We found 229 results that contain "mid-semester"

Formative feedback is information on our thinking or our performance that gives us time to reflect and act on that feedback. Feedback is descriptive, evaluative, and suggestive. That is, good feedback shows us what we are doing, provides some sense of how we are doing relative to our goals, and provides some suggestions for how we might improve. Having said this, simple descriptive feedback can be quite powerful.
Processing feedback requires reflection. There is immense value in regular reflective practice regardless of your role or responsibilities. Taking time to critically examine how our experiences align with our expectations creates opportunities for us to identify opportunities for learning. Engaging in reflection as an iterative practice creates a norm of growth and improvement. 
Summative evaluations of our teaching at the conclusion of each semester play a role in our institutional accountability. We can certainly learn from end-of-semester feedback and many educators do. However, if this is the only opportunity for students to provide course feedback, it comes at a time when they themselves are past the point of benefiting from it. 
Formative, mid-semester feedback, however, creates an opportunity for educators to engage learners in the process of reflective practice. Intentional reflection through mid-semester feedback can help explore the initial assumptions made about a class, gain insights from learners, and develop a more comprehensive awareness of teaching practice. Generally, because the knowledge gained through this process of reflection happens with students who have a stake in the course, this reflective practice strengthens teaching practice. Finally, it is important to note as our colleagues at Vanderbilt’s Center for Teaching have noted, “soliciting mid-semester feedback can improve our end-of-course evaluations, as it will both improve the quality of the course itself and provide students with early opportunities to raise concerns with the course.”
Finally, it is essential to note that mid-semester feedback is provided in confidentiality by students. Survey administrators will tabulate and send data to you. No one else will see or have access to the information collected on your course. 
 
Adapted from the Enhanced Digital Learning Initiative at MSU: Scott Schopieray (CAL), Stephen Thomas (Nat. Sci.) Sarah Wellman (CAL & Broad), Jeremy Van Hof (Broad).
source: Finlay, Linda (2008). Reflecting on ‘Reflective practice’. Practice-based Professional Learning Paper 52, The Open University. 

The Setting the Tone from the Start workshop and its associated resources are meant to support course instructors to intentionally design the start of their courses, including practices for before and during the first class session that help connect you to your students and build community. In August 2024, it was held as part of the CTLI's Semester Start-Up programming for MSU educators. We shared actionable strategies that lay the groundwork for an engaging and inclusive course experience from day one including items related to:

syllabi, expectation setting, and pedagogical transparency
checking in on learner needs throughout the term
building classroom community

We ended the workshop by completing individualized Action Plans where instructors listed their next steps (immediate, during the semester, and before next semester) framed as S.M.A.R.T. goals. You can adapt this Action Plan for a mid-semester context, as well as prepare for the next term.You can access the slide deck for this workshop here including links to many MSU resources for course instructors.A recording of the Fall 2023 version of this workshop, facilitated by Makena Neal and Ellie Louson, is available below.Feel free to reach out to CTLI Educational Developers Ellie Louson and/or Bethany Meadows (Inclusive Pedagogy Specialist), if you have any questions about Setting the Tone from the Start or these resources.Photo by Brooke Cagle on Unsplash

In mid-November, CIRCLE hosted a workshop on interdisciplinary course design and teaching. It was a generative conversation that gave MSU educators interested in interdisciplinary teaching the chance to connect and share resources and tactics. We showcased 2 panelists with experience designing and teaching interdisciplinary courses: Erin Dreelin (Fisheries & Wildlife and Center for Water Studies) and Garth Sabo (Director of the Center for IAH). The panel discussed effective interdisciplinary course design, strategies to address potential challenges, and the potential benefits of interdisciplinary courses for instructors and students.This workshop's goal was for both new and seasoned interdisciplinary educators to move their own practices forward, from classroom strategies to evaluation of interdisciplinary teaching effectiveness. Participants had the opportunity to reflect on their own interdisciplinary teaching philosophies and work on individualized plans for interdisciplinary teaching.You can watch Garth Sabo's panel contribution video below, in which he describes some of his experiences plannign and teaching interdisciplinary courses. You can also access CIRCLE's interdisciplinary teaching resources at this link. Our resources include:



Harden's Ladder of Integration framework for interdisciplinary course design
a handout including the benefits, challenges, and institutional resources to support interdisciplinary teaching
a personalizable planning worksheet that you can print and complete



If you have any questions about interdisciplinary course design, you can contact Ellie Louson, CIRCLE's associate director of interdisciplinary teaching & learning (lousonel@msu.edu), or our panelists Erin Dreelin (dreelin@msu.edu) and Garth Sabo (sabogart@msu.edu). Save the date for our second interdisciplinary teaching & learning workshop, which will focus on co-teaching and collaboration on interdisciplinary teaching teams. It will be held February 14th 10AM-1PM (registration link TBA).If you are interested in further programming from CIRCLE, please apply to become one of our affiliates here: https://research.msu.edu/circle/affiliate-faculty-program  (we accept applications on a rolling basis).

Are you interested in creating an event or program to build community for your students population? There are a variety of ways to actively connect with your students and foster a sense of community. In this article, explore programming ideas and additional tools that can assist. Event and program ideas:

Information sessions on important curriculum information
Career/alumni panels
"Creating Your Next Semester Schedule" workshop
Webinar on locating co-curricular opportunities
Study skills workshop
Navigating test anxiety discussion with representative from CAPS
Group advising for first year students
Graduate/professional school preparation seminars
Registered Student Organization fair that relate to a specific topic
Study spaces during mid-terms and finals week
Semester kick-off and end-of-year celebration

There are free resources available to MSU staff and faculty to support your events and programs. These include:

MSU Brand Studio provides a variety of tools and downloads that adheres to MSU branding guidelines. This includes color palettes, typography, logos, signatures and office toolkits, flyers, manuals, facts sheets, and more. 


25LivePro is MSU's room reservation system. If hosting an event on-campus, check 25Live for open classrooms.

A job aid for using 25LivePro is available here(this link downloads a file).




Zoom is an excellent tool to host virtual meetings and webinars. You can also record and share sessions in Zoom for anyone that was not able to attend the live session. 


Kaltura MediaSpace is MSU's media hub designed to store and share media collections. For video recordings that you wish to share, upload to Kaltura MediaSpace to create a shareable link or embed code, and add closed captioning. A video tutorial for using Kaltura MediaSpace is available here.


Canva is a versatile design tool that offers many free templates for flyers, infographics, worksheets, and so much more. 


Camtasia provides faculty with the ability to create, edit, and upload their screen recordings or presentations. This helps students navigate their online courses, provide assignment feedback, and more. This program is offered free through MSU IT Services. 


TechSmith SnagIt allows faculty, staff and students to create beautiful documentation, images, screen captures, diagrams, and other media that can be used along with D2L. This is also free through MSU IT Services. 

This post delves into inclusive classroom activities as part of the Inclusive Pedagogy playlist.
What are some strategies for inclusive classroom activities? 
Classroom activities and interactions are where learners spend the most time with the educator. It is the space to build in trust, transparency, collaboration, and inclusivity. Some specific strategies include:

Build rapport with learners, as it is one of the most effective ways to make learners feel like they belong. There are many ways to build rapport, such as sending introductory emails, asking learners to introduce themselves, having asynchronous check-ins with learners, getting to know their interests and goals through one-on-one interactions, providing feedback that also centers praise, and having email check-ins with all learners throughout the semester.
Learn learners' names and pronouns (if they share) and how to pronounce their names correctly. Do not call roll on the first day, as learners’ names on the roster may not match the name they use. Encourage learners to also learn and use each other’s names and pronouns correctly.
Make connections of class sessions to the larger learning goals of the course, to the larger field, and to the world. 
Collaborate with learners to develop ground rules and norms
Anticipate subject matters that may need content warnings and incorporate pathways for learners to opt-out of content that would put them in a place they can no longer learn effectively
Deliver content through accessible principles and Universal Design for Learning. You may also want to consider incorporating breaks if your class session is long. 
Incorporate into classroom activities a range of diverse perspectives and thinking across race, nationality, language, disability, sexuality, gender, class, etc.. This representation should not be tokenizing but spread throughout the syllabus (i.e., not occur once to “check” a box; not present stereotypes; not be centered on a diversity month, such as Black authors in February only)
Structure discussions to include all learner voices, such as “take a queue, ask to hear from those who have not spoken, wait until several hands are raised to call on anyone, use think-pair-share activities” (University of Michigan).
Acknowledge difficult current events (but do not force learners to discuss them) and provide learners with resources if they want further support
Provide opportunities for learners to give feedback throughout the semester. For example, you may distribute an anonymous survey near mid-terms asking learners what they would like to continue, what they want to see changed, and any open questions/concerns they have. 
Refrain from making assumptions about learners, requiring learners have to speak on behalf of their identities, letting harmful comments by learners go unaddressed
If a challenging moment arises, use the P.A.L.S. method to address it in the moment and follow up with those harmed, as needed

How can I reflect on my classroom activities for inclusion? 
Some reflection questions to consider: 

How might the ways I set up classroom spaces and activities foster inclusion or disinclusion?
How do your own experiences, values, beliefs, and stereotypes influence the way you behave in the classroom?
How can I build rapport with my learners, and what impact do I think this has had on their sense of belonging?
How can I connect individual class sessions to the broader learning goals and real-world applications?
How can I involve learners in co-creating and upholding classroom ground rules, norms, and activities?
How can I prepare for and address potentially sensitive topics in my teaching?
How can I incorporate diverse perspectives into my syllabus and classroom activities in a way that is meaningful and not tokenizing?
What methods can I use to ensure all learner voices are heard and supported in classroom discussions?

Where can I learn more about inclusive classroom activities?
The resources below informed this article’s content. They are also great resources for learning more: 

Columbia’s Guide for Inclusive Teaching at Columbia
Harvard’s Teaching in Racially Diverse College Classrooms
Ohio University’s Building Rapport
University of Chicago’s Inclusive Pedagogy Strategies
University of Michigan’s Inclusive Teaching Strategies: Reflecting on Your Practice

Return to the Inclusive Pedagogy playlist.

The Center for Teaching and Learning Innovation aims to support educators across MSU's ecosystem with a "library" of student-facing surveys for collecting formative feedback, checking in with learners, and setting the tone for your learning experience. Google Forms can be used to design anonymous surveys, providing long-form or multiple-choice questions, basic Likert-scale answer keys, and basic statistical data. CTLI Student Feedback (google drive folder) offers pre-made forms to reduce barriers to educator use. Additional information about putting these forms into practice can be found on iteach.msu.edu. Existing forms for duplication currently include:

mid-semester feedback
post-crisis check-in 
pre-semester technology and access
group agreements (for in-class group work)*
pre-semester accessibility needs/preferences
weekly student check-ins (example 1 and 2)

*not anonymous  
CTLI’s survey templates require some edits and modification.
Users of the Google Form are asked to Copy the Google Form to their own Google Drive (while logged in with their MSU credentials) so that the form and collected data is owned by the user. 
Instructions for copying a Google Form from the "survey library":

Right click on the CTLI Google Form you’d like to send to your students. Click Make a Copy.
Open your copy of the Google Form and review the instructions embedded in the Google Form itself. Please review the survey headers and descriptions in their entirety. The Google survey templates are built in a way that the instructor can quickly and easily update the information to individualize it to their course.
When you have completed your edits, click the Send button in the right-hand corner of the Google Form. To maintain anonymity, please ensure that the “Automatically collect respondent's Michigan State University email address” checkbox is unchecked.

For the Group Contract Form, anonymity is unnecessary. 


Select the link or the HTML embed link as options to send your survey. Please note that sending the survey via email will deanonymize the survey. 


Please direct questions on process or access to Makena Neal. 
Photo by Philip Strong on Unsplash

2023 Educator Seminars are presented by MSU Libraries, the Center for Teaching and Learning Innovation (CTLI), MSU IT Educational Technology, the Enhanced Digital Learning Initiative (EDLI) and MSU IT Training​. 
Day 1: August 23, 2023
Instructions: Click on the registration link and sign-up for the sessions you're interested in. After completing your registration you will receive an email with the Zoom link for the session.

9:00 - 9:30 am Opening Remarks (All Teams)
Join us for a session to kickoff the 2023 Fall Educators Seminars. This is your chance to meet representatives from the teams presenting the seminars. Each will provide an overview of the sessions offered over the three-day schedule and explain the services they provide to campus.
View the MediaSpace Recording 

9:30 - 10:30 am     Introduction to Quality Matters: Ensuring Excellence in Online Education
Facilitators: Dave Goodrich & Jay Loftus (CTLI)
The Introduction to Quality Matters (QM) session is designed to provide participants with a comprehensive understanding of the QM framework and its significance in ensuring excellence in online education. This session serves as a starting point for educators, instructional designers, administrators, and anyone involved in developing and delivering online courses to familiarize themselves with QM and its core principles.
By the end of this Introduction to Quality Matters session, participants will have a solid foundation in the QM framework, enabling them to integrate best practices in online course design, promote learner engagement, and ensure the delivery of high-quality online education experiences.
View the MediaSpace Recording

10:30-11:30 pm       Introduction to Your Classroom Technology 
Facilitators: Rhonda Kessling & James Bender (IT & D)
This session is an interactive overview of the classroom technology, explaining the varying layouts, hardware and software available. Using this information, we will explore the affordances and constraints for blended and face-to-face courses. 
View the MediaSpace Recording

11:30am - 1:00pm      BREAK

1:00-2:00pm      Mid-semester Course Feedback 
Facilitator: Jeremy Van Hof (EDLI)
Student feedback can be a helpful tool for making course changes during a semester to allow students to meet course learning goals. This session will cover why and how to collect mid-semester feedback from students in ways that provide educators with actionable results.
View the MediaSpace Recording

2:00-3:00pm      Introduction to the MSU Libraries 
Facilitator: Holly Flynn (Libraries)
Enhance your teaching and research by learning about the Libraries’ extensive collections, services, spaces and expertise.
View the MediaSpace Recording

3:00-4:00pm      Spartan 365 Overview 
Facilitators: Michael Julian & Todd Ring (IT: Training)
This live Virtual Instructor-Led Training session will introduce learners to the suite of software that will help users store data, collaborate, and work efficiently. Spartan 365 has powerful tools that allow users to get more done with Microsoft apps like Outlook, Forms, OneNote, and OneDrive. Also learn how to work remotely with Microsoft Teams, the hub for teamwork.
View the MediaSpace Recording

Steph spent a majority of the semester building relationships in the college that didn’t previously exist for the fellowship. After a fellows PD meeting, she identified that there wasn’t much transparency around college-level committees, and came to find that graduate students had designated spaces on the curriculum committee as well as a student advisory committee, neither of which existed. She is now leading the effort to have those opportunities reinstated for the 2019-20 year. See Stephanie's completed work from 2019-2020.