Is your pencil case ready? It's back to school time, and almost the start of the new academic year for our students at Goldsmiths. For universities, understanding the student experience and improving student satisfaction is more important than ever. NSS (National Student Survey) results inform TEF (Teaching Excellence Framework) ratings, and earlier this year some universities received unanticipated awards of Bronze and Silver.
The solution? Invest in understanding your students’ expectations, and how you can better address them.
We've been exploring this area for a few years now, most recently (2016/17) conducting a large study with over 5000 students affiliated to a major UK Higher Education Institute (HEI) with global reach. The research focused on students' digital experiences, and we learned from students about their digital provision, expectations, preferences and more general attitudes to learning and education. Through in-depth analysis of the massive data set we gathered, we developed 5 distinct profiles of 'typical' students from that university. Each 'type' had different needs and requirements from their campus, facilities, and digital learning resources. Based on this insight, we developed a user-centred, data driven strategy and prioritised roadmap for improving the student experience for the HEI. This HEI is delighted with their findings and in the process of implementing the roadmap. Meanwhile, we’re developing a series of academic papers based on the research, for publication.
We’re really keen to apply our methods, insight and knowledge of this space on behalf of other HEIs (in the UK and internationally), to help you make your student experience as good as it can be. To find out more about how i2 media research can help you to better understand your students and their expectations, please get in touch: hello@i2mediaresearch.com