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Formative Classroom Feedback

We conduct Small Group Analyses with your students and provide tailored feedback.

Small Group Analysis

A Small Group Analysis (SGA) is a confidential and voluntary service designed to provide instructors with early and extensive formative feedback from students, offering information and insights that do not emerge from end-of-term course evaluations (CTECS).

One or two trained Formative Feedback Partners will visit the class, usually 20-30 minutes before the end of the session, on a scheduled date, and ideally sometime between weeks 4-6 of the quarter (or semester, if in the Law School). Once the Feedback Partners arrive, the instructor should leave the classroom. The Feedback Partners will lead a discussion with the students around the following three questions:

  • What aspects of this course enhance your learning?
  • What aspects of this course could be improved to enhance your learning?
  • What could you—as a student—do or continue to do to enhance your learning in this course?

Afterwards, the Feedback Partners will compile a report that details both group responses and individual ratings for each question, in preparation for a follow-up consultation with the instructor.

Request a Small Group Analysis

To request a SGA, please submit a [Small Group Analysis request form] at least two weeks before the desired SGA date. You will be asked to enter your Northwestern netID and password. A Feedback Partner will then contact you to confirm the details of the SGA.