Center for Innovation in Teaching & Learning
Small Group Instructional Diagnostic
Small Group Instructional Diagnostic (SGID) is a simple and straightforward evaluation process that uses structured small group discussions among students in a class to provide confidential feedback to an instructor, generally around the
midpoint of a term. The Center for Innovation in Teaching and Learning conducts SGID Evaluations during the Fall and Spring semesters. A representation of the different campus departments who participated in Spring 2023 can be seen in the pie chart above.
SGID at a Glance
Watch the video below to learn more about our SGID results from Spring 2023. The CITL conducted SGIDs across campus, as seen in the pie chart below.
Booking for Fall 2023
We will open bookings for fall 2023 will open soon! Contact contact Emmie Acuff at eacuff@tntech.edu if you would like to know more.
Frequently Asked Questions
- » At what point in a course should I implement an SGID?
SGIDs are conducted at the midpoint of the spring and fall semesters.
- » What are the benefits of gathering feedback from students using SGID than the end
of semester evaluation?
The SGID process is anonymous, and the feedback is given directly to the instructor. The facilitator helps the instructor gather meaningful and honest feedback from students that will help improve the course, instructional delivery, teaching, and learning within the remaining part of the semester. When feedback from the students is implemented, it can even positively affect the rating students give to instructors on end-of-semester course evaluations.
- » Who should request this process?
The SGID is best for use in classes where (a) the instructor is new to teaching the course, (b) the instructor is implementing adjustments to the course, (c) the instructor needs to evaluate the current experiences of the students at the mid-point of the semester, (d) the instructor has not used the SGID process in the course for several years, (e) or the instructor wants to gather information to improve course content in future classes.
- » How much class time does this process take?
The SGID process on average requires 20-25 minutes of class time. The process can be done either at the start of class or at the end of class time.
- » Who should facilitate my SGID?
The CITL will provide trained personnel who will conduct the SGID by talking to students and capturing observational data during the SGID process.
- » What is the facilitator’s role in the SGID process?
The facilitator’s job is to (a) represent the voice of the students to the instructor, (b) synthesize the collected data for the instructor, (c) help the instructor interpret and respond to the data that has been collected.
- » What are the steps in facilitating SGIDs?
Booking A SGID:
- Use the Book Now button below to schedule you SGID.
- After you have booked your SGID and filled out the required information, you will be contacted to schedule a Pre-Meeting with your SGID facilitator to discuss the process and determine your goals.
The Week of:
- The day before your scheduled SGID, an email will be sent from the CITL to your class informing them the SGID will be conducted the following day.
- On the day of, the facilitator will visit the classroom to conduct the data collection. A survey link will be sent from the CITL to your class to collect the responses.
After:
- A report will be developed that consolidates the feedback provided by the students (Data Analysis & Report-Writing Procedure).
- The report will be shared with the instructor who requested the evaluation. As noted in the Pre-Meeting, the facilitator and the instructor will meet for a debriefing to share the feedback gathered from the SGID process.
- The instructor communicates with their students acknowledging the students’ responses and feedback.
- » Can an online course be evaluated this way?
Yes, SGIDs can be conducted in online courses. The process for conducting a SGID for an online course follows the same steps as other course modalities, except for the facilitator joining the online class meeting and creating breakout rooms for the small groups.
