Talking to Your Students About SPOT

Student Perspectives of Teaching (SPOT) is more than an evaluation. It is a valuable tool for your instructional reflection and professional growth. A brief, intentional conversation before evaluations open can help increase participation, set expectations, and encourage more specific, constructive feedback. Students may not always know what kind of feedback is most useful, and you may be frustrated when comments feel vague or unprofessional. A brief conversation before the evaluation period can help set expectations and support stronger responses. 

Boosting your response rate

Low response rates can lead to skewed data that does not accurately represent your students’ experiences in the course. The following benchmarks from University of Toronto's Centre for Teaching Support can help you interpret response rates by course size.

Course size	Precise Estimate	General Estimate
1-25	>80%	>60%
26-50	>70%	>20%
51-100	>70%	>10%.
101-200	>50%	>10%
200+	>40%	>10%

 

Strategy #1: Rethink your 15 minutes

You are required to provide students with 15 minutes of in-class time for SPOT. Rather than waiting for the end of class when students may leave early, consider scheduling it at the beginning or middle of class. This helps ensure students remain in the room and provides them with a mental break midway through the lesson.

Strategy #2: Follow up consistently

To reach every student, send a Canvas announcement as soon as the SPOT window opens. Use the message to explain why the process matters and express gratitude for their time. Then send a final reminder toward the end of the evaluation period to encourage any remaining students to participate. 

Strategy #3: Frame the conversation

Before students begin, take two minutes to explain the purpose of SPOT. Be transparent that these reports may be viewed by you, your department chair, and evaluation committees to help you reflect on your teaching growth. Show the value of student input by sharing evidence of how past feedback shaped your current practice. For example, you might mention a change you made to your teaching approach based on midterm feedback or a change to a course assignment based on previous SPOT results.

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Encouraging actionable feedback

Increasing participation is only part of the picture. Students also need guidance on what constitutes useful feedback. Many students have not been taught how to give constructive feedback, especially to someone in a position of authority. Guide students toward high-quality responses by explaining that actionable feedback is specific, respectful, and action-oriented.

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What is the difference between helpful and unhelpful feedback?

Helpful feedback is specific and learning focused: it identifies a course element and explains how it supported or limited learning. Unhelpful feedback is often general or vague and lacks sufficient detail to guide improvement. Share examples to help students distinguish between unhelpful and helpful comments:

Unhelpful Feedback	Helpful Feedback
General or vague: comments do not identify a specific course element or explain the impact on learning	Specific and learning focused: comments identify a course element and explain how it supported or limited learning
“I didn’t enjoy this course.”	"During whole-class discussions, I felt uncomfortable speaking up in front of everyone. I would feel more comfortable sharing in small groups or with partners.”
“Everything is great!”	“Working through practice problems in small groups helped me apply the concepts myself instead of just watching them being demonstrated, which made it easier to identify what I understood and what I still needed to work on.”
“I don’t like the sound of the instructor’s voice.”	"Sometimes, you speak too softly, and I'm not able to hear what you're saying from the back of the room. Please consider using the classroom microphone."

 

Additional strategies for success

• Set expectations for respect: Emphasize that using professional language helps ensure their concerns are heard and taken seriously.
• Share your rationale: When students understand the purpose behind your teaching methods, they are better able to assess how effectively those methods supported their learning.
• Focus on the learner role: Remind students they are experts on their own learning experiences, not peer reviewers of teaching performance. 
• Provide a prompt: If students are stuck, invite them to name one thing that supported their learning most this semester and why. 
  

Putting it into practice

As you plan your approach to SPOT, consider the following:

• What will you say to explain why SPOT matters in your course?
• Which strategy will you use to encourage participation during the evaluation period?
• How will you help students understand what specific, respectful, and actionable feedback looks like?
• What example can you share to show that student feedback has informed your teaching?
• How might you build students’ confidence in giving constructive feedback throughout the term?

Learn more

University of Alberta Centre for Teaching and Learning. (n.d.). Collecting Midterm Feedback. 
University of Alberta Centre for Teaching and Learning (n.d.) Student Perspectives of Teaching. 

University of Alberta Test Scoring and Questionnaire Services. (n.d.) Student Perspectives of Teaching (SPOT).

Centre for Teaching Support and Innovation (2018). University of Toronto Course Evaluation Interpretation Guidelines for Academic Administrators. Toronto, ON: Centre for Teaching Support & Innovation, University of Toronto.