Mid-Quarter Inquiries

Mid-Quarter Inquiries

Overview

Mid-Quarter Inquiries (MQIs) provide you with formative feedback that you can use to modify a course you are currently teaching before the end of the term. MQIs are available to full- and part-time faculty, Teaching Assistants (TAs), graduate student Associate Instructors (AIs), and Postdoctoral Scholars. 

CEE offers two electronic MQI formats to best fit your teaching and learning needs: the "standard" MQI and the Do-it-Youself (DIY) MQI.

The “standard ” MQI

The standard MQI for faculty includes two general questions and five questions on equity, engagement, and inclusion (EEI). The standard MQI for TAs includes only two general questions. 

For this type of MQI, CEE can provide you with a Qualtrics survey that will collect anonymous feedback from your students during a class or week. The MQI is assigned and/or facilitated by the instructor. 

Students provide feedback on two general prompts: 

  1. What helps you learn in this class? 
  2. What limits your learning in this class? 

For TAs requesting an MQI, the two general prompts are: 

  1. What does the TA do that helps you learn in this class? 
  2. What does the TA do that limits your learning in this class? 

The faculty version of the MQI also asks students to rate their perceptions about the following equity, engagement, and inclusion statements: 

  • I am motivated to do well in this class 
  • I feel engaged in this class
  • I feel encouraged by the instructor to participate in this class 
  • I feel included in this class by the instructor and my classmates
  • I feel respected by the instructor 

Students also have the opportunity to provide further comments about engagement, equity, and inclusion. 

Instructors commonly find that MQIs can help enhance teaching methods, promote greater student participation, and improve instructor-student rapport. 

MQI Process

  • Step 1: Request the MQI on the CEE website here (authentication required). MQIs for faculty are processed by CEE Education Specialists. As of Fall 2023, all MQIs are carried out electronically. 

  • Step 2: An Education Specialist will email you an MQI survey link that you can administer in class, add to your Canvas course, and/or email to your students when you are ready. 

    To tailor the MQI to your course(s) and course characteristics, we suggest that you verbally prompt students about specific questions when asking them to complete the MQI. Use (or modify) the following sample language when asking students to complete the MQI. Note: You may need to adapt language slightly based on the specific type of remote MQI that you request: 

    As your instructor, I’m interested in your learning in this class. For that reason, I am asking for your feedback on what is helping you learn and what is not helping you learn in this class. I am also interested in the following aspects of this class, as you include your comments {ADD YOUR SPECIFIC QUESTIONS HERE}. Below, please find a link to a Mid-Quarter Inquiry, which is a short, anonymous, and voluntary survey that you can use to give me feedback about how class is going for you. There are two general questions and five equity, engagement, and inclusion questions, and it should take you 7-10 minutes to fill out.  I will be able to see all of your responses exactly as you wrote them; however, your responses are anonymous. Only myself and a staff member at UCD’s Center for Educational Effectiveness, which administers the survey, will be able to see your anonymous responses. Your participation in this survey by {ADD DAY/DATE} will help me to improve the class for you and your classmates. The survey link is below. Thank you for participating! 

    For an effective MQI process, please remember to give your students a clear due date for responding to the survey. It also helps to remind your students periodically to fill out the survey before the due date. 

  • Step 3: If you specified a close date when you requested the MQI survey, CEE will process the report and send it to you within 2-4 business days of that close date. 

  • Step 4: Education Specialists email faculty with their MQI digital reports. They will also schedule a followup consultation to meet with the instructor to discuss the results of the survey and identify teaching practices that support or limit your students’ learning. We encourage all faculty to take advantage of these consultations and discuss their MQI findings with CEE. 

    MQIs for Teaching Assistants, graduate student Associate Instructors, and Postdoctoral Scholars are conducted by the Teaching Assistant Consultants (TACs) and follow the same process described above. 

    What happens during the follow-up consultation? The CEE Specialist will send you a complete, digital report via email, along with some reflection questions, before the MQI follow-up consultation. The report and the reflection questions will help you prepare for the meeting. During the follow-up consultation, the CEE Specialist will discuss the student feedback with you and assist you in prioritizing any changes you would like to implement. Consultation topics range from general suggestions about how to increase student engagement to more targeted suggestions about how to incorporate specific, evidence-based teaching practices into your teaching. Instructors can use the comments to guide decisions about the course and their teaching in both the near and long term. Noting the consultation and describing your student feedback can also be a useful item to include in your teaching portfolio or professional dossier. 

Do-it-Yourself (DIY) MQI

A Do-it-Yourself (DIY) MQI that lets instructors carry out the MQI on their own using survey questions and methods appropriate for their situation. For more on the DIY question protocol go here. 

Please note: CEE has moved to an electronic MQI process as part of our effort to enhance our ability to provide access to this formative feedback process to a growing number of instructors in a timely manner. Please note the following changes to CEE’s MQI process:  

  • CEE reserves the right to limit MQIs (except for the DIY MQIs) to one per instructor per academic year based on demand. 
    • All MQIs are now electronic only. In the electronic MQI, students provide feedback in the classroom and/or online via their electronic devices. Instructors who request a standard MQI or want to implement the DIY MQI should permit students to use web-enabled devices during the in-class portion of the MQI process.  

DIY MQI Process:  

Should you wish to create your own MQI for your course, you can use the sample statements below to build a survey in Canvas, Google Forms, or Qualtrics. These questions can be adapted to fit your course context and instructional goals.

After administering your survey, you may request a consultation with a CEE Specialist to help interpret results and identify instructional strategies.

Note: Instructors who conduct their own MQI are encouraged to share results with their CEE Specialist in advance of the consultation, if possible.

  • Sample Do-It-Yourself MQI Statements for Teaching
  •  
    • The class is well organized (e.g., in-class lecture time, Canvas site).
    • The instructor uses class time effectively to teach and support my learning.
    • The class content is clear and understandable (i.e., not too hard and not too easy).
    • The instructor presents clear expectations for homework and assignments.
    • The class incorporates active learning (e.g., in-class pair/group work and activities, Canvas pair/group work) in ways that help me learn better.
    • The class incorporates worksheets, activity guides, notes, or other materials that support my learning.
    • The quantity and quality of the class assignments support my learning.
    • The class incorporates many short videos that support my learning.
    • Discussion sections/labs support my learning.
    • The class incorporates practice exercises, practice problems, practice midterms, and/or other practice assignments that support my learning.
    • The instructor provides helpful and timely feedback on assignments.
    • The instructor promotes my well-being (mental health awareness, good habits).
  • Sample Do-It-Yourself MQI Statements for Remote Teaching
  •  
    • The remote class is well organized and easy to navigate (e.g., content is easy to find, Zoom lectures, Zoom activities, Canvas site).
    • The instructor uses Zoom effectively to teach and support my learning.
    • The remote class content is clear and understandable (i.e., not too hard and not too easy).
    • The instructor presents clear expectations for homework and assignments.
    • The remote class incorporates active learning (e.g., Zoom pair/group work and activities, Canvas pair/group work) in ways that help me learn better.
    • The remote class incorporates worksheets, activity guides, notes, or other materials that support my learning.
    • The quantity and quality of the remote assignments supports my learning.
    • The remote class incorporates many short videos that support my learning.
    • Remote discussion sections/virtual labs support my learning.
    • The remote class incorporates practice exercises, practice problems, practice midterms, and/or other practice assignments that support my learning.
    • The instructor provides helpful and timely feedback on assignments.
    • The instructor promotes my well-being (mental health awareness, good habits).
  • Remote Class Support for Learning
  •  
    • The instructor presents clear expectations for homework and assignments.
    • The remote class incorporates worksheets, activity guides, notes, or other materials that support my learning.
    • The remote class incorporates homework that supports my learning.
    • The remote class incorporates practice problems, practice midterms, and/or other practice assignments that support my learning.
    • The quantity and quality of the remote assignments supports my learning.
    • The instructor provides helpful and timely feedback on assignments.
    • The remote class content is clear and understandable (i.e., not too hard and not too easy).
  • Technology That Supports Remote Learning
  •  
    • The instructor uses available classroom technology (e.g., Zoom, Canvas site, Live Room, document camera, Zoom whiteboard, lecture capture) in ways that support my learning.
    • The instructor uses new media (e.g., podcasts, YouTube videos, TED Talks) in ways that help me learn.
    • The instructor uses Canvas effectively to support my learning.
    • The instructor uses Zoom effectively to teach and support my learning.
    • The instructor uses iClickers or other remote classroom response technology that supports my learning.
    • The instructor orients me to the online proctoring tool effectively to support my learning.
  • Assessment and Grading
  •  
    • The remote exams cover the content presented in class.
    • The remote exams are neither too easy nor too hard.
    • The grading structure/breakdown is clear and understandable.
    • The instructor provides rubrics and/or a scoring guide that supports my learning.
    • The instructor provides examples and models for assignments and exams.
    • The class incorporates instructor feedback and/or peer feedback.
    • The online proctoring instructions are clear.
  • Engagement, Equity, and Inclusion
  •  
    • I am motivated to do well in this remote class.
    • I feel engaged in this remote class.
    • I feel encouraged by the instructor to participate in this remote class.
    • I feel I belong in this remote class.
    • I feel respected by the instructor.
    • I observe that the instructor treats all students with respect.
    • I feel that my unique attributes (e.g., traits, characteristics, skills, experience, and background) are valued by the instructor in this class.
    • I feel that the instructional materials in this class are inclusive of my cultural background and/or experiences.
    • I feel that my access to technology for remote learning is taken into consideration by the instructor in this class.