The first 30 days: “How can universities quickly capture, and act upon, student feedback?”

Presenters:
Penny Jones | the University of Brighton
Garmon ap Garth | Birkbeck, University of London
Aina Callaert | Erasmushogeschool Brussel

With universities all around the world busy preparing for the start of the 2020-21 academic year, a major test of the first semester back will be how to quickly capture feedback from students about their teaching and learning experience (and wider student experience). Typically, this would take place through end-of-module evaluation, but this year institutions will want to know – and respond to – any issues or concerns that are immediately arising. Tools such as ‘quick polls’ and ‘spot surveys’ will become even more important as universities seek to understand how students – and staff – are feeling in their new environment. Systems where feedback and meaningful information can be easily passed and discussed between people, meaning leaders can be alerted to an opportunity to improve or resolve issues promptly, and giving them the ability to be more proactive and less reactive to situations so that nothing and no-one is left behind: this is going to be part of the ‘new normal’ in higher education.