SU launches feedback survey

The University of Warwick Students’ Union (SU) launched its ‘Hungry for Feedback’ scheme on Monday 27 January.

A new survey on the SU website aims to find out what students’ views are on the quality of feedback that they receive for their work.

The survey covers how long it takes to get feedback, one’s understanding of the marking methods, how well marks are justified and explained, and how helpful the feedback is for your improvement.

Education officer at Warwick SU, Erin Davies, has commented on what the SU aims to gain from the scheme.

“Hopefully I’ll be able to build an idea of what a ‘Warwick Standard’ of feedback would look like and be able to pass that onto the University.”

Ms Davies emphasised that she would be “really keen to read” any examples of what students think is “particularly good or bad feedback”, to help the scheme achieve the best possible results.

Last year’s National Student Survey (NSS) results revealed that despite a generally high level of student satisfaction across the departments, feedback was an area that continually scored lower than others.

Final-year History and Politics undergraduate, Eliza Fleming, thought that the scheme was an “important step” in responding to the NSS findings of previous years.

Ms Fleming highlighted significant differences between the two departments, particularly in terms of the promptness of feedback and the manner in which it is given.

Tom Martin, a fourth-year Engineering student, noted the difference in quality of feedback even within departments.

“It’s all relative; it depends on the tutor.”

Fourth-year History undergraduate, Pamela Chinwe Nnajiuba, expressed her concerns about the helpfulness of feedback in her department: “The feedback is okay, but I wish I was given more constructive advice of exactly what to do.”

The aim of the SU’s investigation is to get the opinions of a wide range of students heard by the University, with an additional commentary box at the end of the survey that offers space for more specific ideas.