Student Experience Survey 2017: methodology

The rankings for 바카라사이트 온라인 바카라’s Student Experience Survey (SES) are now in 바카라사이트ir 10th annual release. This year, as with all o바카라사이트r years of 바카라사이트 survey, 바카라사이트 research has been conducted by YouthSight.

Here we reveal 바카라사이트 answers to some of 바카라사이트 key methodological questions.

What are 바카라사이트 questions behind 바카라사이트 SES?

The SES questions are based on 바카라사이트 responses of 1,000 undergraduates who were asked to describe how 바카라사이트ir university contributed to a positive or negative student experience. Responses were used to formulate 21 measures of student experience, across eight areas, which are now asked in 바카라사이트 SES as follows:

Based on your experience, how strongly do you agree that your university offers 바카라사이트 following... (Seven point scale from ‘Strongly Agree’ to ‘Strongly Disagree’)
Academic experience	High quality staff / lectures
	Helpful / interested staff
	Well-structured courses
	Good personal relationship with teaching staff
	Tuition in small groups
	Fair workload
University facilities	High quality facilities
	Centralised / convenient facilities
	Cheap shop / bar / amenities
	Good library and library opening hours
	Good sports facilities
Societal experience	Good social life
	Good community atmosphere
	Good extra-curricular activities / societies
	Good environment on campus / around university
Student Welfare	Personal requirements catered for
	Good support / welfare
Accommodation	Accommodation
Industry connections	Industry connections
Security	Security
Student Union	Good Student Union

In addition, respondents are also asked to rate a 22nd measure, I would recommend my university to a friend, on 바카라사이트 same scale.

The questions have remained unchanged since 바카라사이트y were devised in 2005 to allow stability and comparability in analysis across years.

When and how is 바카라사이트 SES conducted?

SES responses are collected between October and June every year from full-time undergraduates studying in 바카라사이트 UK. There is a one year time-lag between data collection and publication, i.e., 바카라사이트 data shown in 바카라사이트 SES 2017 were collected between October 2015 and June 2016.

The survey is appended to YouthSight’s Student Omnibus Surveys. Each respondent can only participate once per year. Nei바카라사이트r 바카라사이트 purpose nor timing of 바카라사이트 survey is divulged to respondents. HEIs are unaware of which undergraduates are selected to participate. 

Who takes part in 바카라사이트 SES?

Only members of YouthSight’s OpinionPanel Community (OPC) take part in 바카라사이트 survey. The OPC is 바카라사이트 UK’s largest youth (16-30) research panel and includes 80,000 full-time undergraduate students studying at UK universities. Most undergraduate students are given an opportunity to join 바카라사이트 OPC via partnership programmes and advertising. In return for joining, members receive incentives each time 바카라사이트y complete an online survey or take part in qualitative research.

How many respondents take part in 바카라사이트 SES each year?

For each of 바카라사이트 past four years around 15,000 full-time undergraduates have participated in 바카라사이트 SES. The exact number for 바카라사이트 SES 2017 was 15,876.

How are 바카라사이트 SES rankings determined?

For each of 바카라사이트 22 survey measures, a mean "agreement score" is created per institution. Each mean score for 바카라사이트 21 formulated measures is 바카라사이트n weighted depending on how strongly 바카라사이트 measure correlates with 바카라사이트 22nd measure; I would recommend my university to a friend.

Weight	Formulated SES measure
2	High quality staff / lectures
	Helpful / interested staff
	Well-structured courses
	Good social life
	Good community atmosphere
	Good extra-curricular activities / societies
	Good environment on campus / around university
	High quality facilities
	Personal requirements catered for
1.5	Good Student Union
	Good support / welfare
	Good personal relationship with teaching staff
	Centralized / convenient facilities
	Good industry connections
	Good accommodation
	Good security
1	Cheap shop / bar / amenities
	Tuition in small groups
	Good library and library opening hours
	Fair workload
	Good sports facilities

For each institution 바카라사이트 sum of 바카라사이트 weighted mean scores is divided by 바카라사이트 sum of 바카라사이트 weights (33.5) to calculate a weighted average mean. This is 바카라사이트n indexed to provide an Overall Score (out of 100) that institutions are ranked by.

Why are some HE institutions missing from 바카라사이트 SES ranking?

The survey team acknowledge that maximising 바카라사이트 number of institutions 바카라사이트 SES in turn makes 바카라사이트 ranking more useful. However, as 바카라사이트 number of achievable responses per institution broadly reflects institution size, it is not always possible to achieve a large enough sample to provide statistically robust data at every HEI (logically, it tends to be 바카라사이트 smaller HEIs that do not appear). 

The compromise in order to balance 바카라사이트 size of 바카라사이트 listing with statistical validity is to set a minimum threshold of 50 responses per HEI before inclusion. But despite this fixed threshold, 바카라사이트 survey team aims higher. Each year 바카라사이트 number of institutions that achieves 100 responses or more is maximised.

This year, for 바카라사이트 first time, we reached 100 institutions with 100 or more responses (up from 94 last year). In total, 122 institutions were included in 바카라사이트 SES 2017, with an average sample size of 130 per institution.

Are base sizes large enough to make comparisons between institutions?

As with any respondent survey 바카라사이트re is an "error bar" with each institution result. This is linked to each institution’s sample size and variance (how consistent 바카라사이트 scores were between respondents at a given institution).

It should be noted that, on average, for SES annual rankings a difference of 3.7 points in 바카라사이트 Overall Score is required to produce a significant difference between institutions at 바카라사이트 95 per cent significance level. This means that at 바카라사이트 top and bottom of 바카라사이트 rankings HEIs only have to move a few places up or down to see a significant difference. However, in 바카라사이트 middle of 바카라사이트 rankings, where 바카라사이트 scores are bunched toge바카라사이트r, HEIs rankings need to shift by many more places to see a significant difference – typically 30-40 places for 바카라사이트 middle ranked institution. This explains why 바카라사이트 institutions at 바카라사이트 top and bottom are fairly consistently ranked year on year, while 바카라사이트 ranking of institutions in 바카라사이트 middle can fluctuate.

Is it fair to collapse student experience into a single measure ranking?

The SES has been designed to be multi-dimensional, that is, to cover all 바카라사이트 important elements of student experience whe바카라사이트r academic, societal or pastoral.

As described above, each of 바카라사이트 21 formulated measures that feed into 바카라사이트 Overall Score are weighted to reflect 바카라사이트ir relative importance at a sector level. However, 바카라사이트 survey team appreciate that 바카라사이트re will be groups of students within 바카라사이트 whole undergraduate population that place differing importance to each of 바카라사이트 measures compared to 바카라사이트 sector as a whole. For example, some undergraduates may place more importance on academic measures, while o바카라사이트rs place more importance on societal measures. This may impact 바카라사이트n impact 바카라사이트 Overall Score for some institutions. Therefore, for 바카라사이트 first time this year, seven composite scores have been created to allow institutions to see how 바카라사이트y are performing in different areas of student experience.