How to Help Future Students Succeed Using Past Students' Advice
As educators, we're always looking for ways to improve our teaching and help our students succeed. While course evaluations are a standard tool for gathering feedback, I've found that one specific question can create a powerful bridge between course cohorts, offering invaluable guidance for future learners while providing deep insights into the learning process itself.
The Magic Question
At the end of each semester in my Business English courses, I ask students:
This question might seem simple, but it's transformative. It creates a unique peer-to-peer perspective that benefits both instructors and future students. Rather than asking about what they liked or didn't like about the course, it prompts students to reflect deeply on their learning journey and share strategies for success.
What Students Tell Each Other
With the help of AI, I’ve analyzed the patterns in student responses. Here’s what I got:
Time Management Strategies
Students emphasize organization and regular engagement in three distinct ways:
Immediate action: "Do tasks directly," "Do everything immediately"
Consistent pacing: "Week by week," "Stay on the ball"
Strategic planning: "Set weekly blocks of 2-3 hours"
Emotional Aspects of Learning
Perhaps most touching are the emotional insights students share:
"don't be scared nobody laughs”
“Just be confident. The others in the course probably make the same mistakes when speaking English otherwise we wouldn't all be in the same course” → fear is normal and the classroom is the best place to make mistakes
"ask classmates for help”
“its weird to sit with different people in all classes but in the end I made new friends” → community matters
"you will improve" "the improvement might be small but it helps" → growth mindset is important
"have fun" → engagement aids learning
Growth Mindset
Students consistently emphasize the importance of perseverance:
"You will improve"
"The improvement might be small but it helps"
"Have fun"
What's particularly fascinating is how students reframe challenging aspects of the course. Rather than complaining about workload, they position it as an opportunity: "A lot to do but you really learn." They've recognized that consistent work reduces stress: "Try to complete everything on time and think about what you did. Then you don't get stressed and improve your English remarkably."
Putting This Wisdom to Work
These valuable insights shouldn't just sit in an evaluation form. Here's how to transform them into teaching tools:
1. First Day Success Planning
Start your semester by sharing anonymous recommendations from previous students. Guide your new class in identifying recurring themes and creating their own semester action plans based on peer insights. This not only sets realistic expectations, but helps build community from day one.
2. Create a "Student Success Handbook"
Develop a living document that:
Compiles proven strategies from past students
Includes direct quotes
Incorporates your insights and course-specific tips
Allows each new cohort to add their discoveries
Why This Works
This approach has proven to be useful for me because it:
Reveals which course elements truly resonate with students
Highlights successful learning strategies
Demonstrates students' metacognitive understanding of learning
Shows what students value most about course structure
Creates a nice loop between current and future students
Your Turn
Consider adding this question to your course evaluations. The responses will give you great insights into how your students process your course while building a resource that benefits future cohorts. The beauty of this approach lies in its simplicity - one question.
What questions do you include in your course evaluations? How do you use student feedback to improve future learning experiences? If you’re so inclined, email me to share your thoughts and experiences. Yes, I know, bold of me to ask.