student feedback and leadership - Office for Learning and Teaching

Student Feedback & Leadership
School increase in the Good Teaching Scale (GTS) of 12% for Semester 1
2007 compared with 2006. While it was recognised that more longitudinal data
is required before a cause and effect conclusion can be certain, this positive
result had encouraged staff to take an interest in further improving their
teaching practice.
Challenges identified for the individual academic included; how to design
appropriate learning and teaching practice to accommodate the discipline
diversity of the students. In addition the question of how to respond to
student feedback that lecturers need to be enthusiastic and knowledgable
was discussed.
The School of Property, Construction and Project Management, ART
identified the importance of two issues, the learning and teaching space
available for teaching and the teaching experience of staff. Using their
discipline expertise (building and construction) they were developing
a ‘picture’ of what type of teaching spaces might be more appropriate
to improve student learning.
The ART had also identified the need for more qualitative student feedback
in order to explore students concerns. To this end they prepared questions
and propositions from their analysis of the CES to explore with student
Focus groups.
The School of Economics, Finance and Marketing ART had identified
teaching space issues such as room acoustics and temperature as well
as teaching practice (in particular learning support in the form of notes and
practice exams and more personalised feedback) as being re-occurring
themes in student feedback.
In addition, from a staff Discussion Forum, the issue of levels of student
engagement had emerged. Teachers felt that there was a gap between
student expectations of individual attention provided in their secondary
school experience and feedback possible when lecturers are responsible
for large classes of close to 1000 students at university. In addition there
was a perception that students are inadequately prepared for university study
and that this led to low levels of motivation and commitment by the students.
This was demonstrated by student disruption in class, their lack of use
of resources and services provided to help their learning and their reluctance
to approach staff for help. The large size of classes made it difficult for staff
to identify students ‘in danger’. In response ART members were exploring
literature to identify suggestions for change used elsewhere that could
be used to improve levels of student engagement.
3.2.4 Observe
Activity in this cycle provided the opportunity for Service providers to gain
an understanding of, and respond to, issues outside the power of individual
teachers that attracts negative student feedback. The inclusion of senior
leaders from Service providers as members of the Project Team provided
an effective forum for communication of problems related to the whole
student experience and the opportunity to brainstorm joint problem solutions.
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