Student Satisfaction Survey of first-and second-year undergraduates and National Student Survey of final year undergraduates 2010/2011

report produced by Mike Jones (Undergraduate Schemes Coordinator) The overall percentage of respondents in the Department agreeing with each statement in the 2010 and 2011 NSS and SSS surveys is given in the tables below, along with the mean scores for each category of statement (on the top line in each box). Category/Statement Degree content The content of my degree matches my expectations My degree enables me to acquire knowledge and understanding of the subject The learning and teaching methods used in my degree are appropriate The workload for my degree is appropriate The teaching on my course Staff are good at explaining things Staff have made the subject interesting Staff are enthusiastic about what they are teaching The course is intellectually stimulating Assessment and Feedback Information about passing modules and obtaining degree classes is clear The criteria used in marking have been clear in advance Assessment arrangements and marking have been fair Feedback on my work has been prompt I have received detailed comments on my work Feedback on my work has helped me to clarify things I did not understand Academic Support I have received sufficient advice and support with my studies I have been able to contact staff when I needed to Good advice was available when I needed to make study choices Support and supervision I receive from staff enable me to study independently Organisation and Management The timetable works efficiently as far as my studies are concerned Any changes in the course or teaching have been communicated effectively The course is well organised and running smoothly Learning Resources The library resources and services are good enough for my needs I have been able to access general IT resources when I needed to Printed module materials and online documentation give me the information I need I have been able to access specialised equipment, facilities or rooms when I needed to Personal Development The course has helped improve my transferable (SSS) / communication (NSS) skills My course will support me in my prospective career/further SSS 2010 87 90 93 90 74 85 85 76 91 86 78 81 71 88 74 81 77 83 78 92 84 78 85 83 86 85 82 78 86 88 73 69 64 86 SSS 2011 91 95 96 88 84 87 89 85 91 85 80 80 74 82 82 86 73 91 88 94 93 91 85 81 82 93 84 80 85 92 79 79 79 90 NSS 2010 n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a 89 92 85 92 89 76 n/a 73 89 62 81 73 77 71 85 74 n/a 82 78 85 84 84 81 89 n/a 81 77 81 n/a NSS 2011 n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a 84 91 81 77 89 76 n/a 77 81 70 80 72 78 77 86 72 n/a 79 78 76 83 67 59 73 n/a 68 78 79

study/individual goals The course has helped me to present myself with confidence As a result of my course, I feel confident in tackling unfamiliar problems Overall satisfaction

65 61 91

74 72 93

68 82 88

81 73 83

The Department has set a target (to be achieved over a period of a few years) to achieve scores of at least 80 on each individual question, and an overall satisfaction score of 90 or above. When scores fall 10 points or more below these targets, the Department will reflect carefully on how a better service can be provided to students in future. The survey results show a mixed pattern. While the SSS scores are significantly better than last year, maintaining the steady improvement in both surveys established over the last few years, the NSS results show a reversal of this upward trend with respect to overall satisfaction and in relation to learning resources. Detailed comments on each section are given below. In relation to questions on degree content (SSS only), the Department has maintained an extremely high level of satisfaction with respect to all criteria, with scores well above the average for the Faculty and the University as a whole (84% and 86% respectively). Results for teaching, are broadly in line with those achieved last year except in the NSS score for Staff are enthusiastic about what they are teaching (down 15 points) despite this perception, it appears that staff are still good at explaining things and stimulating the interest of students. A steady overall improvement can also be seen in relation to assessment and feedback, particularly in relation to promptness of feedback, which has been a cause for concern in the Department and across the University. It is encouraging to note that the efforts made in this respect have had a positive effect and that the level of satisfaction is at or close to the Departments target of 80%. The lower score for promptness of feedback in the NSS may reflect the fact that final-year assignments are often substantially longer and make more demands on staff time. There is also a trade-off between promptness of feedback and on the amount of detail (for which our scores are high (86% and 80%). Scores for marking criteria have improved slightly, and they are significantly better than the results for 2008 where the satisfaction level was below 60%. The Department has therefore maintained a relatively good standard of service following steps taken in 2008-9 to provide more detailed guidance on assessment criteria in the departmental handbook, on assignment cover sheets and in individual module descriptions. Steps taken to improve all aspects of feedback include:- provision of an early assessment opportunity (formative or summative) in some modules; use of model answers or checklists of main points; generic feedback (e.g. in class) immediately after assignments are submitted. Staff are also urged to present feedback in a way that provides students with positive guidance on how to improve their future performance, rather than simply identifying the strengths and weaknesses of the work they have already completed. In relation to academic support, scores also show an overall improvement, particularly in the SSS. The wide range of courses and modules offered by the Department makes the need for clear advice on study choices particularly acute. The Department has addressed this issue by providing more studentfriendly course- and module-descriptions on the web and by instituting periodic meetings between students and their Course Directors. This has resulted in a significant improvement in scores for advice on study choices (up from 55% in NSS 2008). The Department has always prided itself on its friendly atmosphere and accessibility of staff, and it is gratifying to see this reflected in consistently high scores over the past four years for staff availability (USS 94%, NSS 86%). In relation to organisation and management, scores on all criteria are above or close to the target threshhold of 80%. The reason for the decline in the NSS score for communication of changes is unclear. Responses to the Departments Undergraduate Course Questionnaire indicate that timetabling problems at the beginning of the academic year are a particular sourse of dissatisfaction.

The results for learning resources show sharply different trends in the two surveys (steady improvement in SSS, but a significant decline in NSS). This may reflect the more specialised demands which final year students make on these resources. Evidence from student assessment of individual modules (SAMT) suggests that these difficulties are specific to certain modules and should be addressed by the relevant module supervisors. Two possible areas of concern with regard to specialised equipment and facilities are: access to specialised software in computer labs and availability of DVDs for loan by language-students. The Department is investigating these concerns. In relation to personal development, the results show a general overal improvement, particularly in the SSS. The SSS scores for the two questions relating to confidence (74%, 72%) show a substantial improvement on last years result and on the disappointing scores achieved in 2009 (53%, 55%). These issues were addressed in 2009-10 by a variety of initiatives: the appointment of a departmental Skills Co-ordinator, who has organised a skills programme for students; greater use of student presentations, problem-activities and project work in teaching and assessment; more emphasis on transferable skills in the Undergraduate Students Handbook and in module descriptions. The survey results for 2010-11 suggest that these initiatives are continuing to bring benefits to students. In 201011 the Department also introduced new skills-oriented degree courses and modules (e.g. BA Modern Languages and Professional Skills and a first-year module (LG101) Skills for the Linguistics of English).