So much preparation goes into designing a course, but whether the chosen methods and content actually resonate with the students is often only apparent at the end of the semester, and then it is too late to make any adjustments. The Teaching Analysis Poll (TAP) aims to change this by providing an early, qualitative interim teaching evaluation. “A mid-semester feedback round is a good way to recognize and promptly address any need for changes in courses, akin to a continuous quality improvement process,” says Julie Direnga, digital teaching officer in the SKILL Project. In some degree programs, this has not been a common practice so far. Many students are not even aware that they can help shape the teaching process. TAP provides a moderated feedback session where students in a given course reflect in small groups on what helps them learn, what challenges they encounter, and what specific improvements they would like to see.

Advantage: Evaluation Without Teaching Staff

One decisive advantage is that the instructor is not present during the evaluation. A team comprised of members of university didactics, the Studierwerkstatt, and the SKILL project moderates the discussion, structures the feedback, and codes the results, which are then analyzed in collaboration with the instructor. According to Franziska Richter, university didactics and digital transformation officer, this gives teaching staff the opportunity to receive feedback from their own students in a confidential and low-stakes manner. She is convinced that students can profit from TAP as well.

Why use TAP?

1. Actionable feedback during the semester: Corrections to teaching methods can be made right away, as opposed to in the following semester.
2. Strengthening dialogue with students: This method shows students that their opinions are valued and their learning success is taken seriously.
3. Structured, qualitative feedback: Instead of isolated comments, teaching staff receive organized insights that can be directly applied to their teaching methods.
4. Expert support: University didactic consultants offer guidance on interpreting and implementing feedback. According to Gabi Meihswinkel, Studierwerkstatt lecturer, students find it particularly helpful to be involved in the teaching evaluation process. “The opportunity to exchange ideas with fellow students about how learning works for them individually and to share personal experiences about what is helpful in one’s own subject is perceived as a positive byproduct. For many students, this experience fosters a sense of community and highlights that what is challenging for one individual can be beneficial for another.”

TAP Process

1. Instructors express their interest by registering in Stud.IP
2. The team schedules an appointment
3. During the evaluation, the instructor steps out of the room for about 20–30 minutes.
4. Students discuss three questions in groups:

• What supports learning the most?
• What hinders learning?
• What are specific suggestions for improvement?

5. The moderator collects the answers, encodes them, and prepares them for analysis.
6. A follow-up meeting is held to analyze the results with the instructor and discuss potential actions.
7. The instructor provides feedback to the students, including any planned modifications to the course, as deemed appropriate.

Experiences with TAP

Research assistant Elisabeth Rohwer from the Faculty of Business Studies & Economics had the master’s seminar Managing Digital Transformation evaluated. “It was a really good experience. The team from university didactics and I then examined the results. Together, we considered which measures to implement in the current semester, such as changes to due dates for assignments, and what would make sense to implement next year. The students really appreciated this.” In her opinion, the method offers valuable input for the ongoing development of courses and reflection of one’s own teaching methods, and is beneficial for colleagues of all teaching experience levels.

Dr. Nils Lehnert, lecturer in the Faculty of Linguistics and Literary Studies, had his Introduction to Children’s and Youth Theater bachelor’s seminar evaluated in the 2024/2025 winter semester. He reports, “I can highly recommend it, and I actually feel like it creates a different connection to the students.” He found some aspects of the feedback surprising: “In particular, the students strongly wished for more structure, such as more help with slides and ensuring results. I had thought that I was on top of this, but it seems there is room for improvement.”

Rohwer and Lehnert praise the Teaching Analysis Poll and that the outcome is open by design. Unlike the standardized Stud.IP evaluations, which often predetermine many aspects, this approach makes it possible to give visibility to students’ unanticipated wishes and needs. It is precisely this openness that has led to many fascinating and unexpected results.

Register by April for TAP Evaluations

TAP opens up new perspectives on an individual’s teaching activities, enabling targeted improvements that directly benefit students. By participating in TAP, instructors not only gain valuable insights about their own teaching course, but also have an opportunity to shape teaching as a dynamic, interactive process. Teams that carry out TAP evaluations include employees from university didactics, the Studierwerkstatt, and SKILL. Instructors who wish to register for TAP evaluations in the summer semester can do so until April 3.

Dates and Registration

Information about the TAP: Teaching Analysis Poll - University of Bremen

Summer semester 2025: TAPs will be offered from May 14 to May 29, 2025. Register by April 3 via Stud.IP.

Winter semester 2025/26: TAPs will be offered from November 17 to November 29, 2025. Register by October 17 via Stud.IP.