Learner Surveys

Learner Responsiveness is one of the three key dimensions of the Framework for Excellence. As part of our continuing development of new services, your RSC can now investigate the experience of technology you offer your learners.

The purpose of the survey is to enable continued improvement. It reports on learner perceptions, which do not always reflect what is actually the case. However, learner perceptions also influence attitudes to learning and hence success and retention.

We tailor the survey to your needs, deliver it, analyse the data and report the findings with recommendations.

For example the survey may cover any use of technology in the classroom, open access areas (such as the library), for independent study and all online services (internet, email, learning platform/VLE). 

The main mode of delivery of the questionnaire is online, but that would bias it against those learners who do not use technology, so the survey can be made available on paper too, with the data inputted by the learning provider.

The survey can be repeated annually to give a measure of progress. As the RSC carries out more surveys in different learning providers, it will be possible to benchmark against other providers. 

The Learner Survey has been piloted at South Nottingham College. The report has been used by both the Senior Management Team and the Excellence Team to inform action.

The College has built on the Survey outcomes in a number of ways. Quotes are included in Self Assessment Reports, especially in relation to learner voice and entitlement. It provides evidence to strengthen – and to question – current plans.

Elaine Martin, in charge of Strategic Development: Teaching & Learning at the College, made a special point of getting back to the RSC to say:

“We are so pleased. This is of massive value in evaluating the impact of our SharePoint portal. In particular it was the weight of informed, independent opinion brought by the JISC RSC that enabled the findings to be viewed with confidence”.

To find out more about this service, please contact Steve Saffhill.