involved.
- Only responses
that have been agreed upon by a majority vote are reported, so the instructor
knows that most students concur with the suggestions.
- A TAP requires
only thirty minutes of class time, and an additional half-hour outside
of class to review the results.
- What you
learn from a TAP, especially one done in the first six weeks of the
semester, helps you and the students get more from the course--with
no delay.
How beneficial
is a TAP?
Both veteran faculty and neophyte TAs report that the TAP provides invaluable
help in analyzing their teaching:
The TAP
was very enlightening in many respects. I received some instructive
feedback about the course; far better than the information I get from
course evaluations.
The TAP helped give me some practical tools necessary to lead a small
group discussion.
I felt like my course was going well, and it was nice to have this affirmed
by the TAP. The suggestions and constructive criticisms from the students
were good to have, and, in my opinion, were accurate. I have endeavored
to make some improvements.
Learn more about the TAP process and it's benefits from a graduate student's perspective. |
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We conduct Teaching Analysis Polls only between the fourth and ninth weeks of each semester. This timing ensures that instructors have adequate opportunity to make effective use of the student feedback collected during the TAP process.
To schedule a TAP, submit your request online before the third week of each semester. The number of TAPs we conduct is limited and filled on a first-come first-served basis.
If you have questions, please call us at 982-2815 or e-mail trc-uva@virginia.edu. |
