Using student reflections in the formative evaluation of instruction: a course-integrated approach

This article summarizes a case study that examines the use of a course-integrated model in the formative evaluation of instruction. Through informal yet structured questionnaires, learning journals, and classroom assessment techniques, student feedback is collected on a regular basis to help the instructor monitor the effectiveness of instruction and the quality of the learning environment. The article focuses on reporting the data collected from the learning journals which show that timely and ongoing student reflections on learning are more effective than numerical responses on end-of-course questionnaires in guiding instruction.