The Students Consulting on Teaching (SCOT) program is a short-term partnership between a faculty member and a student consultant trained to help faculty gather learner feedback.
The purpose is to support faculty in making small but impactful teaching changes that are informed by broad research on learning and by student feedback in the context of a specific course.
Total expected time commitment by participating faculty is 2 hours total, spread over 2-3 weeks. Faculty will select from 4 learner feedback options described below for engagement with their student consultant.
Student Feedback Options
SCOTs receive training from CTLE educational developers before partnering with faculty. By design, these student consultants are themselves learners who are developing experience in conducting these methods. SCOTs seek opportunities to practice with faculty partners and enrolled students in SU courses.
- Small Group Instructional Feedback – Are you interested in student feedback, but not sure what questions to ask? A SCOT can facilitate a 25-minute, highly structured process for gathering student feedback using open-ended questions. This effort can be combined with the SCOT’s observation of a class period or two.
- Class Observation – Are you interested in getting a different perspective on your teaching from a student who’s not enrolled in your course? You and a SCOT select 2-3 class periods for observation. The SCOT meets with you for pre-observation to find out what areas to focus on, takes notes during the class meetings they attend, and then works with CTLE staff to summarize their notes for a post-observation conversation with you.
- Early Course Feedback Surveys – Have you already identified aspects of student learning where you want feedback? You can meet with a SCOT to design a simple feedback survey to gather early course feedback. The SCOT will help create and administer the survey, analyze the data, and work with you to interpret the findings.
- Transparent Assignment Design – Are students performing below your expectations on assignments? Robust research reports benefits for all students, and especially those from underrepresented populations, when faculty clearly articulate the purpose, tasks, and criteria for assignments. You and a SCOT work together to apply transparent design to a specific course assignment. This process involves two meetings and can be combined with a SCOT class observation if desired, especially the class meeting when you explain the assignment to students.
The program is led by Jacques Safari Mwayaona [mjsafari@syr.edu] and Laurel Willingham-McLain [lwilling@syr.edu] through the CTLE [ctle@syr.edu].