A "knowledge survey" and a formative evaluation process led to major changes in an instructor's course and teaching methods over a 5-year period. Design of the survey incorporated several innovations, including: a) using "confidence survey" rather than "knowledge survey" as the title; b) completing an instructional task analysis with an instructional designer's perspective of the Gagné framework rather than Bloom's taxonomy; and c) using a rating scale based on established measurement practices for self-efficacy surveys. Results included increased instructor-student interactions; gains in confidence scores from before to after study of course units; high value of the survey for students; changes in grades and confidence scores across teaching methods; and advancement of Chickering and Gamson's principles of good practice in undergraduate education.