Professors typically give lots of feedback to students over a semester to help them learn and improve.
Professors, however, often complain about the feedback that students give concerning the professor’s performance in a course. I eagerly accept student feedback because it helps me understand what I need to improve.
But I also give feedforward to new students based on the performance that I have observed from past students over the years.
Below is what I tell my students at the start of each semester:
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After many years of teaching, clear patterns emerge that affect how much students learn and how well they perform on assignments. Follow this feedforward, and you will require less feedback as the course progresses.
Feedforward on How You Can Improve as a Student
- Budget your time at the start of the semester: Block out time in your calendar to do the work
- Review the syllabus at least once a week
- Carefully follow all instructions
- Do the assigned work and reading
- Attempt assignment after you have done the required work
- Submit assignment on-time through Blackboard file upload
Feedforward on How You Can Improve Your Assignments
- Review assignment instructions / requirements two times before completing the assignment
- Re-write the assignment instructions (helps assure you understand them)
- Create two or more drafts and edit your assignment each time for clarity, grammar, etc.
- Submit finished products, not first drafts
- Do not procrastinate and wait until day before assignments are due to complete them
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