Assessing and Enhancing Student Experience in Higher Education

Foreword: Student Diversity and Experience
Foreword: Digital Technology and Student Experience
Contents
Notes on Contributors
List of Figures
List of Tables
1: Introduction to the Twenty-First Century Student Experience: Issues, Trends, Disruptions and Expectations
	Introduction
	Student Experience in Context
	Trends in the Last Decade
	COVID-19 Forcing Major Changes
	Disrupting Trends on the Student Experience
	Student Expectations: The Next Decade
	Structure of This Book
	References
2: Emerging Trends and Insights on Student Experience
	Introduction
	Why Student Experience (Still) Matters?
	A Changing Sector?
	Defining Student Experience
	Total Student Experience
	Uniqueness of Students
	How We Collect Data on the Student Experience?
		Surveys
		Learning Analytics
	Current Issues in the Contemporary Student Experience
		Students’ Financial Position
		Serious Studying; Concern over Low Contact Hours
		Managing Time
		Mental Health
		Sexual Harassment
		Personal Progress
	Predictors of Experience
		First Year Experience: Is Transition the Key?
		Demographics
		Mode of Learning
	Conclusions
	References
3: People, Promise and Performance: Triangulating Student Demographics, Standards and Indicators in a National Higher Education System
	Introduction
	People: Who Enrols in the Australian System?
	Promise: What Are the Standards to Which Providers Are Held?
	Performance: Is the Promise Delivered, and How Do We Know?
	Performance Versus Promise: Mapping Surveys to Standards
	The Promises About Which the Performance Indicators Are Silent
	The Performance Indicators We Do Not Promise
	Triangulating the Outcomes: Are the Promise and the Performance Fit for the People?
	Given Who the People Are Currently in the System, Are the Promises Appropriate?
	Given the People Who Are Currently in the System, Are the Performance Indicators Appropriate?
	Conclusion
	Appendix: Australian Higher Education – Course Level Classification
		Postgraduate
		Undergraduate
		Enabling
		Non-award
	References
4: Institutional Approaches to Engaging Students in Enhancing Their Experience
	Introduction
	Student Engagement: A Complex Construct
	Drivers for a Strategic Approach
	Partnership Working
	Developing a Strategic Approach to Student Engagement
	Student Centred Approach to Engagement
	Case Studies
	Conclusion
	References
5: Engaging Students as Partners in Assessment and Enhancement Processes
	Introduction
	Models That Expand Our Thinking About the Role of Students in Higher Education Assessment and Enhancement Processes
	Outcomes of Engaging Students as Partners
	Examples of Engaging Students as Partners in Assessment and Enhancing Teaching, Learning, and Student Experiences
		Example 1: Students and Staff Co-Designing Pedagogical Approaches to Enhance Teaching Practices
		Example 2: Students Co-Designing Feedback and Assessment Approaches in Courses
		Example 3: Students as Co-Inquirers in Institutional Research and Enhancement Projects
	Short, Focused Case Studies of Models of Partnership in Quality Assurance
	Importance of Values and an Ethic of Reciprocity
	Conclusion
	References
6: Transforming Spaces and Innovative Uses of Technology to Enhance the Student Learning Experience
	Introduction
	Student Digital Expectations
	The Origins and Growth of Digitally Enabled Active Learning
	Physical Active Learning Investment Examples Across the Sector
	Perceptions of and Transitioning to Active Learning and New Spaces
	Approaches to the Adoption of Active Learning and New Spaces
	Are Investments in Active Learning Spaces Future Proof?
	Conclusion
	References
7: Improving the Quality of Teaching
	Introduction
	Use and Purpose of Student Feedback
	Stakeholder Perspectives
	Student Feedback and the Improvement of Teaching Quality: What Do We Need?
		Sound Instruments
		Taking into Account the “Bias” Question
		Competent Administrators and Proper Data Collection
		Consultative Feedback Strategies
	Conclusion
	References
8: How Can Student Experience Be Used to Raise the Academic Standards of Teaching?
	Introduction
	How Could Student Experience Be Used in Raising Academic Standards of Teaching?
		Developing a Shared Language on Quality Teaching
		Different Perspectives and Different Methods to Measure Quality
		Focus on Larger Entities and Variation in Student Experience
		Engage the Educational Leaders and Create a Feedback Loop
	An Example of Using Research-Based Inventories to Raise Academic Standards
	How the HowULearn Questionnaire Has Helped to Raise Academic Standards
	Conclusion
	References
9: Using Text Analytics to Understand Open-Ended Student Comments at Scale: Insights from Four Case Studies
	Introduction
	Using Text Analytics Approaches to Understand Qualitative Student Evaluation Data
	Method and Approaches Used
		Context and Setting
		Instrument: Student Experience on a Module (SEaM)
		Data Analysis
	Results
		Case Study 1: What Are Students Talking About?
			Length of Student Comments
			Who Are the Students That Comment?
			What Are Students Talking About?
		Case Study 2: Determining Sentiment of SEaM Across Modules
		Case Study 3: Comparing Comments from Different Disciplines in One Core Qualification
		Case Study 4: Keywords of High and Low Performing Students
	Discussion and Conclusion
	References
10: Social Media and Student Experience: What Do Google Reviews Say?
	Introduction
	Social Media in Higher Education
	Online Reviews as an Information Source for Prospective Students
	Social Media Marketing Efforts by Universities
	Expressive and Instrumental Factors in Evaluation Studies
	Aim of this Study
	Methodology
		Selection of Universities
		Data Analysis
	Findings
		Common Themes and Concepts in the Online Reviews
		Expressive and Instrumental Factors in the Online Reviews
			Expressive Factors
			Instrumental Factors
			COVID-19 Related Issues
	Discussion and Conclusion
	References
11: Disruptive Trends in Student Experience Evaluations and Implications for Academic Staff Wellbeing
	Introduction
	Research on Negative Student Comments
	Academics’ Responses to Negative Student Comments
	Changes in Student Conditions That May Impact on Their Feedback
	University Conditions That May Impact on Academic Perceptions
	Survey Factors That Influence Student Comments
	How Can Universities Improve the Quality and Professionalism of Student Comments?
	Conclusion
	References
12: Assessing and Enhancing the International Student Experience in Australian Higher Education: COVID-19 and a Better Future?
	Introduction
	International Student Experience Before the COVID-19 Pandemic
	The Impact of COVID-19 on International Students
	Responses from Australian Governments, Institutions, and Communities
	Students’ Experiences in the US, UK, Canada and New Zealand
	Future Policy Directions
	References
13: Student Experience: Past Conclusions and Future Directions
	Introduction
	The Breadth of the Student Experience
	Should Teachers Be Held Accountable?
	Bias in Student Evaluations: The Role of Gender
	Measuring Changes in Student Engagement
	Are Open-Ended Questions a Good Thing?
	Lectures and Lecture Halls
	Approaches to Teaching
	Evidence from Social Media
	Responding to the COVID-19 Pandemic
	Future Directions
	References
Index