Student Module Feedback Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) What is module feedback?... 2 What is EvaSys?... 2 How is it run?... 2 How long is the feedback period?... 2 Can I see an example of the questionnaire?... 2 Are all modules evaluated?... 2 Are Masters Modules included?... 3 Free text comments can I write what I like?... 3 Is the survey anonymous?... 3 Is it compulsory?... 3 I ve deleted my email, how else can I access the feedback?... 3 Who operates the online system?... 3 Is the questionnaire available in Welsh?... 3 What is the kind of message that students receive?... 4 What is the desired response rate?... 4 Will the College send me reminders?... 4 How are the results used by staff?... 4 How are the results shared with students?... 5 1
What is module feedback? At the end of each semester, we ask students to comment on the module they have just been taught and on the lecturers that taught them. We do this through an online questionnaire, and this process is termed module feedback. What is EvaSys? EvaSys is an online software tool which enables us to run module feedback and obtain its results electronically. How is it run? You will receive an automatically generated email to your university email address 123456@swansea.ac.uk inviting you to complete a module feedback questionnaire. You will receive the email from the following address modulefeedback@swansea.ac.uk. You will receive a separate email for every module that you are registered on for that semester, so please look at the module code carefully before completing the questionnaire. A link will also appear on your Blackboard page which you can follow to complete the survey simply go to the My Studies tab and click on My Surveys. If you do not complete the questionnaire you will get a reminder email once every two weeks until the survey closes. Once you have completed the survey you will cease to receive reminders and the link on your Blackboard page will disappear. For any queries, please email modulefeedback@swansea.ac.uk - our friendly team will be more than happy to help. How long is the feedback period? For Semester 1 2015-16, the surveys will open on 16 November 2015, and will close on 31 January 2016. You will not receive any email reminders during your examinations. Can I see an example of the questions? Of course please see our module feedback webpage! http://www.swansea.ac.uk/academicservices/current-students/module-feedback/ They survey consists of four standard sections: About the module About the lecturer(s) Rooms and facilities And a free text comments section Some surveys will contain additional questions, for example related to laboratory or field work. Are all modules evaluated? Yes, all levels of study are included. Some subject areas are currently exempt Graduate Entry Medicine and students in DACE. 2
Are Masters Modules included? Yes. Taught Masters modules will be included, however we will not be including MRES or PhD modules. Free text comments can I write what I like? Please provide constructive comments in the questionnaire where asked. Abusive and/or disrespectful comments will not be tolerated. Is the survey anonymous? Yes. Lecturers will not be able to identify individual students from the comments made or scores given. Is it compulsory? No, but in order for staff to have a clear feedback of the ways in which modules could improve, the more students who respond, the better. I ve deleted my email, how else can I access the feedback? A link will appear on your Blackboard page under My Surveys in the My Studies tab which you can follow to complete the survey. Once you have completed the survey for that module you ll stop getting reminders and the link on your Blackboard page will disappear. Who operates the online system? The system is administered centrally by staff in Student Engagement Services, Academic Services. There are some exceptions relating to non standard modules in Health Science and for the LLM in Law. For any queries, please email modulefeedback@swansea.ac.uk. Is the questionnaire available in Welsh? Of course. Electronically all emails sent to students are bilingual as is the online module feedback questionnaire. 3
What is the kind of message that students receive? SUBJECT - Take 5 minutes to tell us what you think Dear [PARTICIPANT_FIRSTNAME], What do you think about [SURVEY]? We d really like to know. Here are 4 good reasons to complete your survey: 1. Your comments go directly to the academic staff responsible for the module. 2. Your feedback is used to make improvements to your courses. 3. We use these surveys to help decide where to spend money on making improvements to lecture theatres, rooms and facilities. 4. Completing your survey will also mean these reminder emails will stop. Click on the link below and it will take you to your personal survey. If you don t have time to finish the survey, you can return another time and your progress will be saved. [DIRECT_ONLINE_LINK] If you have any questions, please contact the Module Feedback Team - modulefeedback@swansea.ac.uk This questionnaire will close on XXXX For more information, please see our website at http://www.swansea.ac.uk/academicservices/current-students/module-feedback/ Many thanks, The Module Feedback Team What is the desired response rate? We aim to achieve at least a 50% response rate on the module feedback questionnaires. Will the College send me reminders? Module lecturers, and staff with key responsibilities for subjects, e.g. the Head of Department or Head of Teaching might advise you about the feedback period, send reminders and engage with subject representatives to encourage completion of the online feedback form. How are the results used by staff? Staff should use your feedback to the online module questionnaire in two ways. First, to make improvements to the module for the next time it s delivered. This would means looking at your comments, but also the overall assessment results and also their own opinions on how successful the module was. You should be able to get broad feedback from the module coordinator on the kinds of changes they ve made based on the feedback they ve received. 4
Second, staff will consider your comments in their own professional review of their own teaching and make enhancements, where needed. This is a separate and confidential process which is not accessible to students. How are the results shared with students? You are not entitled to access the results of the feedback in full. However, we ask that each subject shared a broad overview of the changes that have been introduced. Key findings should also be considered at College level to see if there are College-wide implications. Your subject representatives should be part of this sharing of module review results. Updated November 2015 5