Improving the student experience
-one year on
James Warner
“Nobody knows my name”
Imperial Medical Student 2011
The problem…
• Imperial medical faculty underperforms on
student experience measures in the National
Student Survey
• NSS 2011 negative comments
– Assessment and feedback- 83%
– Academic support- 50%
– Organisation and management- 80%
– Pastoral care- 72%
The method
• Series of focus groups with students and
faculty
– Explore themes identified in NSS in depth
– Identify further themes
• Random selection of students across all years
• Grouped by years
• Anonymity guaranteed
Method
•
•
•
•
Two facilitators
90 minutes
Solutions invited
Responses categorised and coded
Results
• 5 student groups
– 25 students
• 2 faculty groups
– 9 teachers/course leads
Results
• Pre-Course information and induction
unhelpful
• Students do not feel a sense of allegiance with
the Alma Mater
• Insufficient access and poor understanding of
intranet
• Significant concern with communication of
last minute changes to teaching
Results
• poor understanding of course integration and
learning objectives by teachers – esoteric
subject matter and repetition
• Students have to access multiple sources of
information (often obscure) to ensure they
meet teaching commitments)
• Lack of clarity of role and accessibility of
personal tutors. Lack of awareness of pastoral
resources
Results
• Students believe accessing pastoral/welfare or
criticizing the course will count against them
• course and exam feedback do not inform their
progress/ranking within the year
Results
• SOLE does not make a difference- students
have no confidence poor teaching is
addressed when identified in SOLE
• Students have insufficient information about
construct and content of exams
One year on…
Themes
RECOMMENDATION
• Improving teaching management
– Accountability structure
– Recognition and career progression
Themes
RECOMMENDATION
• Improving teaching management
– Accountability structure
– Recognition and career progression
ACTION
• Money to follow delivery in Trusts and divisions
• Introduction of Quality Metrics (eg Peer review)
Themes
RECOMMENDATION
• Improving course cohesion and integration
Themes
RECOMMENDATION
• Improving course cohesion and integration
ACTION
• Appointment of Education Fellow for curriculum
mapping
– innovative mechanisms to link and present structure and content
– Working with course leaders, theme leaders and heads of years
– map will signpost learning at each stage of the programme
• Early years review
Themes
RECOMMENDATION
• Develop sense of Allegiance to institution
Themes
RECOMMENDATION
• Develop sense of Allegiance to institution
ACTION
• Social events
– e.g. Ceremony to mark induction to clinical course
• Improved communication with student body
– e.g. Town Hall events
Themes
RECOMMENDATION
• Personalise student experience
Themes
RECOMMENDATION
• Personalise student experience
ACTION
• “customer first” approach
• Improved communication with student body
– More visible FEO
Themes
RECOMMENDATION
• Improve feedback bi-directionally
Themes
RECOMMENDATION
• Improve feedback bi-directionally
ACTION
• SOLE shake-up
• Feedback project
– Centre-student feedback survey
Themes
RECOMMENDATION
• Re-invigorate personal tutor system
Themes
RECOMMENDATION
• Re-invigorate personal tutor system
ACTION
• Piloting clinical tutor system year 3
– Evaluation planned
Themes
RECOMMENDATION
• Improve pre-admission materials
Themes
RECOMMENDATION
• Improve pre-course materials
ACTION
• Substantial revision of pre-course
communication
Themes
RECOMMENDATION
• Improve information about exams and
increase assessments
Themes
RECOMMENDATION
• Improve information about exams and
increase assessments
ACTION
• Assessment strategy
• Personalised exam feedback
• PACES revision course
summary
• Every recommendation considered
• Real commitment by College to change
• Substantial cultural shift- will take time!