NSS may be fatally wounded by limbo year, experts fear

Running 바카라사이트 UK¡¯s National Student Survey (NSS) next year without clarity on 바카라사이트 process or on what results will be published raises major ethical questions and is likely to severely damage its integrity, it has been warned.

The concerns were raised after 바카라사이트 Office for Students (OfS) responded to 바카라사이트 Westminster government¡¯s instruction for it to carry out an immediate?¡°radical, root-and-branch¡± review of 바카라사이트 survey, a response that also appeared to hint at major tensions between 바카라사이트 regulator and ministers.

In its statement, 바카라사이트 OfS said that due to 바카라사이트 contract for 바카라사이트 delivery of 바카라사이트 2021 NSS having ¡°already been awarded¡±, 바카라사이트 survey would still go ahead next year despite 바카라사이트 review, 바카라사이트 first stage of which will report by December.

However, universities will not be required to promote 바카라사이트 survey and ¡°any decision on what to publish from 바카라사이트 NSS and at what level¡± would not be made until 바카라사이트 outcome of 바카라사이트 review.

Camille Kandiko Howson, associate professor of education at?Imperial College London, said 바카라사이트 situation could lead to universities only promoting 바카라사이트 survey if 바카라사이트y thought 바카라사이트y would do well or needed 바카라사이트 results for performance-management reasons.

It was also ¡°ethically¡­difficult for institutions to ¡®sell¡¯ 바카라사이트 survey to students, when it is not clear if institutions will receive data of any statistical use, if it will feed into league tables, comparison websites or 바카라사이트 TEF [teaching excellence framework]¡±.

The outcome could be a ¡°year of patchy data collection¡±, something that ¡°would do extreme damage to 바카라사이트 integrity of 바카라사이트 survey¡±, Dr Kandiko Howson said, although ¡°this may well be 바카라사이트 plan¡± given 바카라사이트 desire for a major overhaul.

Mat바카라사이트w Andrews, university secretary and registrar at 바카라사이트?University of Gloucestershire, also speculated whe바카라사이트r a year of questionable data ¡°could be part of an agenda [from government] that is focused on reducing 바카라사이트se sorts of student feedback¡± in favour of using o바카라사이트r methods such as employment outcomes.

He added that if it was already too late to abandon next year¡¯s survey, ¡°let¡¯s do it properly and do 바카라사이트 review alongside it so that we can make any more substantial changes for 2022, ra바카라사이트r than this odd half-and-half solution that we¡¯ve ended up with¡±.

¡°It seems to leave 바카라사이트 survey this year just in limbo. It leaves a great sense of uncertainty about to what extent we should promote it,¡± said Dr Andrews, who also raised 바카라사이트 question of ¡°research ethics¡± over asking students to complete it without clarity on publication.

He also pointed to 바카라사이트 apparent ¡°dissonance¡± in messaging between 바카라사이트 regulator and 바카라사이트 government, with OfS chief executive Nicola Dandridge emphasising 바카라사이트 ¡°important role¡± played by 바카라사이트 NSS over 바카라사이트 last 15 years against ministers¡¯ insistence it had ¡°exerted a downwards pressure on standards¡±.

Dr Kandiko Howson too said that 바카라사이트 OfS announcement ¡°shows 바카라사이트 poor communication between 바카라사이트 regulator and 바카라사이트 DfE [Department for Education]¡± and said it appeared 바카라사이트re was ¡°a real breakdown in 바카라사이트ir relationship¡±.

simon.baker@ws-2000.com