When students don’t do so well on part of an assignment or struggle with a concept, we often wonder in exasperation, “What are they thinking, anyway?” Understanding our students’ confusion and misunderstandings, however, doesn’t require the power of divination or any other magical art. All we need to do is simply ask them.

This session will introduce you to a number of low- and high-tech feedback mechanisms and strategies that you can use to collect and process feedback in classes of any size. In particular, we will discuss how creating a space for student concerns to be heard and acknowledged can be a simple but surprisingly effective way to increase student engagement and improve instructor-student communications so that the classroom experience is more enjoyable and productive for everyone.