A Student Feedback Form that Adds Real Value

Abstract

During the last decade, universities have endeavoured to continually improve the level of student satisfaction and learning experience. Student evaluative feedback is therefore critical to measure and track progress, and questionnaires are the principal means of collecting this data.  In the UK, although the National Student Survey is used to solicit students’ opinions on the quality of their degree programmes, various types of Student Feedback Forms (SFFs) – or similarly named questionnaires – are employed at the local institutional level.

There is no clear consensus on the value of such SFFs as a tool to bring significant improvement to the student learning experience. However, this study proposes that the often low impact and inconclusive results from the use of SFFs are largely due to inadequacies in the design, and implementation process of these questionnaires. Using a specific course that I teach as a case study, I show how a carefully designed SFF that was refined via a piloting exercise, led to clear, actionable outcomes. The SFF had high value in confirming what was working well and identifying areas for improvement. This case study may be used as a guide to improve the future design and implementation of SFFs for other types of courses and teaching programmes.