The Student Check-In Resource
The Student Check-In Resource
As a student, something my professors have done to give their students more agency in the classroom is provide student check-ins throughout the semester. A student-check in asks students about their identities and commitments outside of the classroom. The check-in also asks how students feel about classroom material, activities, and assignments. Further, they encourage student metacognition because the check-in allows students to reflect on their own thinking and learning process.
From a student perspective, check-ins have helped me build trust with professors, learn who I am as a student and person, and feel like a valued member in the classroom. The Pennsylvania State University’s Center for eLearning Initiatives echoes this and says that students will feel more motivated and engaged [in the classroom] “…because they have a sense that the instructor sees them as more than just a name on the roster” (PennState Behrend, 2022). Check-ins are also beneficial to professors because student feedback fosters reflective teaching practices and challenges teaching assumptions (University of Iowa Center for Teaching, 2022).
It is important to note that there are multiple ways to create student check-ins. This resource is not a one-size-fits all model but rather an adaptable handout that can be used in classrooms of different types and sizes. If you are unsure of where to start, this resource guide provides outlines and questions that instructors may find useful when crafting check-in resources.
We recommend implementing check-ins at a few points during the semester including the beginning of the semester, midterms, and before finals. Distributing check-ins multiple times throughout the semester improves students’ metacognitive abilities, promotes reflective teaching, and shows students that instructors are committed to inviting student input into the classroom. Depending on classroom size, student check-ins can also be used after modules or units are completed to gauge students’ understanding of course concepts.
Setting Up Your Check In
Student check-ins can be set up in many different ways. They can be in the form of an ICON quiz, a physical handout, a qualtrics survey, or even an online form. The opportunities are endless and completely up to personal preference and what will work best in your classroom.
If you are unsure of where to start, here are a few check-in resources, examples, and how-to’s to get you started:
- A Student Check-In Example from the Book What Inclusive Instructors Do: Principles and Practices for Excellence in College Teaching
- Indiana University on Surveying Students at the Beginning of the Semester with Questions to ask Students
- Northwestern School of Professional Studies on Creating a Beginning of Semester Student Survey
- How to Create a Course Survey on Canvas
- The Rose-Thorn-Bud Check-In from the University of Iowa Center for Teaching
Getting to Know Your Students Through The Beginning of Semester Check-in
Getting to know your students at the beginning of the semester is a helpful way to create a sense of trust and engagement in the classroom. The beginning of semester check-in helps students anonymously share about their identity, learning styles, and how they best participate in the classroom. Implementing check-ins at the beginning of the semester encourages an intersectional classroom environment because they ask students about how their identity and social location affects the way they engage with course material. The check-in can also gauge what commitments and barriers/struggles students deal with outside of the classroom that might affect the way they show up as a student.
From previous experience, beginning of semester check-ins gave my classmates and I the space to share as much (while maintaining healthy boundaries) or as little information about ourselves as we so chose. The check-in gave us a confidential space where we could confide in our instructor.
Questions for Beginning of Semester Check-Ins
Listed below are questions you may choose to ask for beginning of semester check-ins. Though this list may look daunting, it is not necessary to use every single question. Start by choosing a few questions that best fit your classroom and teaching practices.
- What previous knowledge do you have about this topic (personal or educational)?
- What do you hope to learn from this course?
- How do you learn best?
- What style of learner are you?
- What have professors done in the past that works well for you as a student?
- What commitments do you have outside of class that you would like me to know about? (other classes, internships, jobs, research positions, family, commuting, etc.)
- Do you have access to wifi and a working computer?
- Do you commute to campus?
- Are you a traditional or non-traditional student?
- Are you a First Generation student?
- Are there any religious holidays you will need an excused absence for?
- Do you have any accommodations that I should know about?
- Do you feel comfortable in this classroom space? How can we make this classroom space more comfortable?
- What are your pronouns? Can I use these pronouns in front of other classmates?
- What name would you like me to use for you in this class?
- Is there anything you would like me to know about you that I haven’t asked?
- Are there any trigger warnings you may need for class content that you would like me to know about?
Additional Questions from the Handbook for Teaching Excellence by University of Iowa’s Center for Teaching (University of Iowa Center for Teaching, 2022).
- What can I do as an instructor to foster a more inclusive learning environment for you and help you succeed?
- What makes classroom participation easy or challenging for you?
- What would you like me to know about you and the circumstances under which you are learning this semester?
- When was the last time (if any) you had interaction with this subject matter? What is your reason for taking this class now?
Asking Students about their Learning: Module, Midterm, and End of Semester Send Offs
Beginning of semester check-ins are crucial, and so are follow-up student check-ins. Depending on class size and type, we suggest implementing module, midterm, and end of semester check-ins. It is important to continually check-in with students throughout the semester. Doing so will improve student’s metacognitive abilities, or their ability to think about their thinking, enhance reflective teaching, and strengthen student engagement.
Below are questions that can be used for check-ins throughout the semester. As a reminder, it is not necessary to use all of these questions. Choose questions that fit your classroom best.
Midterm Check-In Questions
- What is working well for you in this course?
- What has been your favorite assignment so far? Why?
- What assignment has been your least favorite. Why?
- What can you do to improve your learning?
- What materials that I have provided in class have been helpful for you?
- What questions/uncertainties do you have at this point in the semester?
- How do you feel about where you’re at now in this course?
- How has your learning expanded since the beginning of the semester?
- What breakthroughs have you made in your learning at this point in the semester?
- What has been the most impactful material we worked with so far?
Module/Unit Check-In Questions
- What content from this module/unit do you understand well?
- What questions about this module/unit do you have?
- What topics from this module/unit are still unclear?
- What was your favorite topic from this module/unit?
- What can you do to improve your learning in the next module/unit?
- What did you do during this module/unit that set you up for success?
- What questions do you still have about the topics we covered?
End of Semester Send Off Questions
- What was your favorite part of this course?
- What did you take away from this course?
- What is something new you learned in this course?
- What worked well for you in this course?
- What did not work well for you in this course?
- What was your favorite assignment/activity we did?
- What was your least favorite assignment/activity we did?
- How would you improve this course for future students?
- What was a point of struggle for you in this course? What was the point of success?