Improving our student experience
Our students tell us that most of our teaching delivery is excellent through mechanisms like the UEQs, but the 2024 National Student Survey (NSS) results show no significant improvement in the students’ evaluation of their overall experience from the previous year. They continue to be particularly critical of Assessment & Feedback and the Student Voice. The NSS is important as it reflects our students’ view of their experience in Manchester and gives the external perception of that experience.
From analysis of NSS results in recent years, the University has identified 15 NSS actions that will provide a foundation to improving our NSS performance, and map well onto actions around student experience we have already been making in recent years. Colleagues in Departments, Schools, the Faculty, and the Students’ Union have been involved in defining the standardised implementation of these actions, and these actions will be progressed at Faculty, School, Discipline and unit level.
Clarity of Marking Criteria and Communication
Communicate Marking Criteria
Ensure marking criteria are well-defined, provided at the start of the unit, included in standardised assessment briefs, and accessible online.
Faculty Implementation
All units have an ‘Assessment and Feedback’ folder in their Blackboard space – the marking criteria are clearly signposted within this. This folder contains the assessment brief (standardised Blackboard/Canvas format across the school). Rubrics for all unit assessments presented in a standardised format. Data taken from Slate (course unit information repository) directly or PDFs generated from Slate.
Key Updates (December 2024)
Disciplines are now reporting back on implementation and these reports confirm that this is progressing in all areas.
Assessment Criteria Discussions
Offer opportunities for students to discuss and ask questions about marking criteria at the start of the unit, before assessments, and after the first assessment.
Faculty Implementation
All units have a Blackboard Discussion Board to support discussion of marking criteria before and after first assessment. Unit Coordinators (UCs) must respond to assessment queries in this channel. There can be a Discussion Board dedicated to assessment or an assessment topic area within a more general unit Discussion Board.
Key Updates (December 2024)
Implementation of this action is well underway, and we have had positive reports from our Disciplines that unit coordinators are engaging to ensure compliance – with the majority having already established a Discussion Board.
Clarification Opportunities
Create a local system for students to seek clarification about marking criteria throughout the unit.
Faculty Implementation
Highlight the discussion board to students, before and after the first assessment, and throughout the semester (lectures, emails, newsletters). Each unit allocates some question time in a teaching session for assessment queries.
Key Updates (November 2024)
Implementation of this action is progressing well, and we have had positive reports from our Disciplines that unit coordinators are engaging to ensure compliance. Received an overview, from our eLearning Manager, to confirm the number of Discussion Boards set up across both Schools. These numbers are encouraging.
Timely Feedback
Feedback Deadlines
Clearly communicate and publish feedback deadlines and timelines.
Faculty Implementation
The assessment map must include submission dates, and feedback publication dates. The assessment map for each unit will be published at the start of each semester in a Blackboard community space, with clear signposting. Existing maps from last year’s NSS action plan are acceptable if all required information is present. The assessment map will include information on where / when the feedback can be used / actioned, e.g. “feedback from CW1 can be used for CW2”. The FSE Programmes / Options / Assessment (POA) Review will implement early unit formative/summative assessment.
Key Updates (December 2024)
All Disciplines have progressed this action to ensure that assessment maps, complete with submission dates and feedback publication dates are widely available on the relevant Blackboard Community Spaces. This has been coordinated with the help of our A&P and IAG teams. As a Faculty we have added an extra action to strengthen our feedback mechanisms – which includes where/when students can use feedback, where this is appropriate (i.e. not all assessments feed forward in this way).
Timely Feedback Standards
Discuss and agree with students what constitutes timely feedback, considering factors affecting deadlines or causing delays, and actions to address them.
Faculty Implementation
Feedback policy communication campaign to be repeated, for both staff and students. Details to be added to Blackboard community space. Discuss policy and feedback process (including any delays) at SSLCs. Track any feedback delays in disciplines (using existing Assessment & Progression processes where possible). Address any delays using the established escalation route.
Key Updates (November 2024)
Feedback policy has been communicated in recent Student Voice Committee (SVC) meetings. Feedback policy has been signposted on all relevant Community Spaces within Blackboard. Student Voice Committee trackers allow ease of monitoring issues raised in relation to feedback, these have been set-up for all Disciplines. We continue to track feedback delays is an ongoing activity as assessments progress.
Understanding and Use of Feedback
Feedback Purpose
Clearly explain the purpose of assessment and feedback, focusing on actionable guidance for improving future work and on general contribution to learning and understanding.Discuss and agree with students what constitutes timely feedback, considering factors affecting deadlines or causing delays, and actions to address them.
Faculty Implementation
Same as for Action 5. For each unit, a detailed document, or video or lecture podcast in the Blackboard space explaining assessment and feedback opportunities (summative and formative).
Key Updates (November 2024)
In almost all cases this has been implemented across each course unit and either a detailed document, video or lecture podcast is available to explain the assessment and feedback opportunities within the specified course unit.
Feedback Resources
With the exception of MCQ summative assessments, examination script viewing sessions will be offered for all units (including resits) and model answers will be provided for the AY2324 in the Assessment and Feedback Blackboard folder. Examination script viewing process and timetable will be reviewed by the schools. MCQ summative assessments must be supported with samples of questions (with solutions) assessing each of the Intended Learning Outcomes.
Faculty Implementation
Examination script viewing sessions offered for all units. Model answers (including for MCQs) to be provided for AY2324 in the Assessment and Feedback Blackboard folder. Examination script viewing process and timetable will be reviewed by the schools.
Key Updates (December 2024)
Following discussion with Discipline staff and student feedback, we have amended the Faculty implementation of this action to reflect the two distinct activities it covers: 1) the ability of students to view model solutions for the examinations that they have taken, to enable them to gain greater insight from exam script viewing sessions and better understand their personal exam performance, 2) the provision of materials and examples to support students in preparing for future exams. For the latter, feedback from students and staff has identified a number of different ways in which this activity is being supported. Prior to implementing a standard approach, further work is needed to determine and agree upon best practice. We will undertake this as a mid-term action, and in the meantime ensure that support is provided for students preparing for summative exams.
Feedback Usefulness
Engage with students to assess the usefulness of past feedback and collaboratively enhance it for future assignments.
Faculty Implementation
Standing item at all Student Voice Committees. Student reps. to collate feedback on feedback usefulness. Discuss best practice for feedback at Faculty Forum.
Key Updates (November 2024)
This is happening in almost all cases. This has been reiterated and documented at recent Student Voice Committees. Feedback Usefulness is on the agenda for the topic of the Semester two Faculty Forum.
Student Representation and Engagement
UMSU Student Representatives
Ensure UMSU student representatives are known to the rest of the student cohort and staff. Students / student representatives are to be members of all Programme and School Boards.
Faculty Implementation
List names and contact details in Blackboard community spaces. Reinforce invitations to relevant boards, committees and forums at faculty, school and discipline levels.
Key Updates (December 2024)
This action has been completed. We have listed the student rep names and contact details in Blackboard community spaces. Student reps have been invited to, and have started attending, School and Discipline meetings.
Engage with Student Groups
Speak to student groups to improve visibility of feedback actions and demonstrate how their input is valued and acted upon.
Faculty Implementation
Covered in Welcome Week talks for new and returning students. Include “How do I provide feedback” guidance in Blackboard community spaces. Include link to Student Voice webpage from Blackboard community spaces.
Key Updates (November 2024)
Student Voice section has been added to Departmental newsletters and moved to a prominent position to make it visible. ‘You said, we did’ item added to close feedback loop on actions from Student Voice Committees.
Communication and Student Voice Feedback
Communicate Student Voice Feedback
Share the importance of regular student voice feedback and explain the faculty/school/department feedback loop at the start of the academic year, embedding this regularly in lecture/seminar material.
Faculty Implementation
Every Student Voice Committee will have a standing agenda item on feedback. Student Voice Committees will discuss how to improve visibility of feedback actions.
Key Updates (November 2024)
All Student Voice Committees have a standing agenda item on feedback and will discuss how to improve visibility of feedback actions. This can be monitored by the Student Voice Committee’s trackers. This was implemented by School Information, Advice and Guidance teams.
Regular Feedback Updates
Provide at least three updates per semester (at programme, School and / or Faculty level) through digital communications, newsletters, school semester reports, posters, or within lectures/seminars on changes implemented based on student feedback.
Faculty Implementation
Each Discipline will publish student newsletters three times each semester. This will be supported by the IAG teams. Each unit will report on changes made in response to student feedback.
Key Updates (December 2024)
This has now been actioned for every Discipline.
Maintain Student Voice Feedback Tracker
Keep a visible tracker, accessible to students and staff, on key student feedback and subsequent actions, monitoring progress.
Faculty Implementation
Implement Student Voice Committee action tracker for Student Voice Committees and host Student Voice Committee minutes on Student Voice webpage. We will monitor Student Voice Committee action trackers to ensure that feedback loops are being closed.
Key Updates (December 2024)
All SVC trackers are set up and operational. Currently shared with students via relevant Blackboard Community Spaces. Faculty Student Voice Webpage is now live.
Student Voice Feedback Opportunities
Mid-course unit feedback opportunities
Implement mid-course unit feedback opportunities for all students alongside UEQS. Provide a clear chance for students to comment, showing their opinions are valued and changes will be made without requiring a full questionnaire.
Faculty Implementation
Continue practice of issuing mid-semester (Week 4) surveys. Ensure there is a communication plan to accompany the surveys and that there is a published (Week 6) response to feedback from these surveys.
Key Updates (December 2024)
All student feedback, from mid-semester surveys, has been issued to Disciplines to comment on and take action where relevant. Communications have been sent to students drafted by the Faculty Communications team and a video by the SU Officer to close feedback loop with students
Regular Student Voice Feedback Sessions
Establish regular feedback sessions at Faculty and ideally School levels (for instance, through the existing Faculty Forum model) to provide updates, actions, and outcomes of previous feedback.
Faculty Implementation
Student Experience and Graduate Outcomes (SEGO) team to deliver Faculty Forums once per semester, in partnership with the SU.
Key Updates (November 2024)
Semester 1 Forum took place on 6 November. The report will be drafted and disseminated to appropriate stakeholders. Semester 2 Forum currently scheduled for 26 February.
