Request the Forward FOCUS for Fall 2020 

Forward FOCUS (Feedback on Course Understanding and Skills) is an end-of-course confidential survey developed by the UMass Center for Teaching and Learning. Forward FOCUS is: 

• Forward-looking: What worked for you and your students this semester, and how can you use that information to improve your course in the future? 
• Focused on student understanding and opportunity for skill development. What were the most valuable things that students learned in your course? 
• Actionable: What changes would improve their learning experience?
• Modifiable: You can add, delete, or modify questions to fit your course.

Forward FOCUS is available to send to your students through Moodle and Blackboard.  Registration opens the first month of the semester.

Dive Deeper

• Learn more about the Forward FOCUS and how it is administered
• Frequently Asked Questions about the Forward FOCUS
• Guidelines for administering the Forward FOCUS to students (e.g., increasing response rates)
• Explore ways to view and use student responses to Forward FOCUS to improve your course 
• Learn about Identifying and Responding to Pinch Points in our courses

Download

• A chart comparing Forward FOCUS to SRTIs 
• A PDF version of the Forward FOCUS
• MOODLE guide to importing and implementing Forward FOCUS
• BLACKBOARD guide to importing and implementing Forward FOCUS
• TIP SHEET for customizing Forward FOCUS content and increasing response rates 
• SLIDES: Overview of Forward FOCUS and ideas for how to customize

Forward FOCUS in the News

• UMass Advance leadership team members Ethel L. Mickey, Dessie Clark, and Joya Misra wrote an article for Inside Higher Ed in which the CTL’s Forward FOCUS was mentioned as one way that UMass has responded to the pandemic to equitably support faculty.
• The Forward FOCUS, in conjunction with the voluntary SRTI developed by the OAPA, was one of 5 finalists for the Innovation Award by the Professional and Organizational Development (POD) Network in Higher Education. See all finalists on the conference webpage.