Guide to Analyzing SEEQ Results
In what ways, if any, do the data seem surprising?
It is useful to begin your analysis by reflecting briefly on how you expected students to respond. This exercise will put things in perspective and also help you get a sense of how accurately you are "reading" the class. How do their responses compare to other kinds of feedback (e.g., nonverbal cues, questions during class and in office hours, attendance patterns) you already have? How do your own responses to the questions on this form compare to your students'?
Are there any patterns in the data?
As you read through the responses, begin by getting an overview of the data. Is the overall picture a relatively consistent one or are there clear differences in how students are experiencing the course? If there are differences, what could account for them? What are the relative proportions of students giving a particular response? Which responses stand out? Why? How representative are they? Your printout shows the distribution of student responses, including raw numbers and percentages.
What are you doing in the classroom that is resulting in these responses?
Now that you've compared your responses to your students' and analyzed the general patterns in the data, some specific questions or responses may stand out as requiring further interpretation. If, for example, students indicate that they feel very "encouraged to participate in class discussions," try to think of what you are doing in the class that encourages them. Similarly, if students respond that they have difficulty taking notes, reflect on what you do to facilitate note-taking. Do you write complete problems on the board in the form you want your students to use, or do you skip steps? Do your presentations reflect the organization of the class period? Do you point out key concepts?
How will you respond to the feedback?
After collecting and analyzing the feedback, most instructors find it useful to reflect somewhat more generally on their data. What are you doing right? What could be improved? What new understanding/insights have you gained about your teaching? Which aspect(s) of your teaching do you want to work on improving? Although sometimes responding to data means simply following student suggestions (e.g., leaving your slides up longer), it usually requires more thought. For example, if a majority of students complain about the textbook, eliminating it is probably not the best option. But perhaps you could find ways to incorporate the text into the class more effectively. Whether or not you decide to make changes, students need to know that you have carefully considered the feedback they offered, so share your response with your students in the way that is most appropriate for your situation.
What additional feedback, if any, do you need?
While an instrument like the SEEQ can provide some useful feedback about how a class is going, it can also leave many unanswered questions. For example, if students respond that an instructor discusses current developments in the field only "moderately well," the instructor still does not know which aspects of the field students believe are being overlooked. Similarly, if some students indicate that they are not encouraged to express their own ideas and/or to question the instructor, it remains unclear what, if anything, the instructor might do to encourage more participation. You may thus find it necessary to follow up this activity by asking some open-ended questions that probe for more specific information.