Student Feedback Project
UCD operates a confidential, online student feedback system to ensure that students are given a voice in the module enhancement process as part of UCD's evidence-based quality assurance of educational offerings.
Project Background
Following a university-wide consultation during 2019, there was agreement that the current student feedback system should be changed to reflect the need to increase student response rates, close the feedback loop to students and to allow faculty to have their individual teaching captured for the purposes of their development and the promotion system. Changes to the current questionnaire were also recommended.
The purpose of this development is to provide a new system with the appropriate functionality to enable the feedback loop to students to be closed and to allow schools to gain deeper insights into their students’ perceptions of their learning while providing a reliable, secure and fit for purpose student feedback system at an enterprise level.
Project Description
The investment in a new solution allows for the additional flexibility to be incorporated to the student feedback process, enhanced reporting, and some additional feedback mechanism types that have not been possible to date. The Request For Proposals (RFP) process would seek to identify a best in breed cloud-based solution with all the associated benefits of these systems including security, management, maintenance, interoperability and support mechanisms.
The new feedback system will allow for a new approach to student feedback which will include the changes detailed below
Student Feedback Governance
The project team will report directly into the Student Feedback Steering Group, who are responsible for the overall governance and the successful delivery of the project.
Academic Lead: Prof Marie Clarke
Business Owner: Maura McGinn
Project Manager: Ryan Teevan
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Project Update
A considerable amount of work was undertaken in 2019, with student and faculty consultations taking place. Feedback from students and faculty identified similarities across the pain points experienced with the current student feedback system and processes. These are summarised in the infographic.
In 2019/20, a recommendation went to the University Management Team (UMT) outlining the requirement for a new Student Feedback system and for an update to the current questionnaire. This page will act as a place for updating students and staff on the progress being acheived by the project and will be continuously updated as milestones are acheived.
A number of meetings with potential vendors commenced in August and September 2022, which assisted in ensuring the requirements for tender were comprehensive and in line with industry standards.
In Oct 2022, the Request for Proposals (RFP) was issued, with approval from the Steering Committee and with assistance from UCD Procurement in finalising these requirements. The tender will remain open until early Nov 2022, with a decision expected by the end of November.
A change to the student feedback process will occur as part of the pilot. The survey will move from an individual survey for all modules, to two separate surveys:
- A module evaluation Survey
- A Teaching evaluation Survey
The survey will also not be delivered to all modules. Schools will be expected to nominate modules to be surveyed under each survey category. A module should only be surveyed once within a three year period. The current As Is and To Be processes are detailed within the workflow documentation under the Project Documentation section of the webpage.
Seven schools have signed up to form the pilot group, which will run from Mar/Apr 2023 until December 2023. During this period we will be working closely with the pilot groups to understand how this new process is working and tweaking any requirements based on staff and student feedback ahead of any further roll out of the system within the University.
Project Documentation
A project team has been formed to oversee the implementation of a new student feedback system with details below. The project team will report directly into the Student Feedback Steering Group, who are responsible for the overall governance of the project and the successful delivery of the project. Further information on the Steering Group, including membership details, can be found on the Steering Groups Terms of Reference.
Other Useful links can be found below and will continue to be updated as we move throughout the project.
Timeline
The below graphic provides an overview of the expected milestones within this project. These dates are provisional and subject to change depending on how the project processes.
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June/July 2022
Clarify Objectives
Formation of Steering Group
Formation of Project Team
Kick of Project Meetings
Engage with Steering Group
Planning -
September 2022
Draft Communications Plan
Draft Systems Requirement
Kick off Steering Group Meetings
Approval of System Requirements
Engage with Procurement -
October 2022
Engage with UCD Procurement
Publish the Request for Proposals (RFP)
RFP open for response
Establish a sub committee for tender response review -
December 2022
Review Tender Submissions
Agree on a solution
Commence Cooling-off period -
January 2023
Complete Contract due diligence
Commence implementation of solution
Onboarding training -
February 2023
Engage with Pilot Group
Systematic requirement implemented
Go live with pilot group -
May 2023
Review Survey Results
Pilot review with Staff and Students
Decision Point -
May 2023
Approval Drafted for UMTEG and UMT
Plan for University roll out
Continuous Monitoring
Review as required
Project Team
A project team has been formed to oversee the implementation of a new student feedback system. The project team will report directly into the Student Feedback Steering Group, who are responsible for the overall governance of the project and the successful delivery of the project.