National Student Survey
MMU Overview
Neil Barrett
Strategic Planning & Management Information
Section
01
NSS. Why? Why?!
NSS designed to support the QAA’s
audits & bring focus to universities
Teaching
Overall
satisfaction
QUALITY!
Assessment
Personal
development
Academic
support
Organisation
Learning
resources
Our challenge: NSS is not designed to
diagnose institutional issues. E.g.
• Validity (what do the questions actually mean?)
– The timetable works efficiently as far as my
activities are concerned
– Feedback on my work has been prompt
• Reliability, particularly of small samples…
Variation in small samples
Quartiles of overall satisfaction for all courses in UK returning individual
course results in KIS, by size of NSS population
% overall
satisfaction
100
90
80
70
60
50
40
Lots of variability in
small classes:
implications for KIS
30
20
10
0
25
30
35
40
45
50
55
60
65
70
75
80
85
90
95
100 105 110 115 120 125
Size of class
But! The numbers are used regardless
and our numbers need to be higher
• League tables: in Sunday Times, nearly 30% of
an institution’s score is made up from NSS
(teaching quality & overall satisfaction)
• Student choice. E.g. Unistats & Which?
Unistats
Which?
Section
02
The results
Institutional position
100%
2011
100%
90%
90%
80%
80%
70%
70%
60%
60%
50%
50%
40%
40%
30%
The
Assessment Academic Organisation Learning
Personal
Overall
teaching on and feedback support
and
resources development Satisfaction
my course
management
30%
2012
The teaching Assessment
on my course and feedback
Academic
support
Organisation
and
management
MMU result
Similar institution results (Leeds Met, Birm. City, UCLan, LJM, De Mont, Northumbria, Nott. Trent, Sheff. Hall)
Learning
resources
Personal
development
Overall
Satisfaction
I am satisfied
with the
Students'
Union
(Association or
Guild) at my
institution
100
A&D
100
HPSC
100
50
50
50
100
100
100
Humanities
50
100
50
Business
50
Cheshire
100
50
Hollings
S&E
50
Education
Change in overall satisfaction
(2011 to 2012)
The teaching
on my
JACS area
Management studies
Management
studies
Human Resource Management
HRM
Finance
Initial Teacher Training
Finance
Architecture
HEI count
Organisation
Assessment
course and feedback
Academic
and
support management
Personal
Ov erall
Students'
resources development
Learning
Satisfaction
Union
80
93
80
88
84
87
90
93
79
14
82
82
88
87
93
90
93
89
50
88
73
89
87
87
81
91
73
56
89
72
88
63
90
91
88
65
46
89
78
85
80
88
89
88
76
Accounting
83
87
74
88
87
87
81
90
73
Economics
66
82
64
81
80
86
84
86
60
Drama
85
89
74
82
82
69
94
87
84
Others in Education
17
88
68
77
76
87
89
86
61
109
93
68
84
82
77
77
92
49
Others in Social studies
20
80
68
79
76
71
91
80
59
Others in Subjects allied to Medicine
72
80
83
79
57
86
87
79
66
Physical Geography and Environmental Science
59
90
77
88
85
82
75
90
52
Media studies
88
85
74
72
66
82
78
72
70
Dance
16
88
82
83
82
70
82
90
80
Materials and Minerals Technology
13
80
72
71
83
70
75
78
51
Biology
63
84
62
78
85
85
79
84
68
Mathematics and Statistics
63
78
69
80
77
85
65
84
66
Anatomy, Physiology and Pathology
45
85
67
79
66
90
89
82
65
Tourism, Transport and Travel
56
77
73
76
72
72
76
82
52
History
94
92
72
80
83
69
77
87
59
111
83
66
79
75
76
72
83
64
Forensic and Archaeological Science
29
80
59
80
62
87
61
75
60
Nursing
71
85
80
78
80
79
87
90
66
Chemistry
43
84
72
76
78
93
80
88
69
Design studies
86
80
72
73
69
88
73
77
57
Politics
70
86
69
77
80
61
66
90
58
114
71
67
77
70
81
69
74
67
Sports Science
76
81
69
79
72
81
80
82
70
Philosophy
42
87
70
74
82
70
72
81
69
Fine Art
59
77
74
68
62
89
71
73
44
Medical Technology
24
78
59
72
58
86
73
68
66
Academic studies in Education
71
75
67
73
58
75
76
78
69
All Subjects
226
81
69
76
73
81
78
81
62
Social Work
90
79
63
64
66
71
82
73
41
Aural and Oral Sciences
15
86
48
68
42
77
75
72
46
Sociology
84
79
62
74
74
75
70
79
63
Marketing
54
71
65
61
71
80
78
73
55
Music
71
74
54
61
52
70
65
62
36
Others in Technology
Electronic and Electrical Engineering
Nutrition
Others
in Technology
Nutrition
Business
Studies
Business
studies
99
79
57
67
63
80
79
81
68
62
72
56
68
55
84
66
73
68
24
67
60
63
32
81
60
43
67
19
73
57
68
50
70
71
67
41
101
73
66
70
76
83
78
76
65
English studies
Psychology
Computer Science
Law
All MMU subjects
compared with the
sector
Green = top half of all
institutions
Pink = bottom half
The library resources
andandservices
are
good
enough for my needs
16. The library resources
serv ices are good
enough
for my needs.
Good advice12.was
available
I need
to make
Good adv
ice w as av ailablewhen
w hen I needed
to make study
choices. study choices
8. I hav edetailed
receiv ed detailed
comments on my won
ork. my work
I have received
comments
17. I hav e been able to access general IT resources w hen I needed to.
7. Feedback on my w ork has been prompt.
9. Feedback on my w ork has helped me clarify things I did not understand.
6. Assessment arrangements and marking hav e been fair.
18. I hav e been able to access specialised equipment, facilities or rooms w hen I needed to.
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4 4 4 4 4 4 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3
I am satisfied w ith the Students' Union (Association or Guild) at my institution
2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1
5 4 4 4 4 4 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3
Ov erall Satisfaction
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4 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3
10. I hav e receiv ed sufficient adv ice and support w ith my studies.
5. The criteria used in marking hav e been clear in adv ance.
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20. My communication skills hav e improv ed.
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5 4 4 4 4 4 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3
19. The course has helped me to present my self w ith confidence.
2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1
4 4 4 4 4 4 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3
13. The timetable w orks efficiently as far as my activ ities are concerned.
2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1
4 4 4 4 4 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3
11. I hav e been able to contact staff w hen I needed to.
2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1
4 4 4 4 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3
1. Staff are good at ex plaining things.
14. Any changes in the course or teaching hav e been communicated effectiv ely .
21. As a result of the course, I feel confident in tackling unfamiliar problems.
The course is well organised and running smoothly
15. The course is w ell organised and is running smoothly .
The course is4. The
intellectually
stimulating
course is intellectually stimulating.
Staff have made
the
subject
interesting
2. Staff hav
e made
the subject interesting.
Staff are enthusiastic
about
they
are teaching
3. Staff are enthusiastic
about wwhat
hat they are
teaching.
2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1
4 4 4 4 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3
2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1
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2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1
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2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1
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2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1
4 4 4 4 4 4 3 3 3 3 3
4 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3
4 4 3 3 3 3 3 3
4 4 3 3 3 3 3
Suggestions!
• Focus on the positives – i.e. the motivational
side of a good experience (not avoiding making
them unhappy)
• Timing – get them in a good mood
• Hot issues – quickly recover from any major
issues