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Looking for tips on boosting the response rates of the NSS or others surveys? Below you will find a few ideas on how to achieve a higher response rate…
Some ideas on what you could do…
Use slides to promote Stage Evaluations within lectures.
Communicate with your students by email using the provided email template.
Actively encourage completion using a mobile device. Wireless access is being continuously improved across campus (as a result of student feedback) which should make this really easy! When using a smartphone students just need to follow the link in their email which will automatically take them to the mobile version of the NSS Survey or Stage Evaluations.
Arrange dedicated information sessions or set aside a brief amount of time at the start or end of timetabled sessions for students to complete surveys on their own devices.
Task student ambassadors or stage reps with encouraging their cohort to take part in surveys by posting on School/Programme social media. Encouraging discussion amongst student cohorts may lead to positive suggestions for improvement.
Communication is key…
Try to ensure examples of improvements made both in house and across the wider University in response to survey results are communicated widely. The page highlights the Student Voice Forums, where colleagues come together and discuss good practices. For more ideas on what you can do to boost response rates, this blog post holds additional tips.
The resources below an be used by all staff to promote Stage Evaluations within their academic unit.
If you have any queries about the survey please contact us at studentsurveys@ncl.ac.uk
Toolkit for Schools
The resources below can be used by any staff promoting the NSS within their academic unit.
However, please be reminded that there are strict guidelines around the sharing of response rates and these must be adhered to when promoting the survey. You are strongly advised to read this guidance carefully before promoting the survey.
If you have any queries about the survey or wish to check whether something you are planning to do will be considered appropriate, please contact us at studentsurveys@newcastle.ac.uk.
Resources for Staff
NSS 2022 Help card - Inappropriate Influence
NSS 2022 Help card - Sharing of response rates
NSS 2022 Help card - Producing marketing materials
Toolkit for Schools
At Programme Level
Setting up a Canvas Community or Teams to communicate with an entire student cohort can help you to build a learning community. This virtual space can be used during the academic year to regularly check in with a student cohort and get feedback on how students are getting on.
At Module Level
The following suggestions include virtual as well as present-in-person approaches to check in with students and get a view of how are are doing.
In-class questionnaire
- This is delivered using Ombea in lectures/seminars/tutorials (Download Resource)
- The most straightforward way of conducting this is to include questions in lecture slides and collect responses using Ombea. A set of Ombea slides containing basic mid-module evaluation questions has been created for convenience (Download Resource, User Guide)
- Alternative methods of delivery may also include using Facebook polling capability or comments section, other online survey tools such as Surveymonkey or paper handouts.
Suggested Questions:
- What is your overall rating of this module? (5 point multiple choice – Very Good to Very Poor)
- What are the best features of this module? (free text answer)
- How could this module be improved? (free text answer)
- What could be done to enhance student engagement? (free text answer)
| Ombea can also be used within online synchronous sessions. Attendees might just need a bit longer to respond to take into account any time delay due to internet connections. |
| In a virtual setting, it is suggested to use MS Forms. Links to additional information is available on the NUIS website. |
Start, Stop, Continue feedback
This is delivered in similar style to mid-semester questionnaires (Download Resource)
The purpose of this is to get a snap shot from students to attempt to determine what things students would like to see brought into the module, what things should be removed or changed and what things are being well received. This can be done virtually via a form or Zoom poll, or in a present-in-person classroom setting.
Canvas discussion boards and quizzes
These can be used within the module to get a sense of how your students are doing.
Zoom
The Zoom chat allows students to ask questions (privately to the tutor, or viewed by the group), and Zoom polls can be introduced (these can be anonymous or not).
Student focus groups
Using similar style questions, a small focus group of students can be selected from the cohort and given the opportunity to feedback. Selection of students should be conducted on a voluntary basis. These students should be encouraged to seek out the thoughts and experiences from other members of the cohort prior to attending the focus group. Students should be asked to sign-up to avoid having an over-subscription of volunteers. It is suggested that a focus group of this style should comprise between 6-10 students. Additionally, it is suggested that Module Leaders ‘pair up’ with other leaders to deliver cross-module evaluation to allow for emphasised impartiality and anonymity for students. Staff are encouraged to seek informed consent from students participating in focus groups using a consent form.
- Statements may be used to focus students feedback in areas of concern:
- What are the best features of this module?
- How could this module be improved?
(Download Resource, Example Consent Form)
| Focus groups can be organised virtually via Zoom or Teams (both with option for breakout rooms). |
Tutorial/seminar group session feedback.
Similar in style to focus groups, tutorials and seminars (either present-in-person, or online) can be used as an opportunity to engage students in providing their opinion. This can be administered by student demonstrators within sessions and fed back to module leaders. This allows for a degree on anonymity in student feedback. Small group discussions can be used to allow effective feedback and control more vocal students. Here, too, this can be organised via Zoom or Teams.
Closing the Feedback Loop Slides - Template
Closing the Feedback Loop Slides - Example
"Talking Heads"
Colleagues are also encouraged to consider using 'talking head' video clips as a means of sharing feedback outcomes with students. This can be a more engaging way of closing the feedback loop with students as a video may be more appealing than a text-heavy email or document.
Combined Honours are currently trialling 'talking head' videos as an alternative way of sharing the work of their Student-Staff Committee. This was a recommendation from their inclusive working group on last years' SSC, who felt it offered a more accessible way of engaging the wider cohort with the work of the SSC.
After each SSC meeting, one of the reps volunteers to appear in the video and provides a round-up of some of the main topics covered. All student reps then embed this video into emails to their constituent groups, as well as adding them to the blackboard community alongside the formal minutes.
Student Voice Forums are organised twice a year and are run by EPGS and NUSU.