Over the past three years EFS has started using Learner Experience of Unit (LEU) questionnaires extensively to monitor student satisfaction with its courses. Between 2005 and 2007 the number of units surveyed went up from 99 to 245.
The LEU questionnaire is the main tool used by the university for measuring student satisfaction with units of study. The questionnaire uses a Likert scale, where students enter a number from 1 to 5 to indicate their level of agreement with a statement such as “The criteria for success in this unit were made clear”, or “Intellectual inquiry was encouraged in this unit”. The numbers indicate degrees of response, starting from 1 meaning “strongly disagree” through to 5 meaning “strongly agree”.
Over this period there has been a noticeable improvement in average LEU scores for all departments in the faculty, where this improvement extends across all seven of the criteria of student satisfaction used in the LEU questionnaire. The following tables and graphs show the results for 2005, 2006 and 2007.
Survey data
| Questions | 2005 | 2006 |
2007 |
| No. of units: | 99 | 119 | 245 |
| No. questionnaires: | 8551 | 10174 | 18573 |
LEU mean for all Departments in Economic and Financial Studies:
| Questions |
2005 |
2006 |
2007 |
| Question 1: Clear goals and standards | 3.73 | 3.73 | 3.86 |
| Question 2: Organisation | 3.62 | 3.63 | 3.74 |
| Question 3: Learning support | 3.71 | 3.72 | 3.81 |
| Question 4: Intellectual challenge | 3.63 | 3.62 | 3.71 |
| Question 5: Appropriate assessment | 3.65 | 3.62 | 3.71 |
| Question 6: Feedback | 3.31 | 3.34 | 3.41 |
| Question 7: Appropriate workload | 3.58 | 3.54 | 3.6 |
Charted results:
While these tables and graphs indicate increasing student satisfaction with EFS courses of study, there are nevertheless certain areas where student responses have suggested room for improvement. In particular,
(a) we intend to increase the number of peer-assisted learning (PAL) groups, which have proved very successful but need to be extended to include more units;
(b) efforts are being made to improve the quality of assessment and feedback which students receive for their assignments and other coursework activities – for example, a research group has conducted interviews among students and staff to probe attitudes and identify problems relating to assessment and feedback, with a view to formulating an assessment policy for the Division;
(c) in response to student complaints about lecture room facilities, the University is refurbishing several lecturing auditoriums and other teaching spaces used by the Division.
