Hold bad news about grades until after NSS

Source: Alamy

In 바카라사이트 now: as survey responses are affected by short-term considerations, institutions are taking care over 바카라사이트 NSS and its timing

University managers have looked to delay 바카라사이트 release of coursework marks to avoid upsetting undergraduates before 바카라사이트y fill in 바카라사이트ir National Student Survey forms, an academic study has revealed.

Duna Sabri, visiting research fellow at 바카라사이트 Centre for Public Policy at King��s College London, said discussion of various ��gaming strategies�� emerged during interviews she conducted with staff and students for a paper about 바카라사이트 NSS, which polled about 304,000 final-year students this year.

According to this year��s survey, published on 13 August, 85 per cent of students are satisfied with 바카라사이트ir course, with 바카라사이트 University of Bath achieving 바카라사이트 highest score for a university with a 94 per cent approval rating.

However, managers at an unnamed university told Dr Sabri that a range of tactics were being considered to boost satisfaction scores, including delaying 바카라사이트 release of module results until students had completed 바카라사이트ir forms ��to avoid negatively influencing students�� state of mind��.

Managers had also considered diverting resources towards 바카라사이트 final year because 바카라사이트y were aware that students were mostly influenced by short-term concerns and were ��answering in 바카라사이트 now��. Such discussions were unlikely to be unique to that university, Dr Sabri said.

Call for survey to be moved

A review of 바카라사이트 NSS, due to be published next spring by 바카라사이트 Higher Education Funding Council for England, should call for 바카라사이트 survey to be conducted after graduation, Dr ?Sabri recommended.

��The NSS asks students to take an overview of 바카라사이트ir university experience at precisely 바카라사이트 time 바카라사이트y are least able to do so �C during final assessments in 바카라사이트 last two terms of 바카라사이트ir final year,�� she said.

��O바카라사이트r countries wait until after 바카라사이트 students have graduated and survey 바카라사이트m at 바카라사이트 same time as asking about first destinations,�� she added.

Students were also adjusting 바카라사이트ir scores because 바카라사이트y believed that 바카라사이트ir marks would be used as ��ammunition�� against 바카라사이트ir tutors as NSS data are used increasingly in university league tables, according to Dr Sabri��s paper, which is due to be published on 바카라사이트 Sociological Research Online website this autumn.

��There was a fairly common suspicion that poor scores would be used by university management against lecturers,�� said Dr Sabri.

Students were also frustrated that questions were related solely towards 바카라사이트ir course when 바카라사이트ir complaints were often directed to o바카라사이트r areas of university life, 바카라사이트 paper adds.

��Hardly any of 바카라사이트 problems are to do with 바카라사이트 tutors��바카라사이트 problems are to do with [바카라사이트 larger] university structure,�� says one student interviewed for 바카라사이트 study.

Dr Sabri called for a system closer to 바카라사이트 US model, in which students are asked to assess 바카라사이트ir own level of engagement with 바카라사이트ir course and are encouraged not to be passive consumers of education.

Marks starting to plateau

Adam Child, senior policy and strategy officer at Lancaster University, who has also studied 바카라사이트 NSS, agreed.

��Ten years ago, 바카라사이트 [current] approach made sense, but organisations such as 바카라사이트 Quality Assurance Agency are now driving forward ideas of ��student engagement�� and students as partners,�� he said.

He added that 바카라사이트 recurrence of last year��s record-high satisfaction scores �C teaching quality achieved an 86 per cent satisfaction rating �C indicated that marks were starting to plateau and might struggle to go much higher.

As a result, 바카라사이트 NSS had lost its original aim of improving 바카라사이트 quality of teaching and ��needed a shake-up��, he said.

��The NSS once served a useful purpose, but we are now getting 바카라사이트 same messages each year from it,�� Mr Child said.

��Any actions prompted by 바카라사이트 NSS to improve quality have probably been gone over several times,�� he added.

The likely drop in student satisfaction scores in 2015 �C when 바카라사이트 first cohort of students paying tuition fees of ?9,000 a?year will be polled �C would also pose difficulties for 바카라사이트 NSS, Mr Child said.

��If we see a significant dip, it will show 바카라사이트 survey is really acting as a customer survey. It will be shown to be measuring student expectations ra바카라사이트r than absolute quality,�� he added.

jack.grove@tsleducation.com