67A-11 |
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S. J. SCHMIDT, M. S. Parmer, and D. M. Bohn. Department of Food Science and Human Nutrition, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, 905 South Goodwin Ave., Urbana, IL 61801 Large undergraduate courses are a challenge to manage, engage, and assess, yet such formidable classes can flourish when students' participation is facilitated. One method of generating authentic student involvement is implementation of quality circles by means of a Student Feedback Committee (SFC), which is a volunteer problem-solving group that communicates student-generated input to the instructional team. Our objective was to implement a SFC in a large introductory Food Science and Human Nutrition (FSHN 101) course to increase student involvement and affect change in the quality of the course. At the beginning of each semester, students were asked to volunteer for SFC membership by submitting a brief application addressing why they would like to participate on the SFC. In Spring 2003 (632 students, mainly non-majors), 15 out of 36 applicants were selected for the SFC. In Fall 2003 (114 students, all FSHN majors and minors), all 14 applicants were selected. Each semester the SFC met three times to provide input to the instructional team. During both semesters, SFC members actively shared anonymous feedback from class members as well as their own personal feedback. Numerous ideas for improving instructional practices, including course policies, course content, and assessment methods, were obtained and put into practiced. Survey results from SFC and class members indicated that the SFC was effective in improving the instruction and/or content aspects of the course as well as the student-teaching team rapport. Methods to increase class member involvement in the SFC process and awareness of SFC meeting outcomes were developed based on Spring 2003 survey results and implemented in Fall 2003. The SFC provided a continuous and dynamic feedback mechanism for the instructional team and an opportunity for class members to share their input in a confidential manner to affect change in the course throughout the semester.
Session 67A, Education: General
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