Learning and Teaching Committee

Subject: National Student Survey 2005

Origin: Student Feedback Working Party; Secretary

Learning and Teaching Committee is invited to note developments in respect of the National Student Survey 2005.

Background

The revised quality assurance framework for higher education that has been developed since the completion of subject review is based on the premise that HEIs are primarily responsible for assuring and publishing information about the quality and standards of their teaching. The Teaching Quality Information (TQI) site is being developed by HERO as the mechanism for publishing the information aspects of the new quality assurance framework. An essential element of the information that will be published is student feedback gathered through a new national survey.

A consultation document ‘National Student Survey 2005’ was published by HEFCE in May 2004 (HEFCE 2004/22) and LTC and Senate were alerted to the proposals for the survey at their summer meetings.

The University responded to the consultation.

HEFCE has now published a report on the outcomes of the consultation and guidance on the next steps (HEFCE 2004/33): see

http://www.hefce.ac.uk/Pubs/hefce/2004/04_33/

Key points

The key points from the latest document are:

• The first full NSS will be conducted during the spring term 2005
• The results will be published in summer 2005 on the TQI web-site
• Ipsos UK has been appointed by HEFCE to conduct the survey using a range of online, postal and telephone survey methods and to co-ordinate a promotional campaign across the sector to boost responses
• Institutions will select when during the spring term the survey should take place for their students (31 January is LU’s nominated start date) and provide contact details for their students
• Ipsos will invite students by e-mail to complete the questionnaire online; students who do not respond will be sent a postal questionnaire to their term-time address; those who still do not respond will be followed up by telephone
• Promotional materials aimed at students will be distributed to institutions and students’ unions for local dissemination
• Students will be able to opt out at any stage and once a student has responded no further contact will be made
• A response rate near to 60% will be aimed for, so that results can be published at subject level for each institution
• Decisions about reporting methods will be taken following tests with users and consultation seminars in January 2005
• As well as publishing results on the TQI web-site, HEFCE will work with HEIs and students’ unions to provide them with feedback.

The proposed questionnaire (revised after the consultation exercise) is also included in the document.

Student Feedback Working Group

An internal working group has been set up, chaired by the PVC(T) and including representatives of the three Faculties, Academic Registry and other services and the Students’ Union, to oversee preparations for the NSS. It has also considered the University’s own student feedback systems (module/programme feedback and Staff/Student Committees).

It is considered important that the University, working closely with LSU, promotes a high response rate for the NSS. An e-mail is about to be sent on behalf of the PVC(T) and the Vice-President (Education and Welfare) of LSU to all students who will be involved in the survey to alert them to the fact that the University will provide Ipsos UK with their contact details for the purposes of the NSS, and encouraging them in due course to take part.

Departments and relevant support services were sent briefing notes on the NSS while the consultation exercise was still in progress and an update has been sent since release of the consultation outcomes and next steps document.

Departments have been asked to ensure they comply with relevant internal feedback procedures and to reassure students that their feedback is taken seriously and acted upon where possible. They are being asked to remind students that they need not wait until feedback forms are administered to air their problems, and to emphasise that ‘feedback’ and ‘contact’ can take a variety of forms.

The Group will also seek to minimise questionnaire fatigue by requesting that departments administer Semester One module feedback before Christmas, and that other surveys normally conducted in the early spring be delayed.