Getting started with the Student Perceptions of Teaching feedback survey.

The Student Perceptions of Teaching (SPOT) system is a valuable tool that instructors can use to get student feedback on their teaching at the University of Iowa. 

SPOT provides a way for students to offer feedback on their instructors and courses. Student responses are entirely anonymous, ensuring honest and constructive feedback. Feedback surveys are created for every single course in MAUI, regardless of the number of students enrolled, with the exception of "Independent Study" courses. Students can access the feedback surveys directly through ICON or via a link in MyUI, while instructors can access survey results through ICON and generate reports approximately three days after final grades are due. 

In addition to the end-of-session survey, an optional confidential midterm feedback survey is built into SPOT. The midterm feedback survey allows instructors to initiate their own midterm check-in and benefit from student feedback while the course is still in session. The built-in midterm SPOT Check addresses the same topics as the end-of-session survey.

SPOT feedback surveys are one potential source of evidence for the assessment of instructors' teaching practices. For more information on assessment criteria and additional evidence options, please visit the Assessment of Teaching page.

Explore the sections below for detailed instructions and answers to common questions about using SPOT. If you have any further questions or need additional support, please contact its-helpdesk@uiowa.edu or call 319-384-4357.

Additional information and FAQs

  • Are surveys anonymous?
    • Both Midterm and End-of-Session surveys are completely anonymous. Unless you put specific information or your name in one of the open-ended questions, instructors will never know who filled out each response.
  • How do I access SPOT to give my instructors feedback?
  • When do instructors get to see the student feedback?
    • End-of-session feedback is available to instructors three days after final course grades are due. Instructors who use the optional midterm SPOT feedback form will be able to see students' anonymous feedback after the selected survey closing date.
  • What questions will be asked on the survey?
    • The SPOT survey has nine questions (three instructor-focused, three course-focused, and three open-ended). View Survey Questions
  • Can I use my phone to fill out SPOT?
    • Yes, any device that can access ICON can also be used to fill out SPOT surveys.

  • Are surveys anonymous?
    • Both Midterm and End-of-Session surveys are completely anonymous. Unless students put specific information or their name in one of the open-ended questions, instructors will never know who filled out each response.
  • How do I access SPOT to get my survey results?
    • Instructors can access survey results (and create Midterm surveys) via ICON. Complete step-by-step instructions with screenshots are available on our SPOT Instructions for Instructors webpage.
  • When do instructors get to see the student feedback?
    • End-of-session feedback is available to instructors three days after final course grades are due. Instructors who use the optional midterm SPOT feedback form will be able to see students' anonymous feedback after the selected survey closing date.
  • Where I can access SPOT feedback reports from previous semesters for courses that I taught?
    • Instructors can access previous data in ICON from the "Reports" tab of the SPOT feedback system. 
  • What questions will be asked on the survey?
    • The questions for the SPOT survey are the same questions that were used in the previous feedback system (ACE). View Survey Questions
  • Can I use my phone to get my survey results?
    • Yes, any device that can access ICON can also be used to view SPOT results.
  • When do surveys open and close?
    • SPOT surveys always open on Sundays at midnight Central Time and close on Saturdays at 11:59 p.m. Central Time.
  • How are off-cycle courses handled?
    • Courses ending in the last week of the semester (Week 16) have feedback surveys open for two weeks. Other courses that are not semester-length will have feedback surveys open during the final week of class.