The Power of the Pause: The Pedagogical Value of Lecture Surveys in Large Lecture Courses
Cheri Ross
Description
This presentation explores the multi-faceted pedagogical value of lecture surveys in large lecture courses. I address the inherent challenges of passive learning and limited individualized feedback in such environments by presenting short lecture surveys as efficient, low-stakes formative assessment tools. I detail how these brief surveys foster deeper learning, metacognition, and active student engagement, while simultaneously providing instructors with immediate, actionable insights for adaptive teaching and continuous course improvement. I will also discuss key aspects of strategic implementation, including effective question design, optimal timing, leveraging technology for scalability, and crucial ethical considerations regarding student privacy and informed consent. Ultimately, I hope to present lecture surveys as a powerful means to transform large, often impersonal, lecture settings into more responsive, engaging, and student-centered learning experiences.
Link to the video [video.ucdavis.edu]
Access the presentation slides (PowerPoint)
About the Presenter
Cheri Ross is a Professor of Teaching in Comparative Literature. She teaches and writes about ancient myth and literature; classical literary genres such as epic and drama; medieval and early modern European literary tradition, as well as European Renaissance adaptations of and responses to ancient and classical literary culture. She has won many awards for teaching and program design/administration during her years at Stanford, Duke and UC Davis, most recently UC Davis' University Honors Program Outstanding Faculty Award. Currently Comparative Literature Department Chair, she also serves as her department’s Graduate Teaching Supervisor.
