QED are involved in a range of activities that involve the collection and evaluation of feedback from staff and students to enhance the student learning experience, inform strategy and promote student retention.
We use this feedback to inform projects and develop programmes across the University. Through these enhancements, we have developed a way of working with students as partners, not just as evaluators of their learning. Working with students in curriculum design, student experience and employability can be very successful. The student experience can be impacted upon by a number of different factors across the University.
Surveys
Surveys and data collection are the initial step in the quality enhancement process. We collect data from a range of sources and use the outcomes to inform either further discussion or to develop projects and programmes. We are involved in a number of surveys, both internal and external such as the National Student Survey, the Student Satisfaction Survey and the Postgraduate Taught Experience Survey.
The Quality Enhancement Process
The Quality Enhancement process has been developed as a way of best utilising the data and feedback we receive from students as well as enhancing the student experience as a result. The process includes the collection and analysis of data which then informs areas for enhancement and development, working with students to tailor the enhancement to their needs and their programme.
Each year the Student Voice and Engagement team collate and disseminate the results of the surveys to all Schools. Results from internal student satisfaction surveys are also disseminated via papers to the University's relevant committees and boards. Programmes that perform under the target for Learning and Teaching and Overall Satisfaction create action plans to address the concerns students raise. These are then discussed over the course of the first term in NSS Enhancement Group meetings with colleagues from QED and the Pro Vice-Chancellor for Student Engagement. During these meetings, the Student Voice and Engagement Team offer advice and support to Schools, including opportunities to gather additional feedback from students, through Neutral Student Voice Interventions.
Met Voice Rebranding
Whilst we approach working in partnership with students in a variety of ways, we acknowledge that not all students are aware of, or want to, engage in the wider opportunities available to them.
To raise awareness of these opportunities and to place students at the heart of the student voice campaign, in 2019 we worked with level 5 design students in CSAD to re- brand Student Voice at Cardiff Met. This was due to the fact the previous branding and messaging focused too heavily on being able to ‘have your say’ at certain points in the year. The images illustrate how the graphic design students developed a student facing brand of ‘Met Voice/ Llais Met’, which encourages students to join the conversation, rather than be passive listeners.
Met Voice Week
Following on from the re-design, we decided to launch Met voice in partnership with the SU and hosted a Student Voice week during November 2019, encouraging students to join the conversation.
This week had stalls across the Schools on both campuses, as well as resources shared in the libraries. It was also an opportunity to remind students of the ways in which Cardiff Met listens to voice of students and action changes as a result.
The School Leads also made use of this week to celebrate the student voice, collecting student feedback through a number of different mechanisms including: Feedback Walls, Spin the Wheel, and Student Engagement Focus Groups. This additional stage of gathering student feedback with student representatives allowed the students to showcase who they were as representatives as well as helping them to develop a greater understanding of any issues that are arising at an early stage within the academic year.
During the course of the week, staff from QED and student reps talked to over 1,600 students on one of the 6 stalls. Colleagues in QED also conducted over 40 lecture talks and, using mentimeter, gathered student feedback, from over 500 students on the Student Engagement process at Cardiff Met. This information has been fed back to ADSEs and Programme Directors during NSS Enhancement Group meetings. The team also recruited student panellists throughout Student Voice Week, which resulted in the further recruitment and training of another 20 students.
Met Voice materials
In QED we are happy to provide you with promotional materials for your Met Voice work. We have easels strategically placed around campus which are used for the promotion of student voice and engagement activity. If you would like any resources, electronic or print, please contact
metvoice@cardiffmet.ac.ukThis is an example poster board created for Met Voice week, for Cardiff School of Education and Social Policy.
Student Voice Group
The Student Voice Group informs the work of QED and wider University on student voice and engagement work. The membership of this group consists of the Associate Deans for Student Engagement and colleagues from Professional Services and Students’ Union. These members drive our activity and support the promotion of surveys and student representation. This group will shortly fall under the wider Student Engagement Programme, where Student Voice will be one stream of work.
Working in Partnership
QED and the SU have a strong working relationship, which stems from a wide range of collaborative projects over the years. To ensure the work we do is documented, we produce a partnership report which highlights joint working which is being undertaken to improve student engagement and the student experience. This includes updates on engagement with quality assurance, surveys, student-led teaching fellowships and the peer assisted learning scheme. The joint report is presented at the Learning, Teaching and Student Engagement Committee.
