The Teaching Analysis Poll (TAP) is a great way to find out what the majority of your students think most helps and impedes their learning in your course. A TAP also elicits suggestions for improving their overall learning experience. Best of all, you can take advantage of the information right now - not next semester.

How does a TAP work?
1. Arrange for a trained staff member to visit your class on a convenient day.
2. End your class 30 minutes early, introduce the consultant, and go on your way.
3. In small groups, the students answer the following questions:
• What most helps you learn in the course?
• What most impedes your learning?
• What suggestions do you have for improvements?
4. Each group writes its answers on the board; the consultant clarifies any vague
comments and makes sure that majority opinion stays on the board.
5. The consultant transcribes the responses and meets with you for about 30 minutes
to discuss the feedback.

During the follow-up meeting, the consultant gives this information to the instructor and offers suggestions for responding to the comments. Consider some of the benefits:

• Everybody wins and wins fast.
• The TAP gives you more details than do written evaluations because students have time to discuss the course in a confidential and interactive setting, while the consultant monitors responses to eliminate vagueness.
• Students appreciate your interest in hearing their ideas about the course. You'll appreciate not having to read through written evaluations which can offer grating ambiguities and negative remarks.
• TAPs are completely confidential; the consultant keeps no written records at all. TAPs can be requested only by the instructor involved.
• Only responses that have been agreed upon by a majority vote are reported, so the instructor knows that most students concur with the suggestions.
• A TAP requires only thirty minutes of class time, and an additional half-hour outside of class to review the results.
• What you learn from a TAP, especially one done in the first six weeks of the semester, helps you and the students get more from the course--with no delay.

How beneficial is a TAP?
Both veteran faculty and neophyte TAs report that the TAP provides invaluable help in analyzing their teaching:

The TAP was very enlightening in many respects. I received some instructive feedback about the course; far better than the information I get from course evaluations.

The TAP helped give me some practical tools necessary to lead a small group discussion.

I felt like my course was going well, and it was nice to have this affirmed by the TAP. The suggestions and constructive criticisms from the students were good to have, and, in my opinion, were accurate. I have endeavored to make some improvements.

How do I schedule a TAP?
To schedule a TAP, complete the online request form, call us at 982-2815 or e-mail trc-uva@virginia.edu.