formerly University of Missouri-Rolla
Please update your bookmarks! All umr.edu web and email addresses disappear after July 31, 2008 [more]
Classroom Observations & Assessments

There are a variety of services offered to faculty who wish to review their teaching methodologies or want feedback as they incorporate technology-enhanced, experiential, or collaborative learning for the first time. We recommend the use of all three of the services in order to receive a more holistic approach. However, any one of these resource are available by itself.

Video Services

Classroom Observations

Individual Consultation

Early-Semester Student Evaluations

Video Services
Missouri S&T's Video Communication Center offers video taping services by appointment. Once the video taping is complete it is given to the requesting faculty member for his/her review. Please contact our office or the VCC if you would like to arrange for a video session.

Classroom Observations
Many well-respected faculty and staff offer classroom observation feedback upon request. Please contact our office if you would like someone to observe your classroom. The feedback given is strictly confidential for the faculty member's use only.

Individual Consultation
Consultations are offered on an as needed basis to faculty who are experiencing classroom issues. Consultations are also offered in conjunction with video services and classroom observations to provide the most comprehensive feedback.

Early Semester Student Feedback
Have you ever wondered how students perceive the effectiveness of the learning process in your class? How do students perceive their own learning experiences? CERTI offers to facilitate a small group student feedback session for instructors who are interested in discovering the factors that make learning successful in their classroom as well as suggestions for improvement.

This is a great feedback method for faculty interesting in discovering the impact of a new instructional approach, to investigate a problem, or to improve the classroom climate.

 What's the Process?

  1. Contact our office to arrange for the consultants visit to your classroom.
  2. Share a bit of reflective history on your teaching goals and the strategies you use to reach those goals. Be sure to reflect statements that you wish to receive feedback on.
  3. Pick the day you want a consultant to visit your class.
  4. End your class 30-40 minutes early, introduce the consultant and leave the room.
  5. The consultant will divide students into small groups and assigns a note taker for each group. Depending on the need, each group may be assigned certain topics. The group discussion is centered on these questions within each topic.
    • What is helping you learn?
    • What is hindering you in the learning process?
    • What are your suggestions for improvement?

The consultant reconvenes the groups.The facilitator writes down the topic and the responses to each topic, clarifying vague statements. A student volunteer is asked to write down all ideas exactly as the facilitator writes them down. Once all responses for a topic are recorded, the entire class provides consensus feedback (most said, few said). A confidential, finished transcript is presented to the instructor and the facilitator offers an opportunity to discuss the feedback.

After the consultation the instructor is encouraged to discuss the student feedback immediately with the class. Thanking the students for their feedback sends a strong signal that their input was important to you. Be sure to cover what items you are willing to act on and which items are not negotiable.