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Student feedback at Stellenbosch University is an important process aimed at supporting and promoting good teaching at the institution. Student feedback can either be informally gathered via Classroom Assessment Techniques (CATs) and Class representatives or formally through the institutional electronic student feedback system administered by the Centre for Teaching and Learning (CTL).


Faculties/departments/lecturers are encouraged to take the following as their points of departure:​

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The use of student feedback should first aim to empower individual lecturers to improve their own teaching. Only thereafter should feedback be used for any other purpose, and then with great circumspection.​​

The reliability of student feedback results could be affected by various factors (response rates, the time of obtaining feedback, etc.) These and other factors that could influence the results should be taken into account when interpreting the results.​

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​Lecturers are encouraged to,​ in turn, provide feedback to students about the use and impact​ of student feedback to promote learning and teaching.​

​The 2018 Learning and Teaching Policy (point 7.1.3) indicates that student feedback is the primary source of information about students' experiences of learning and teaching, but that the data should be used in combination with other sources of feedback. Examples of such sources are Classroom Assessment Techniques (CATs), feedback from colleagues, self-evaluation and reflection and literature.


Since January 2020 only the electronic student feedback system is in use and no paper based Student Feedback forms will be provided or processed for both undergraduate and postgraduate modules ​


​Electronic stude​​nt feedback system


The electronic student feedback system is integrated within SUNLearn and provides access to students and the institutional student feedback office.

​​​​​ The student feedback personnel handle activation requests from lecturers or departments.​  ​​
Timing is important: Schedule the survey well in advance to allow sufficient time for students to respond. Experience has shown that the response rates of surveys that open only once classes have ended are considerably lower than those taken before the end of a module. Ideally, students should have the opportunity to raise their needs and concerns before classes come to an end. It is important to discuss such issues with them and to demonstrate that lecturers value their feedback and respond to it.


Process for activating a questionnaire on the student feedback system​

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​​​​STEP 1: ACCESS FOR STUDENTS TO THE SYSTEM AND QUESTIONNAIRES

  1. Students will receive an email from the system with a link to the questionnaire.
  2. Click on the link and log in using your SU username and password.
  3. Complete the questionnaire.​

STEP 2: DATA ADMINISTRATION

  1. Once a questionnaire has been activated, the relevant lecturer will be notified via email.
  2. Regular notifications will be sent to students for the period for which a questionnaire is available.
  3. After the questionnaire has closed, the student feedback office will extract the data from the system and generate a report. All reports will be sent from Sharepoint to the following persons:

  • ​Individual Lecturers➜ Each lecturer will receive a report separately.​​
  • Heads of Department​ ➜​ A file was created on Sharepoint, which stores all feedback reports per department. Only the Head of Department will receive access to the relevant department's file.​
  • Faculty Deans ➜​​ A file is created on Sharepoint for each faculty in which all feedback reports are stored. Only the Dean will have access to all feedback reports.​


​Programme Feedback Questionnaire

Note: The review process of the Program Feedback Form will no longer take place. Until further notice, the form is not available for use.​

Student feedback on learning and teaching programmes (excluding the mainly research-based programmes at M and D level) is obtained annually at the end of the final academic year. Final-year students are requested to complete the survey. 

Programme committees and coordinators are responsible for requesting and overseeing this feedback process.

 

Lecturer Feedback Form​​​

In order to provide a more comprehensive representation of the teaching and learning context, it is important that lecturers also provide feedback about their planning and experiences of teaching particular modules.

Please click here for the lecturer feedback form. ​​​


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Frequently asked questions

  • For a list of frequently asked questions about Student Feedback, please click here.

Confidentiality

  • All student feedback data collected and reports generated are confidential. Only aggregated results are included in reports.


    For more information please contact:
  • ​  Veronica Kleinsmith​
  •   Ilke Arnolds​​​
  •   Thabiso Zuma​​​