NSS as a Quality Enhancement Tool

University of StrathclydeA case study

Rowena Kochanowska and Anna Highmore

NSS as a Quality Enhancement Tool

•NSS is one element of our Strategy for Obtaining and Responding to Student Views. The others are:

– First Year Experience Survey– Pyramid Discussions– PTES– PRES– i-Grad– tellUSwhatyouthink@strath.ac.uk

NSS as a Quality Enhancement Tool

All survey results are looked at together with the aim of identifying:

themes recurrent across different years and cohortsissues particular to individual groups

Project underway to review management of student surveys

work in progress

NSS as a Quality Enhancement Tool

Reporting

• Key findings for the NSS are reported - together with othersurvey results - to Senior Officers, Education StrategyCommittee, Senate and Court

• Results (including comments) for the NSS are analysedcentrally and disaggregated to Faculty and Department level and circulated together with results from other surveys toFaculty Officers and Deans for wider distribution

Results are distributed to relevant professional services

Results also made available to Students’ Association

NSS as a Quality Enhancement Tool

Report structure and content

Introduction

Summary of surveys included in report

Results

Key themes and points for consideration

NSS as a Quality Enhancement Tool

At Faculty Level:

Survey results are reviewed by:

- Dean- Faculty Academic Committee - Faculty Resources & Planning Committee- Other Committees as appropriate

NSS as a Quality Enhancement Tool

Actions at Institutional Level

Data Informs Strategic Approach

2008 – Deputy Principal wrote to best and worst performing Departments in NSS

2009 - Data from the surveys informed meetings between the Principal and all HoDs/Deans

NSS as a Quality Enhancement Tool

Initiatives developed in response to findings so far include:

At University Level

- 12 Principles of Assessment- New Policy and Procedures for Assessment and

Feedback- Feedback is a Dialogue- Ongoing work on Academic Counselling and

Personal Development Planning

NSS as a Quality Enhancement Tool

Various according to Faculty, includes:

• Assessment and Feedback contracts

• Feedback Coordinators

NSS as a Quality Enhancement Tool

At Departmental Level

Various according to Department, includes for example:

– Setting up of sub-groups of Learning and Teaching Committees to consider the implications for practice and introduce changes

– Issuing students with a schedule of feedback dates for each assignment

– A pilot scheme with fourth year students to provide formal feedback sessions for compulsory modules.

NSS as a Quality Enhancement Tool

Future developments

Linking survey activity and student feedback

obtained at departmental level to the wider

institutional survey programme