View Document

Student Evaluation of Learning and Teaching Survey Procedure

This is the current version of this document. To view historic versions, click the link in the document's navigation bar.

Section 1 - Introduction

(1) This Procedure describes the method the Student Evaluation of Learning and Teaching Survey (SELT) and Professional Experience (ProfEx) surveys are administered. The SELT survey is the main data collection process for unit and teaching evaluation at ACU. Units which have a professional experience or work integrated learning components may be evaluated via the SELT or ProfEx surveys. Monitoring of research and research training is accomplished through activities aligned with the Higher Degree Research Regulations.

Top of Page

Section 2 - Schedule for conduct of SELT and ProfEx surveys

(2) In accordance with the Evaluation of Learning and Teaching Policy, student ratings and comments will be gathered every time a coursework unit is taught. SELT surveys are the primary tool for this collection. The processes and timelines referred to in these Procedures relate specifically to the conduct of SELT and ProfEx surveys for units offered in standard study periods and where teaching and learning occur across the study period. Some variation of the timelines and processes may be negotiated between the CEI and National Heads of School or equivalent for units taught in non-standard study periods, in practicum and / or in other modes. The schedule for ProfEx surveys will be determined in consultation with the Facultyresponsible for the units. Other methods of collecting qualitative, quantitative and open response data and their timing may be considered.

Top of Page

Section 3 - Responsibilities

The Centre for Education and Innovation (CEI)

(3) The Centre for Education and Innovation (CEI) has responsibility for overall administration and coordination of the SELT and ProfEx survey processes in collaboration with relevant areas of ACU (such as, Information Technology, Student Administration, Faculties, Schools and Global and Education Pathways), including:

  1. identifying appropriate survey dates and the staff teaching in coursework units;
  2. identifying the students undertaking relevant units;
  3. communicating with staff and students regarding administration of the surveys, including the purposes for which the survey results may be used;
  4. collating survey data and distributing results in accordance with the Evaluation of Learning and Teaching Policy and this Procedure;
  5. periodically monitoring the validity and reliability of SELT and ProfEx survey data; and
  6. managing the administration of the SELT and ProfEx survey systems.

Faculties, Schools and Education Pathways

(4) Executive Deans, Associate Deans, Learning and Teaching, Director, Pathways, National Heads of School / State Heads of School / Deputy Heads of School (or equivalent in Global and Education Pathways) as appropriate have responsibility for:

  1. reviewing unit evaluation summary reports prepared by Course Monitoring Committees;
  2. consulting where relevant with other National Heads of School or Associate Deans, Learning and Teaching for units sponsored by another School and / or Faculty;
  3. determining actions with various stakeholders, including relevant teaching staff and committees, for Part A SELT values within the red risk tolerance outlined in Schedule 1 of the Course and Student Monitoring Procedure; and
  4. ensuring appropriate strategies are employed to enhance the quality of learning and teaching in the relevant unit(s) for the future as per the Student Evaluation of Learning and Teaching Survey Procedure and the Course and Student Monitoring Procedure.

(5) Executive Deans, Associate Deans, Learning and Teaching, the Director, Pathways and relevant National Heads of School / State Heads of School / Deputy Heads of School may assign responsibilities under these Procedures to other officers as appropriate and will notify the Centre for Education and Innovation and other relevant officers / sections accordingly.

Academic Staff

(6) Individual staff members who teach in units and / or coordinate units have responsibility for:

  1. informing students, through the unit LMS and other appropriate unit information, of the actions or changes implemented as a result of prior student feedback
  2. encouraging students to participate in the SELT and / or ProfEx surveys
  3. reviewing their SELT and / or ProfEx survey results and discussing the results with their nominated supervisor and
  4. using SELT and / or ProfEx survey results in such manner as they choose for probation, progression, applications for promotion and / or related purposes.

(7) In the case of ACU Online units, individual staff members are encouraged to discuss Parts A and C feedback with the Academic Lead, Asynchronous Online Learning in addition to their supervisor.

Students

(8) When providing feedback in processes such as SELT and ProfEx surveys, students have the responsibility of communicating in a constructive, professional and appropriate manner. 

(9) Prior to SELT report release to staff, CEI will screen for comments that may be considered inappropriate (including but not limited to abusive or racist language) or represents a risk to the safety of the University’s staff, students or the authoring student. After SELT report release, where a lecturer or tutor identifies a student comment that they believe is inappropriate and / or represents a risk to the safety of the University’s staff, students or the authoring student, they should consult with their National Head of School / State Head of School / Deputy Head of School or equivalent. Following investigation, the National Head of School / State Head of School / Deputy Head of School may then notify the Centre for Education and Innovation to request the redaction or removal of the comment. Student feedback that is negative but not considered inappropriate, is not eligible for redaction or removal. If a student response in the written form is deemed to be in breach of the Student Conduct Policy, the University will undertake appropriate action.

Top of Page

Section 4 - Compilation of data on units to be surveyed

(10) CEI will collate a report from relevant ACU systems listing:

  1. by School and by campus, all undergraduate and postgraduate coursework units in that study period;
  2. the names, email addresses and student numbers of all such enrolled students, and where available
  3. the names of the nominated teachers for each such unit.

(11) Faculties are responsible for providing Student Administration with the names of nominated teachers for each unit during the timetabling process. Where this information has not been provided in the University student system, CEI will be responsible for obtaining this information directly from the Faculties.

(12) CEI will make available appropriate lists to National Heads of School / State Heads of School / Deputy Heads of School or equivalent as relevant to confirm:

  1. the offering of the unit;
  2. the appropriate survey for each unit (i.e. SELT or ProfEx);
  3. the names of all staff involved in teaching the unit for inclusion in SELT surveys; and
  4. whether there are any factors which would affect the implementation of the SELT or ProfEx survey for that unit.

(13) The respective National Head of School / State Head of School / Deputy Head of School or equivalent may provide a nominee to receive and verify these lists.

(14) The relevant National Head of School / State Head of School / Deputy Head of School (or equivalent) or their nominees will provide the requested confirmation within five working days; in the absence of receipt of any such confirmation, CEI will assume that the surveys should be conducted in accordance with standard practice.

(15) Following finalisation of these data, CEI will create and administer the online evaluations.

Top of Page

Section 5 - Timing and accessibility of surveys

(16) SELT surveys will normally open at the commencement of week 10 of each standard study period and will remain open until one week after completion of the designated examination period for that study period. CEI will consult the relevant Faculty for the ProfEx survey periods.

(17) In any case in which scheduling of SELT surveys is inappropriate due to the mode and / or timing of teaching in a unit, the National Head of School / State Head of School / Deputy Head of School or equivalent will liaise with CEI regarding possible modification of timing of the survey for that unit.

(18) Prior to opening of surveys for the standard study period, CEI will notify:

  1. all staff of the timelines for SELT surveys for the relevant study period; and the secure website where staff can view SELT response rates relevant to their teaching areas;
  2. students of the purpose of and timelines for SELT or ProfEx surveys, the purposes for which the survey results may be used, encourage their participation and circulate reminder emails during the period in which the surveys are open; and
  3. Associate Deans, Learning and Teaching in Faculties of the timelines for SELT and ProfEx surveys, and circulate updates on response rates during the period in which the surveys are open to encourage student participation in the surveys.
Top of Page

Section 6 - Survey results

(19) Results of SELT and ProfEx surveys for all units surveyed will be circulated by CEI and will normally be available after the result release for the relevant study period.

(20) SELT Data will be distributed to Executive Deans, Deputy Deans, Associate Deans, Learning and Teaching, Heads of School or equivalent where there are 1 or more responses. Part A and C only will be distributed to Heads of Discipline, National Course Coordinators or equivalent.

(21) SELT Data will not be made available to teachers who receive fewer than 5 responses except where an Executive Dean, Associate Dean, Learning and Teaching, Head of School or equivalent are the teacher. Teaching staff who have taught the unit for two or more teaching periods may request CEI to merge survey data for those teaching periods to achieve the required threshold of 5.

(22) Unit Evaluation (Part A only) will be available to committees tasked with the monitoring and quality assurance of ACU units and courses.

(23) In the case of units taught via ACU Online, Unit Evaluation data (Part A and Part C only) of SELT reports will also be available to the Academic Lead, Asynchronous Online Learning to support the evaluation of units taught by ACU Online. The Academic Lead, Asynchronous Online Learning may provide qualitative feedback (Part A and Part C only) to CEI learning designers and technologists on LMS learning design and implementation arising from SELT feedback. 

(24) ProfEx reports on individual units will be available to the Lecturer in Charge, Associate Dean, Learning and Teaching and Executive Dean.

(25) Summary data for units taught by each School will be provided by CEI to the National Head of School / State Head of School / Deputy Head of School, Associate Dean, Learning and Teaching and Executive Dean.

(26) Summary reports for units within the responsibility of each Faculty will be provided by CEI to the relevant Associate Dean, Learning and Teaching and Executive Dean.

(27) Summary reports will be provided by CEI to the Senior Executive, Deputy Provost and the Vice-Chancellor's Advisory Committee. Those officers may also access more detailed reports on request.

(28) In line with the requirements of the Course Accreditation, Amendment and Review Policy, Course Review Procedure and Course and Student Monitoring Procedure, CEI may aggregate SELT and ProfEx data, at the level of units, courses, Faculties and / or the University as a whole, for quality assurance purposes, course implementation and review, course accreditation requirements, and / or reporting for Academic Board and government.

(29) Part A and C data may, at the discretion of the relevant Associate Dean, Learning and Teaching, also be made available to Course Monitoring, External Chair (CAARP), Internal Thematic and Functional Reviews or other course or cohort committees undertaking course design, development, implementation and / or review, subject to removal of identification of participating students and staff.

Top of Page

Section 7 - Actions on survey results

Unit Evaluation (Parts A and C)

(30) Following delivery of a unit, evaluation reports will be provided to the Chair of the unit’s Course Monitoring Committee, Cohort Monitoring Committee or Course Monitoring Sub-Committee, as appropriate, on student feedback provided in SELTs, including student perceived strengths of the unit curriculum and areas that require improvement. The report may also draw on other types of evidence to support the evaluation. A plan on how student feedback will be addressed will also be provided in the report.

(31) Course Monitoring Committees and / or Cohort Monitoring Committees will provide summary reports to Associate Deans, Learning and Teaching or equivalent on:

  1. areas of good practice that will be continued;
  2. areas that may require improvement, along with a strategy for improvement;
  3. the effectiveness of previously implemented strategies.

(32) Amber and Red risk tolerances (Part A SELT) outlined in Schedule 1 of the Course and Student Monitoring Procedure are to be recorded in this report.

(33) Part A SELT values within the risk tolerance (Green) outlined in Schedule 1 of the Course and Student Monitoring Procedure require no further action.

(34) Part A SELT values within the amber risk tolerance outlined in Schedule 1 of the Course and Student Monitoring Procedure triggers review at the School level or equivalent through Course Monitoring Committees or Cohort Monitoring Committees to determine if action is required.

(35) Part A SELT values within the red risk tolerance outlined in Schedule 1 of the Course and Student Monitoring Procedure require an initial scrutiny by the Course Monitoring Committee or Cohort Monitoring Committee which is then reported to the Faculty, Education Pathways or the Centre for Education and Innovation.

(36) Students will be informed, through the LMS regarding the nature of actions or changes implemented to the unit as a result of prior student feedback.

Teaching Evaluation (Part B)

(37) As part of the continuous improvement cycle, teaching staff should reflect on student feedback regarding their teaching, and consider both areas of effective practice and areas that may warrant improvement.

(38) Teaching staff are encouraged to collect SELT data as evidence for use in progress reports, award and promotion applications.

(39) Results from student feedback to individual staff should be discussed with their supervisor.

(40) Supervisors should recognise that SELT data is not the only source of evidence of quality teaching when considering commendation or performance management. Contextual factors as well as other methods of assessing teaching effectiveness should be considered such as indicators of student learning and curriculum enhancement, peer review of teaching, and scholarship of learning and teaching.

Top of Page

Section 8 - Research and Scholarship of Learning & Teaching

(41) Any scholarly or research activity that intends to use SELT survey results must comply with the National Statement on Ethical Conduct in Human Research. Relevant scholars or researchers must not use the SELT / ProfEx as a research tool, but may develop their research focus from their understanding of the SELT / ProfEx results. If the scholars and researchers plan to investigate student views, they must adhere to the Survey, Interview and Focus Group Governance Framework.