NSS
03 November 2009
The National Student Survey (NSS) is a powerful example of feedback in action. Each year, final year students at every university in the UK are asked to provide local feedback on their experience. The NSS is conducted at the beginning of each year and aims to gather a general picture of life at university from a final year's perspective.
The survey groups 21 questions into six analytical categories with one additional measure of Overall Satisfaction. The categories are:
- The teaching on my course
- Assessment and Feedback
- Academic Support
- Organisation and Management
- Learning Resources
- Personal Development
- Overall, I am satisfied with the quality of the course
| You told us that you were still not happy with the usefulness, clarity and timing of feedback….we are working on a number of projects to improve feedback (with LSU support) including electronic an anonymous submission of work and sharing of best practice across the university. |
The University improved in 7 of the 8 areas of the survey although, perhaps because of the refurbishments of the LRCs to create the space for the new student zones, LJMU no longer outperforms in terms of satisfaction with learning resources. Generally, we are performing well against other universities for Academic Support.
Areas highlighted for further improvement by the University include Teaching on my Course and Assessment and Feedback which is the category with the lowest satisfaction nationally.
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You told us that, while teaching is excellent in many areas it could be better overall….we are working on a scheme to highlight and share excellent teaching and processes for improved monitoring of teaching quality and enhanced staff training. |
These results don’t just exist as a stand-alone report: we consider it an action plan. At LJMU it is a priority to act upon all feedback provided by our student community and Professor Diana Burton, PVC (Delivery), working closely with the Liverpool Student’s Union, is now charged with pulling together all of the resources necessary to work on areas highlighted for action by the NSS and other forms of feedback to ensure that we respond effectively and quickly to the concerns raised by students.
For those students who replied to the NSS in January and who then graduated in July, it should provide a high level of assurance that their response will shape the future of the University, will provide a steer for improvement and will greatly enhance the experience for the next generation of LJMU students.
Read more about how we use feedback to effect real change.
