This technique has proved particularly successful where the issue to be discussed falls into a grey area and a whole range of views can be persuasively put. The tutorials in law units involve the students discussing problem-type questions which they have prepared before coming to class. My aim in these classes is to foster an atmosphere in which no one is afraid to venture an opinion - students realise that their views will be given careful consideration by their peers, and not dismissed out of hand. Informal feedback is a valuable source of information. Verbal comments are encouraged by making oneself readily available to students outside class, and assessment procedures may cast some light on one's teaching success.
Formal feedback is even more important.
Whilst informal feedback may be helpful, it is no substitute for a properly structured and conducted student evaluation of a particular unit and the teaching in it. For this reason, I make it a practice to have formal student evaluations of my teaching done at the conclusion of every unit on which I teach. Furthermore, I set aside a period of time each semester to examine and consider the results. Many student concerns can be accommodated without prejudicing the integrity of the unit. However, I should emphasise that considering the comments made does not necessarily involve adopting them - sometimes teacher and student must agree to disagree on the best method of achieving the unit's learning objectives.