Student Surveys
At my first College Writing Programs fall pre-semester faculty meeting, my colleague Mike Larkin kindly ran to his office during a break and returned with a hard copy of the two-page CWP "Student Information Sheet" or "CWP STUDENT SURVEY" (see above), to which he had added his own technology survey. I thanked Mike, combined both documents, tweaked it a bit, and gave the survey to my three sections of CWR1A, a six-unit intensive seminar with fourteen students in each. We actively read Reyna Grande's The Distance Between Us, Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie's Americanah, a text on cross-cultural communication, and several short articles, such as Anne Lamott's "The Shitty First Draft" from Bird by Bird.
This three-page CWP Student Information Sheet / Survey proved invaluable. It helped me recognize students' multicultural strengths and better understand their language transference challenges. The slide deck below has a link to a copy of that Student Information Sheet, plus my own short, ever-evolving questionnaire for students. The most recent iteration is at the Student Questionnaire button. From day one of class, I emphasize our reflective or metacognitive approach to learning. We even have discussions about discussing. This slide deck describes other activities that I include in and outside of class to cultivate dialogue, community, student confidence, and excellence.
This three-page CWP Student Information Sheet / Survey proved invaluable. It helped me recognize students' multicultural strengths and better understand their language transference challenges. The slide deck below has a link to a copy of that Student Information Sheet, plus my own short, ever-evolving questionnaire for students. The most recent iteration is at the Student Questionnaire button. From day one of class, I emphasize our reflective or metacognitive approach to learning. We even have discussions about discussing. This slide deck describes other activities that I include in and outside of class to cultivate dialogue, community, student confidence, and excellence.
Checking in with & Surveying Students All Semester
BICWE’s (Beginning In-Class Writing Exercise: 2-min., 5-min., 10-min., 15-min., an hour / Prompts:
“Write down 1 question you have (any question).”
“Write down 1 thing I can do to help you succeed.”
“Clarify the difference between a level-1 thesis, level-2 thesis, and level-3 thesis.”
“What is the best activity you did this past weekend?” Then I read some to them.
“What is one part of the process of succeeding that you know you need to do but haven’t yet?”
“What is one activity we’ve done that you’d like us to do again because it was helpful?”
“What is one activity we haven’t done that you’d like us to do and why.”
“What 3 subjects would you like to see covered in a CW R1A ‘handbook’?”
“What ways do you think I could use Snapchat pedagogically?”
“What is your greatest stress right now, and how can you practice self-care?” (Sometimes I don't take this one up. Sometimes I do take it up, comment on it, and give it back to students.)
“Write down 1 question you have (any question).”
“Write down 1 thing I can do to help you succeed.”
“Clarify the difference between a level-1 thesis, level-2 thesis, and level-3 thesis.”
“What is the best activity you did this past weekend?” Then I read some to them.
“What is one part of the process of succeeding that you know you need to do but haven’t yet?”
“What is one activity we’ve done that you’d like us to do again because it was helpful?”
“What is one activity we haven’t done that you’d like us to do and why.”
“What 3 subjects would you like to see covered in a CW R1A ‘handbook’?”
“What ways do you think I could use Snapchat pedagogically?”
“What is your greatest stress right now, and how can you practice self-care?” (Sometimes I don't take this one up. Sometimes I do take it up, comment on it, and give it back to students.)