Students give us feedback on their view of our teaching and the content of the modules they take, through the formal Student Evaluation of Teaching (SET), Student Evaluation of Modules (SEM), and Student Evaluation of Coursese (SEC) processes, as well as through participation in school-based Learning Community Fora.
The student perspective is considered alongside peer review, personal reflection, student performance, and an understanding of student learning. Together, these complementary sources shape our academic practice. Of course, the student view of teaching is a partial view, and appropriate responses to feedback might be to engage in discussion with students about their learning, rather than changing teaching as might be suggested.
Student Evaluation of Teaching, Modules and Courses
(SET, SEM and SEC)
All staff who undertake a significant amount of teaching are expected to engage in the SET process at least every second year. Results are confidential to the member of staff and their Head of School and are intended to inform development priorities.
Module evaluation focusses on module design and content. In some schools there are significant numbers of modules taught by more than one member of staff and evaluating the modules is a more coherent exercise for students.
Policy details and relevant forms are available from Professional Development's SET pages.
Current work to implement online SET procedures is detailed in the Autumn 2011 edition of the Hub magazine (pdf).
Learning Community Fora
Each school has at least one Learning Community Forum (LCF) which meets at least once per semester. Its main role is to ensure that student views are included in course review procedures and that students have a channel, via a representative, to express any concerns about their course of study.
Some schools encourage students to manage the agenda, chairing and minutes of these meetings.
National Student Survey
The National Student Survey (NSS), which has been running since 2005, invites final-year students from across the UK to give feedback on all aspects of their learning experience – teaching, academic support, availability of resources etc. The results are made available to the public via the government-funded Unistats website alongside employability rates and student population statistics.
Detailed NSS results, including optional comments and the responses to additional questions that universities may add to the survey, are also returned to the University for use in improving teaching and teaching support. The University has produced a guide on Improving Student Satisfaction that highlights good practice in schools.
Annual monitoring
Schools are expected to review their courses and modules annually to identify areas for development. The reviews include consideration of external examiners' reports, statistical data relating to aspects such as student progression and completion and the student voice as expressed through SET, SEM, SEC and the LCF.
School Review
On a five-year cycle, each school undergoes an internal School Review with a panel that includes a discipline expert from another university. The review is intended to be constructive and holistic in that it includes all school activities, not just its academic provision. Detailed guidance on preparing for review, the process and the outcomes are provided by the Planning and Management Information Division of the Registrar's Department.