Montreal, Quebec – May 2026 – Explorance, a global leader in feedback analytics, is pleased to announce a new partnership with Goethe Business School (GBS), the exclusive educational platform for business executives and professionals at Goethe University. GBS has partnered with Explorance Blue as it seeks a more “robust” and “data-led” approach to course evaluations.

Founded in 2004 and situated on one of the most modern campuses in Germany in the heart of Frankfurt, GBS runs an innovative portfolio of Master and MBA programs. Additionally, it offers dynamic open certificate programs designed for individuals seeking professional development, and custom programs for organisations.

Magdalena Slawinska, Head of Digital Transformation, explained the need to replace their in-house approach to capturing student feedback on their programs and the requirement to integrate with learning management system Canvas.

“Previously, we were using another vendor for course evaluations, which came with quite a few limitations,” Magdalena said. “We didn’t really have robust reporting, and every semester we had to create individual survey links manually – dozens of them – which were then sent out to students. Once responses came in, we had to extract reports manually and distribute them to faculty. It was time-consuming, frustrating, and prone to errors. So, we started looking for a tool that could automate much of this process.

“I researched several options and eventually came across Blue. I then met Explorance colleagues at a Canvas conference and I was able to see the backend of the system, which was very important to me. I wanted something intuitive – something that didn’t require deep technical expertise to set up and manage. Of course, training is always necessary, but the system needed to be straightforward enough for us to become independent fairly quickly.”

GBS ran the first end-of-semester course evaluations across three programs through Blue last month.

“Overall, the process went very well,” Magdalena reflected. “Implementation was smooth, and the training was excellent. I participated in a four-day training session, and it was extremely well designed. You could tell that the system was built by people with real expertise in learning

and experience design. That made a big difference. We ran the surveys without any issues, and now we’re already working on the next semester.

“For me, the most exciting part is the ability to actually use the data. We completely redesigned our questionnaires to generate more meaningful, measurable results. If we can improve response rates, we’ll be able to use that data to make informed decisions and improve our courses. That’s the ultimate goal – moving away from intuition and toward evidence-based decision-making. Instead of saying, ‘I think this might be an issue’, we can say, ‘Here’s what the data shows – this is where students are satisfied, and this is where we can improve’. But of course, it all depends on having enough data to work with.

“We’re working on how to encourage students to provide feedback and, importantly, how to make them feel that their input leads to real change. Our programmes are part-time, and many courses last only four days. Students complete a course and move on quickly, so they don’t always see the long-term impact of their feedback. That makes it harder to demonstrate value, especially when improvements may only be visible in future iterations of the course.”

The data from Blue is circulated to program managers, academic directors, and senior leadership, including the Managing Director. Magdalena stated that each group uses it differently. Programme managers might focus on practical improvements – like updating course materials. Academic directors might look at teaching methodology or assessment quality. Senior leadership tends to focus on the bigger picture – overall programme performance rather than detailed analysis.

Magdalena also shared how Blue fits into GBS’ broader digital transformation strategy. “My main goal is to help colleagues work more efficiently by reducing manual tasks. I want us to fully step into the 21st century in terms of how we manage business processes. That means moving away from Excel spreadsheets wherever possible and adopting systems designed for specific purposes – whether that’s course evaluations, learning management, CRM, or invoicing. Each of these tools exists for a reason, and I think it’s time we rely less on spreadsheets and more on purpose-built systems.

“Success would mean using the right tools alongside a shift in behaviour and mindset to truly modernise the school. It would also mean saving time – freeing people from repetitive, manual tasks so they can focus on more meaningful work, like innovation and improvement. When people spend all their time on administrative tasks, there’s no space for creativity. Reducing that burden from Blue is a big part of the goal.

Magdalena added: “I’ve worked with many software providers, both in and outside education, and I’ve been genuinely impressed by the level of professionalism across the board at Explorance. From sales to training to implementation, the experience has been consistently positive. It’s been a pleasure working with the team and I am also looking forward to engaging with the wider Explorance user community. That kind of knowledge exchange can really improve how you use a system and help you discover features you might not otherwise find.”

John Atherton, VP Sales EMEA at Explorance, commented: “Goethe Business School’s adoption of Blue reflects a broader shift across higher education towards more intelligent, data-led approaches to student feedback. By moving away from fragmented, manual processes and embracing a more structured and automated system, institutions are able to not only improve efficiency but also unlock deeper insight into the student experience. This enables academic teams to make more confident, evidence-based decisions that directly enhance teaching quality and programme design.”

About Goethe Business School (GBS)

Goethe Business School (GBS) is the exclusive platform for executive education at Goethe University in Frankfurt, Germany. Renowned for its commitment to academic excellence and industry relevance, GBS offers innovative programs tailored to business professionals and executives from around the world. With a strong emphasis on practical learning and international perspectives, GBS empowers leaders to navigate the challenges of a dynamic global economy through data-driven insights and transformative education.

Learn more: www.goethe-business-school.de

About Explorance

At Explorance, we empower organizations with next-generation feedback analytics to accelerate the insight-to-action cycle, encouraging our philosophy of “Feedback for the brave” to drive purpose, impact, and growth.

With more than 20 years of expertise, we are proud to be a trusted partner to 35% of Fortune 100 companies and 35% of the world’s leading higher education institutions. Explorance has positively impacted over 25 million individuals through our award-winning solutions—Blue, Metrics That Matter (MTM), BlueX, and MLY—designed to transform feedback into continuous improvement and measurable success.

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