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Quality and Institutional Insights Office

Student Surveys at DCU

Student Surveys at DCU

 

8 Reasons why student feedback at DCU is important

  • The DCU student body is over 12,000 strong, and is made up of 12,000 individual experiences.  Providing feedback to the university is one way of making sure your voice is heard.
  • DCU are committed to providing students with many opportunities to provide feedback during their studies. The DCU Student Charter specifically states that students can expect “to be given the opportunity to provide formal feedback during your time at DCU”;
  • Student feedback helps the university understand what students enjoy about student life at DCU, and what makes the DCU experience unique
  • Student feedback helps lecturers understand where they can better support students in their learning, which leads to changes in how programmes and modules are planned, delivered, assessed.
  • Student opinion is at the heart of our all our quality assurance and enhancement processes, and is integral to informing how we can improve the quality of everything we do.
  • Student feedback at DCU regularly analysed and communicated to key university committees, and is used to inform planning and the future strategy of the university
  • Student surveys like the Irish Student Survey of Engagement allow the university to benchmark itself nationally and internationally, and address areas where we believe we can improve the student experience at DCU
  • Student surveys form a robust statistical evidence base for making decisions on how to best prioritise resources to have the most positive impact on the student body

 

Student Feedback Surveys at DCU

DCU asks students to complete a number of student survey throughout the academic year.

Irish Student Survey of Engagement (ISSE)

The Irish Student Survey of Engagement was first launched in 2013.  It is a national student survey, conducted in all Irish universities, Institutes of Technology and Colleges of Education.  Students in the 1st year and final year of undergraduate programmes, and all students on taught postgraduate programmes are invited to take part.  ISSE explores the activities and experiences that make up student life at DCU.  The survey is used by the university to inform strategic decision-makers about ways in which the experience of students at DCU can continue to be enhanced.  It is also used benchmark the DCU student experience both nationally and internationally.

QuEST- Module Level Feedback

At the end of each semester, a short survey is presented on each module site within Loop (Moodle).  This survey looks specifically at students’ learning experience within modules.  This survey helps module co-ordinators and lecturers plan changes and improvements to modules in the future.  This survey also helps programme chairs review taught programmes on an annual basis.

The 1st Year Student Experience Survey

Every 2 years, DCU invites 1st year undergraduate students to complete the DCU 1st Year Student Experience survey.  This survey focuses on a student’s journey from applicant to higher education to the end of their first semester.  This survey is used by the university to understand the concerns that students may have in their first semester within the university.  It helps both faculties and support units design better ways to successfully ease new students into university life.

Quality Review Student Surveys

During your studies, your School or Faculty may undergo a Quality Review.  Feedback received from students is a core part of the Quality Review process at DCU.  You may be asked to complete a survey, take part in a focus group, or attend a meeting with a review panel.  The purpose of this feedback is to understand the quality of the learning experience within your Faculty or School, and also to make recommendations on how the learning experience of students can be further enhanced.

 

Other Feedback

From time to time you may be asked to complete surveys by your lecturer, programme chair, or other support unit in DCU.  These may be distributed to guide staff in making changes to teaching or support services at DCU. 

Your time and opinion are both valuable to DCU.  We encourage you to take part in surveys, but understand that students may be asked to take part in a number of surveys through the year.  Always read the invite to participate and check that you understand what the survey is for, and how your feedback will be used; prioritise those surveys which specify how they will use your feedback to make student life at DCU better.