(Click here for summary reports of the respective surveys)

In 2005 the key areas for action and University responses were as follows:

Improved Feedback for Students

• In 2005 the University held a survey into the experiences of students in their first year at university. The feedback from students indicated a perceived 'gap' between the importance of receiving helpful feedback on assignments and having time to incorporate that feedback into their work on the subsequent assignment in a unit. As a result of this information the University invested more money in its Learning Assistance Unit.
• Learning Assistance lecturers provide academic support to internal students on campus by providing workshops, drop-in sessions, group sessions and individual appointments. External students are given academic support by phone, email and fax. Their assignments are booked in, sent to Learning Assistance via email where lecturers review and return them online. During 2006 Learning Assistance staff worked closely with unit assessors and Schools to support the feedback process and academic skills development for first year students.

Changes to Assessment Policy for First Year Students

• The University decided on some changes to assessment for first year students. These were:
  • no single item of assessment in a first year undergraduate unit should normally be worth more than 50% of the total marks for that unit;
  • that any first year student who fails an assessment item will be referred to the Learning Assistance Unit and offered an opportunity to resubmit the assessment item if it is an assignment, or if it is an examination they will be given the opportunity to resit the exam.

Knowing What is Expected at University

• The Academic Skills Development Unit provided an academic skills CD called 'What's Expected of Me at University?' free to all first year students starting in semester 1. The CD covers all aspects of university study and is a great resource for students. Further enhancement of the CD was planned for 2006.

Materials for Students

• Following criticism about some instances of late delivery of materials to external students, the University restructured the process of delivering materials to ensure standards and timelines are developed and implemented.

Student Feedback on Units

• The University developed a method to ensure that students' feedback on units is part of a continuous process of improvement and units which are below a certain score will be subject to a review.

Updated: 23 December 2011