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Mid Module Reviews in Biosciences and Chemistry (and HWLS)

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Background

Over the last ten years at SHU I have led work on the collection, interpretation and use of student feedback, progressing from School lead to a cross‑College role and involvement in university wide initiatives. Student feedback is an important part of our continuing improvement, and we have a range of methods to gather this. I class these as formal and informal methods. Formal feedback is gathered from students externally through the National Student Survey (NSS) and Postgraduate Taught Experience Survey (PTES). I class mid-module feedback as an informal method, alongside ‘corridor chats’, social media comments and so on. I expect module leaders to complete mid-module review AND engage with the end of module evaluation.

NSS “Student Voice” questions relate directly to student feedback. We score higher on the ‘feedback opportunities’ question (Q22), than students feeling their feedback is valued (Q23) or acted on (Q24).

Why mid-module evaluation matters

Mid-module is a good time to check with students how they are experiencing the module. We can still make changes to improve their experience at this point, which encourages engagement. Actions following review should be fed back, showing we use and value their comments, helping build dialogue and trust between students and staff.

Getting the feedback

There is no set way to carry out mid module reviews. What matters most is feedback is collected and used.

Suggested approaches to consider:

  • Oral feedback – Take time in a teaching session to ask students for their views
  • Focus groups – Allow students to feedback collectively through group discussion
  • Paper based feedback – Prompt sheets with focused questions, or post it notes in class.
  • Online feedback – Use tools (eg Google Forms) to collect responses quickly and efficiently.

Module teams may choose one approach or blend several together.

Timing

A good time to seek feedback would be around week five or six of teaching on a standard 12-week module. For longer, or non-standard modules, the survey should be timed to be central to the teaching. The key principle is simple: feedback should be gathered early enough to inform meaningful action.

What to ask?

Keep it simple. A few well chosen open questions can produce very useful feedback. For example I use:

  • What do you like about this module?
  • What could be done to improve the module this semester?
  • What could be done to improve the module for next year?

These prompts encourage students to reflect on their current experience and support longer term module development.

Close the loop

Identify themes and plan actions, then make sure to close the feedback loop. At a minimum, feedback should be recorded in the module Student Voice area.
Module teams may also use:

  • Oral feedback taking a few minutes in a teaching session, explaining what has changed and why
  • A group email summarising key themes and responses

If changes are not possible, explaining the rationale helps students understand constraints whilst still feeling heard.

Making a difference

Mid-module evaluation is a simple but powerful way to show students that their feedback makes a difference. The NSS “Student Voice” positivity has improved year on year. In Biosciences and Chemistry, we have seen a closing of the gap between students reporting they have opportunity to feedback and being clear it is valued and acted on. The gap has closed from 10 percentage points (pp) between Q22 and Q23, and 26pp between Q22 and Q24 in 2023, to 2pp and 18pp in 2025. A concerted effort on mid-module and closing the loop may be one factor in this.

Take home points:

  • Time it right and use time in sessions
  • Keep it simple (higher response rate)
  • The method isn’t important, collecting and responding to feedback is
  • Close the loop: show students their voice is heard and valued

Author

Tom Bassindale, Head of School of Biosciences and Chemistry