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The Midterm Class Interview
(MCI)
Overview of the Program
The Midterm Class Interview
(MCI) Guide for Class Interviewers
The Midterm Class Interview (MCI)
The Process
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The Midterm Class Interview (MCI)
Overview of the Program
The Midterm Class Interview (MCI) is one way that
you can receive feedback from your students at midterm about how
your class is going. In this faculty-guided process, two colleagues
from outside your department visit your class and lead your students
in a series of structured individual and group reflections on the
elements of your course that are going well, and those that could
use some improvement. In this process, they strive to identify perspectives
that are held by the majority of students, thus eliminating idiosyncratic
or minor complaints and focusing on elements of your course that
are worthy of your attention. Your colleagues meet with you before
they conduct the class interview to find out more about your class
and your concerns, and they report to you afterward on the general
themes and student perspectives they heard in the interview. The
process is completely confidential, i.e. you are the only person
the interviewers will talk to about the results of the interview.
During the interview, students address the following
questions, both individually, through small group discussion, and
through whole class discussion and consensus-building:
- What is working in the class to facilitate learning?
- What is impeding learning?
- What could students do to improve this class?
- What could the instructor do to improve this class?
Some benefits of MCI over more traditional mid-term
evaluations:
- Students have an opportunity to discuss their views of the
class with other students, thus allowing them to see the diversity
and commonality of views among students in the class.
- The process focuses on centrally important elements of broad
concern, thus eliminating discussion of concerns not widely
held. This helps instructors understand better those their methods
are being received and how efforts for change should be effectively
directed.
- Students learn from the discussion about course design, elements
of good teaching, grading methods and other course aspects that
otherwise remain hidden. Thus, students understand the course
structure better and see how elements are designed to support
their learning.
- This process gives more in-depth information and ideas for
change because the interviewers can ask follow-up questions
that probe deeper than a questionnaire.
- This process provides a fairly good assessment of what your
students think constitutes “good teaching” in your
context because they answer and discuss open-ended questions
about their own learning and what is helping and impeding this
process.
- The process provides the opportunity for cross-fertilization
of courses because students will offer ideas about teaching
methods that they have experienced in other courses and find
effective. Instructors can then learn from one another through
the student experience.
- This process gives students an opportunity to reflect on classroom
dynamics and their own role in class success. They can talk
with one another about their collective responsibility to make
the class work.
- Students appreciate having an opportunity to give feedback
early enough in the term for it to make a difference for them.
- Because the process focuses on course elements that are enhancing
or impeding student learning, the professor is relatively safe
from personal attacks. We do not ask students if they like the
course or the instructor, or if the instructor is effective
or a good teacher. Rather, we focus on specific course components
that are either working well or are in need of improvement.
- You have the opportunity to talk with colleagues about your
course.
- You have the opportunity to talk with your students about
your course on a new level.
Some costs/risks of MCI include:
- It will cost you one entire class period around midterm, and
part of a class period when you report back to your students
after the interview.
- It will take time for you and your colleagues to meet before
and after the class interview.
- You need to be willing to have a couple of your colleagues
know that your teaching approach might be improved. (Everyone’s
teaching could use improvement, but your colleagues will learn
the specifics of how your methods might need improvement.)
- Your students will develop the expectation that you will
address those elements identified as needing improvement in
the interview. You may not wish to fix them, i.e. they may be
a consciously designed strategy or too labor-intensive to fix,
but you will at least need to address student concerns after
the interview is over.
- You may develop an expectation that your students’
behavior will change significantly after the MCI. For example,
if students identify as a barrier to learning their own habits
of not reading material before class, you may become frustrated
when they continue to under-prepare for class. Having realistic
expectations about the impact of this process will help everyone
make it a positive experience.
If you are interested in having an MCI for one
or more of your classes, contact Jan
Serie in the CST.
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