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Student Feedback on Units and Teaching Survey Policy

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Section 1 - Purpose and Context

(1) The University uses a range of standardised surveys to enable students to give feedback on their experiences at many levels, and on many different dimensions including their perceptions of teaching, their learning experience in units of study, their overall course experience, and their whole experience at UWS. The surveys comprise a key data-gathering source underlying the Tracking and Improvement system for Learning and Teaching (TILT).

(2) This framework outlines a coherent and integrated suite of standardised instruments for gathering student feedback, thus enabling comparability over time, and consistent, systematic reporting of information at appropriate levels of aggregation.

(3) This policy outlines how student feedback on units and teaching is gathered, reported, and utilised, using University-approved standard surveys, as part of the University's ongoing commitment to providing a quality learning experience for students.

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Section 2 - DEFINITIONS

(4) For the purpose of this policy:

a. student feedback on units (SFU) survey - is the University-approved instrument which gathers feedback from students on their experiences of learning in taught units. The survey is used by staff teaching in units for the purposes of providing a key source of information about unit quality. Item by item data is used by unit coordinators, directors of academic program and Deans for the purposes of providing a key source of information about program quality.

b. student feedback on teaching (SFT) survey - is the University-approved instrument which gathers feedback from students on their perceptions of teaching effectiveness. The survey is used by individual teaching staff for the purposes of providing a key source of information about their teaching effectiveness. The SFT survey is based on the SEEQ (Students' Evaluation of Educational Quality) instrument, which has been in use within the University since 1995.

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Section 3 - POLICY STATEMENT

(5) The University is committed to the provision of quality in learning and teaching and this is reflected throughout its governance processes, its codes and policies, and its integrated framework for quality assurance and improvement. The University upholds the importance of an evidence-based and well-integrated approach to the improvement of quality, drawing together information from multiple sources in evaluating quality, and targeting areas for improvement and refinement.

(6) Whilst not the only source of evaluation data about educational quality, the University considers students' views to be of critical importance in the evidence-based approaches used within the University to target improvements in both teaching practices and the quality of courses and units of study. The University provides numerous avenues for students to express their views about their experience including through discussions and feedback forums in classes, in School venues, through feedback channels via the web, through telephone interviews, and through numerous formal and informal surveys.

(7) At UWS the purpose of evaluating teaching and units is to improve teaching practice and unit quality respectively, in order to improve the likelihood that students will have a better experience and better outcomes of learning. These purposes are reflected in the Teaching and Learning Fundamental Code which the University expects staff and students to uphold.

Student Feedback on Units (SFU) Survey

(8) The University will undertake regular annual review of units of study, using student feedback along with other sources of information.

(9) Student feedback on units of study will be gathered using the University-approved standardised SFU survey in all units.

(10) Units of study will normally be evaluated in every semester they are offered, except where special circumstances apply.

(11) SFU survey data will be collected, analysed and reported in accordance with ethical practice as embodied in the University's defined procedure (attached).

(12) Results from student feedback on units will be reported to students and staff, along with targets and plans for improvement, in a rolling cycle of improving the quality of units of study.

(13) SFU survey results aggregated at the course or school level will be the only SFU data published on the University website.

Student Feedback on Teaching (SFT) Survey

(14) Evaluation of teaching by way of the SFT survey will be undertaken in accordance with the Academic Staff Agreement (refer Academic Staff Agreement 2009 - 2012).

(15) Staff will undertake annual evaluation of their teaching effectiveness using a university-approved survey instrument.

(16) SFT survey data will be collected, analysed and reported in accordance with ethical practice as embodied in the University's defined procedure.

Part A - Responsibilities

Academic Staff

(17) Academic staff with roles which directly support the learning of students have responsibilities to:

a. engage in regular evaluation to improve the effectiveness of their own individual contribution to the quality of students' learning experience, using an appropriate mix of standardised survey along with other methods;

b. use the SFT survey annually in order to evaluate their own teaching;

c. request SFT surveys online themselves;

d. provide information to the Office of Strategy and Quality (OSQ) as required to assist in the processes of collecting, analysing and reporting SFT survey data;

e. maintain their own personal and confidential records of information relating to their teaching evaluations for use in performance review and development processes with their academic supervisor and for use when making formal claims about teaching achievements, such as in academic promotions;

f. conduct both SFT and SFU survey administrations in classes which they teach according to procedure (attached); and

g. contribute to the analysis of SFU surveys and other evaluation information relating to units in which they teach, and to the identification and implementation of improvement strategies.

University Management Responsibilities

(18) University Management responsibilities are:

a. to ensure that the confidentiality of individual academics is preserved through the collection, aggregation and analysis of SFU survey data;

b. to provide the support, resources and development opportunities to assist academics improve the quality of the units they deliver;

c. to solicit recommendations for improvement based on the survey data from academic staff teaching in units.

d. the Pro Vice-Chancellor (Education) is available in a capacity of Ombudsperson:

i. if there is a dispute around the use of SFU data, initially this should be resolved at the School level.

ii. if no resolution is reached, then the dispute may be referred to the Pro Vice-Chancellor (Education) and each party may make a written submission to the Pro Vice-Chancellor (Education).

iii. The Pro Vice-Chancellor (Education) will make a determination on the issue and recommend a resolution within four weeks.

(the availability of this Ombudsperson facility does not limit the rights of staff to avail themselves of the dispute procedures which are available within the enterprise agreement)

e. to ensure that SFU survey data is not utilised in any staff performance management processes.

Unit Coordinators

(19) Unit coordinators have responsibilities to:

a. in consultation with the Director, Academic Program, and academics delivering units, determine the most appropriate time to administer the SFU survey to the students in units they coordinate;

b. provide information to the OSQ as required to assist in the processes of collecting, analysing and reporting SFU survey data;

c. review the SFU results for their unit(s) in conjunction with other sources of data about unit quality eg peer review;

d. facilitate discussion of SFU results with other academic and support staff working on the unit;

e. ensure the discussions have as their focus the improvement of unit quality;

f. ensure that no SFU survey data is used for staff performance management purposes;

g. Identify areas of good practice and key areas which the data indicate warrant improvement action;

h. report both the good practice and improvement priorities for the unit to the relevant Director, Academic Program and the School with a brief outline of the unit team's plan to address the improvement priorities (see attached). A copy of this report should be provided to all academics involved in the unit's delivery;

i. develop targets for improvement and resources required to implement improvement solutions;

j. ensure that the use of SFU data is consistent with the stated goals to improve the quality of units of study and to inform students about improvements made as a result of their feedback.

Directors of Academic Programs

(20) Directors of Academic Programs have responsibilities to:

a. in discussion with unit coordinators, overview SFU survey results for all units in the program in conjunction with other sources of data about unit and program quality eg peer review, performance and outcomes data;

b. identify areas of good practice and key areas which the unit data indicate warrant improvement action;

c. access support with improvement initiatives as required from academic support services, including Office of Strategy and Quality , Library, and Teaching Development Unit;

d. report both the good practice and improvement priorities for the unit to the relevant Dean with a brief outline of plans to address the improvement priorities, and noting any specific forms of assistance which would help this process (see attached);

e. ensure students are informed about improvements;

f. make copy of report available to staff teaching in program, and provide feedback to students on improvements;

g. monitor evaluation processes and practices to ensure that the principles and processes outlined in this policy are observed, and that defined protocols are strictly complied with.

Heads of School

(21) Heads of School have responsibilities to:

a. where the SFT survey is not appropriate for use in a particular circumstance, approve the use for an individual staff member of an alternative validated and standardised instrument, and the associated protocols for independent administration and processing of the results;

b. ensure that the staff member has written confirmation of this approval to include in claims made by the staff member about their teaching effectiveness, for example in academic promotion applications;

c. overview program reports received from Heads of Programs and review these in conjunction with other sources of data about unit and program quality eg peer review;

d. identify recurring areas of good practice and areas for improvement within and between the College's Schools;

e. use areas of good practice to promote the School/College.

Executive Deans and Associate Deans Academic

(22) Executive Deans and Associate Deans Academic have responsibilities to:

a. provide a College report on the overall outcomes, highlighting how a range of evaluative data have informed the identification of strengths and improvement targets, and identifying the key areas of good practice that will be promoted and the key areas of improvement action that are taking place across their College

b. ensure that avenues are pursued in a timely fashion to address any staff or student concerns regarding breaches of procedures and/or protocols

Students

(23) Students have responsibilities to:

a. contribute constructive feedback on the effectiveness of individual teaching staff through the SFT survey and other methods

b. contribute constructive feedback on the quality of units of study through the SFU survey and other methods

c. provide feedback which is free from racist, sexist or abusive intent, as per the University's Code of Conduct and related policies (link to policies database)

d. recognise improvements made as a result of student feedback

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Section 4 - Procedures

Student Feedback on Unit (SFU) Surveys

(24) There will be two main rounds for collecting student feedback on units per year, first half year and second half year. Units conducted in all teaching sessions each year will be surveyed in either or both of these rounds, unless special circumstances apply.

(25) At the commencement of the two main teaching sessions, School Admin Coordinators from each school will confirm on request by the Office of PVC Quality:

a. all active units scheduled for evaluation

b. unit coordinator names and contact details

(26) Student Feedback on Unit (SFU) survey packages will be prepared by OPQ and distributed to unit coordinators by week 12 or earlier if requested.

(27) Two methods are available for administration of SFU:

a. A standard package for each unit class offering (campus, day, evening, offshore etc) will be supplied to each unit coordinator for administration by the unit coordinator or a person nominated by the unit coordinator; or

b. A School may elect to administer SFU using its Academic and/or Administrative staff.

(28) The exact timing and context for collection of student feedback on units (SFU) responses will be determined by the unit coordinator in consultation with the Head of Program. However it is suggested that surveys are conducted at the end of the semester so that students are able to provide accurate feedback based on their experience

(29) The standard SFU package will include protocols to be observed in the administration of surveys in class. These protocols are also available at the Office of PVC Quality (OPQ) website.

(30) Students should be provided with adequate time to complete the survey.

(31) Photocopied SFU survey forms will not be processed - only original survey forms as supplied by the OPQ will be processed.

(32) Processing of returned surveys will be undertaken by the OPQ. Surveys will be processed after 30 June for semester 1 and after 30 November for semester 2. All SFU surveys should be forwarded to OPQ by the above dates.

(33) Each SFU package will contain:

a. an instruction sheet setting out the administration protocols to be followed;

b. an overhead transparency for classroom display;

c. the required number of SFU surveys plus a few spares; and

d. a number of special return envelopes.

(34) The number of surveys in each package, including spares, will be based on Callista data that has been confirmed by the Schools (along with Unit Coordinators details) in or around week four, while the number of envelopes provided will vary depending on the size of the class and the manner in which the surveys will be administered (e.g. in lectures, tutorial, prac classes, etc). The overhead transparency is designed to highlight the value of student feedback and show the key differences between the various student feedback surveys at UWS.

(35) For more information about the SFU survey, see OPQ website.

Student Feedback on Teaching (SFT) Surveys

(36) The Student Feedback on Teaching (SFT) process is a self-initiated process. To obtain a package for SFT, staff must request online SFT forms from the OPQ website. Third party registrations will not be accepted for SFT.

(37) The exact timing for collection of student feedback on teaching data is best decided by the person requesting the feedback. Students should be provided with adequate time to complete the survey.

(38) The SFT survey comprises a core set of 31 standardised questions.

(39) To ensure the integrity of the data and protect student anonymity, all student feedback surveys are to be distributed and collected by a person other than the person whose teaching is being evaluated. Surveys distributed and collected by the person being evaluated may be invalid for use in promotions or similar processes.

(40) Photocopied SFT survey forms will not be processed - only original survey forms as supplied by the OPQ will be processed.

(41) All completed surveys must be sealed in the supplied return envelope as per administration protocol.

(42) Survey packages not complying with the survey administration protocol will not be processed.

(43) All SFT data will be stored in a secure environment within the OPQ and only authorised staff will have access to completed surveys and data.

(44) SFT reports will be released only to the person named in the report.

(45) SFT reports will not normally be released to staff until assessment processing is finalised at the end of each teaching semester. However where a staff member has a legitimate need to access their report before this date (for example, submission of a promotions application) they should contact the OPQ. Where it is known that an early report will be required staff should inform students at the time of survey administration.

(46) Each SFT package will contain:

a. an instruction sheet setting out the administration protocols to be followed;

b. a single overhead transparency is provided (for display in the classroom) to inform students on the teacher being evaluated

c. the required number of SFT surveys; and

d. special return envelopes.

(47) For more information about the SFT Survey, refer to the OPQ website .

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Section 5 - Guidelines

(48) Nil.