New SFS

 What is rationale for the new late session SFS questionnaire?

The revised questionnaire strengthens the focus on student engagement and learning and allows faculties to align questions with the learning modes being used for that subject.   It also recognises three distinct sponsors of components of the SFS:  

1. subject coordinators, in conjunction with the teaching team;
2. faculty management, in conjunction with heads of school or equivalent and
3. university senior management, in conjunction with Associate Deans (Teaching and Learning).    

The revised questionnaire retains one item focused on staff: “Overall I am satisfied with how this staff member facilitated my learning”. This item is a modification of the current overall satisfaction with teaching item.  The revised questionnaire was developed with input from all faculties and has been tested with students and refined accordingly.

What is the new late session SFS questionnaire?

The new three-tiered SFS questionnaire comprises of:

1. Core items common across UTS - All subjects will receive the following 3 subject-focused and 1 teacher-focused items:
   • The learning opportunities provided helped me meet the stated objectives of this subject
   • I made the most of my opportunities to learn in this subject
   • Overall, I am satisfied with the quality of this subject
   • Overall, I am satisfied with how this staff member facilitated my learning
2. Learning Mode items.  Associate Deans (Teaching and Learning) in consultation with Heads of School or Program can choose up to 2 Learning Modes for each subject’s SFS, as relevant to their respective subject delivery and learner experience. To date eight Learning Modes have been developed for use, each relating to an aspect of the UTS Model of Learning and comprising of 2 pre-set items that can be used across all relevant UTS subjects:
   • Professional Practice/Disposition Mode
   • Global Workplace Mode
   • Inquiry-based Mode
   • Research-integrated Mode
   • Critique-based Mode
   • Trans-disciplinary Course Mode
   • Assessment Mode
   • Indigenous Professional Competence Mod

  Additional learning modes for flipped learning are being developed.

  3.  Optional items - teaching staff can choose a maximum of 2 extra items from an updated SFS Item Bank, which includes learning mode items. 

  4.  Open-ended questions:

• What did you particularly like in this subject?
• Please suggest any improvements that could be made to this subject

  The full revised SFS questionnaire and learning mode questions can be found here.

Why is an early session SFS being introduced?  

All stakeholders consulted during the review (Heads of School, course coordinators, unit coordinators, casual staff and students) identified an interest in receiving student feedback at a time when issues of concern could be addressed to improve the learning experience of the current cohort. Conducting surveys at the end of the teaching period means that any improvement arising from feedback will benefit future cohorts, not the current cohort. The new early session SFS questionnaire is deliberately short, three items only and one open comment, and is focused on student engagement with their learning. 

What is the new early session SFS questionnaire?

The early session SFS questionnaire comprises of 3 core items:

• I know what is expected of me in this subject as stated in the subject outline
• I am making the most of my opportunities to learn in this subject
• Overall I am satisfied with the quality of this subject so far

• Please enter any comments on your learning experience so far

The full revised SFS questionnaire and learning mode questions can be found here.

What is not changing as a result of the review?

The review found that many current aspects of how the SFS is administered are sound and should be retained, including: 

• administration of the SFS in an online environment (apart from subjects administered offshore or in a field environment);
• use of a five point Likert scale;
• giving teachers of single teacher subjects the opportunity to withhold release of summary results for subject items to students (summary results for teaching items are not released).