Students respond positively to an instructor collecting and sharing aggregated class demographic data from a survey in a high-enrollment physiology course

• Published in: Advances in physiology education 2024-12, Vol.48 (4), p.836-856
• Main Authors: Edwards, Baylee A, Kolodisner, Jude, Youngblood, Jacob, Cooper, Katelyn M, Brownell, Sara E
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• ISSN: 1043-4046; 1522-1229; 1522-1229
• DOI: 10.1152/advan.00126.2024

The impersonal nature of high-enrollment science courses makes it difficult to build student-instructor relationships, which can negatively impact student learning and engagement, especially for members of marginalized groups. In this study, we explored whether an instructor collecting and sharing aggregated student demographics could positively impact student-instructor relationships. We surveyed students in a high-enrollment physiology course about their perceptions of their instructor a) distributing a demographic survey, and b) sharing aggregated survey results in class. We found that 72% of students appreciated the demographic survey, and 91% thought it helped their instructor get to know them. Further, 73% of students expressed that the instructor sharing aggregated demographic data in class positively impacted their overall course experience, and over 90% thought both the collection and sharing of demographic data was appropriate. Most students felt both parts of the intervention increased their sense of belonging in class, increased how connected they felt to their instructor, and made their instructor seem more approachable and inclusive, but also made some students feel more different from their peers. Women and non-binary students felt the demographic survey increased instructor approachability more than men, and liberal students felt the survey increased instructor approachability more than non-liberal students. Compared to men, women and non-binary students were more likely to report that taking the survey increased instructor inclusivity and made them feel less different from their peers. Based on these results, collecting student demographic information and sharing it in aggregate may be a practical, effective way to enhance student-instructor relationships.