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Creating, Selecting, and Suggesting Items for SFF

Reminder

Instructors can add or edit items on their SFFs until 11:59 PM the day before SFFs are scheduled to open. The schedule for SFFs can be found here.

Selecting Instructor Items

As an instructor you will now have the option to select up to four questions, from the item bank, to the SFF for your course(s). This will allow you to assess aspects of your course that will be of value to you. Below are some reminders about using the new system.

  • Only you will see the data from these items unless you opt to share your SFF report with your chair or others.
  • Instructor added items must come from the item bank.  If you do not see the item you would like to add to your SFF, you may suggest an item to be added to the item bank.  The suggested item will then be reviewed by the Assessment of Instruction Committee. Please allow two weeks for item approval.
  • You can review and select items for your course up to 60 days before the start of your course.
  • You may add or edit items until 11:59 PM the day before the SFF is set to open.
  • Once you select items for your course, those items will roll-over to future SFFs until you decide to change them.
  • If you do not add any instructor level items, a SFF for your course will still be administered to students.  All SFFs will have the university-wide items at a minimum, along with college level and subject code level items if they were added.

Suggesting New Items for the SFF Item Bank

The Student Feedback Form Admin Panel allows users to customize the SFF by selecting items from an Item Bank to be included on the SFF. Items added to an SFF must come from the Item Bank. New item suggestions can be submitted and will be reviewed by the Assessment of Instruction Committee (AIC) for inclusion in the Item Bank. You can suggest a new item for review at any time. However, for an item to be added to the bank for use on an upcoming SFF, items must be submitted at least three weeks before the SFF administration, so that AIC has time to review and provide feedback.

Recommendations for Suggesting New Items for the SFF Item Bank

Check the bank to ensure that a similar item is not already included.

The complete Item Bank can be reviewed within the SFF Admin Panel Form Creator page, or it can be downloaded as a Printable Items list as an Excel file.

Try to word a new item so it fits the established “Strongly Agree” to “Strongly Disagree” response scale.

Avoid questions that require a “Yes/No” or “True/False” response.

  • Example:
    • “The instructor used rubrics for grading assignments.”
  • Try this instead:
    • “The instructor’s use of rubrics when grading assignments helped me improve my future work for the course.”
Avoid double-barreled, or double-direct, items.

Make sure the question doesn’t ask students to evaluate two different concepts in one question.

  • Example:
    • “The instructor was helpful and the assignments were engaging.”
  • Try these instead:
    • “The instructor was helpful.”
    • “The assignments in this course were engaging.”

 

  • Example:
    • “The instructor gave clear instructions for assignments, and provided
      constructive feedback on my work.”
  • Try these instead:
    • “The instructor gave clear instructions for assignments.”
    • “The instructor provided constructive feedback on my work.”
Avoid items or questions that are too specific.

Items that are too course-specific will not be relevant for other Item Bank users, and can become outdated.

  • Example:

    • “The project about Shakespeare was useful in furthering my understanding of course concepts.”

  • Try this instead:
    • “The projects in this class were useful in furthering my understanding of course concepts.”
Limit the statement or question to 15 words or less, and stick to a single sentence.
  • Example:
    • “Since the final grade is based on a large number of assessments and assignments, I believe my grade is reliable and I do not have to worry about one low score on an assignment drastically affecting my final grade.”
  • Try this instead:
    • “The number and variety of assessments in this course allowed me to demonstrate what I have learned.”
Avoid leading questions.
  • Example:
    • “Describe the excellent teaching strategies used by the instructor.”
  • Try this instead:
    • “The teaching strategies used by the instructor helped me connect with my peers.”
Do not ask students questions that they cannot know.
  • Example:
    • “The instructor was aware of effective teaching strategies.”
  • Try this instead:
    • “The various instructional strategies used during class helped me learn the material.”

 

  • Example:
    • “The instructor was confident in his/her knowledge of the subject matter.”
  • Try this instead:
    • “The subject matter was explained in a way that enhanced my understanding.”

 

  • Example:
    • “The classroom-based activities synergized with the content of our Canvas discussions to produce a cohesive learning environment.”
  • Try this instead:
    • “The in-class activities complemented the online Canvas discussions.”
Avoid ambiguous questions.
  • Example:
    • “How did this course help you?”
  • Try this instead:
    • “The assigned readings for this course helped me make connections to other texts.”
Avoid universal qualifiers (words like “always”, “never”, and “every”).
  • Example:
    • “This class always maintained my interest.”
  • Try this instead:
    • “The topics in this course were interesting to me.”
Avoid words with strong emotional connotations.
  • Example:
    • “I loved the field trips for this course.”
  • Try this instead:
    • “The field trips contributed to my learning in this course.”