This resource will provide you with an overview of the SELT questionnaire, its purpose and design. It also includes links to guides and promotional materials and resources, and tips for improving your SELT survey results.

Overview

  • The SELT questionnaire is designed to collect confidential student feedback on various aspects of learning & teaching quality at the unit level.
  • SELT surveys are conducted for relevant coursework units in each study period.
  • Teachers' encouragement of students' participation in SELT surveys is essential to the success of the survey.

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SELT Survey Data Integrity Gateway Staff Guides Promotional Materials How to improve / increase your SELT survey results

SELT Survey

The SELT survey is conducted online by the Centre for Education and Innovation (CEI) for the purpose of enabling students to provide confidential and constructive feedback on various aspects of their learning experience at the unit level and their views of the teaching practice in the unit. The SELT survey results are to be used together with data derived from Student Experience Survey (which is a benchmarking tool), student withdrawal rate and student success rate in the review and redevelopment of units to enhance the student experience.

Data Integrity Gateway

The purpose of the Data Integrity Gateway (DIG) tool is for the relevant School/Faculty nominee(s) to verify and enter the complete list of teaching staff members for each unit recorded in ACU's Banner system for their relevant Faculty or School. The information collected through this process will be entered into the SELT online evaluation system and the SELT surveys will be conducted for the appropriate study periods.

CEI requires nominees to complete verification several times in a year (i.e., for published study periods). Access to the tool will be provided before the verification period commences, and removed after the verification period closes. Faculty and School nominees will be advised of access and the verification period dates by the CEI Evaluations team via email communication.

Access the Data Integrity Gateway (DIG)

Staff Guides

The following staff guides have been created to assist academics in understanding SELT survey processes:

Promotional Materials & Resources for Students (including Student FAQs)

Academic staff promoting the SELT surveys to students is essential to maximising the number of survey responses. Various communication strategies are also used to inform students of the importance of their feedback and how it is used by academics, as well as the timing and administration of the SELT surveys. Students may receive multiple email reminders to complete the surveys.

The following resources have been created to assist staff in promoting the SELT surveys to students, including advice for students on how to complete SELT surveys and provide constructive feedback. Academics are encouraged to circulate these resources, including the Student FAQs to their students:

How to improve/increase your SELT survey results

Early discussions with students about importance of giving constructive feedback in SELT surveys on their learning experiences is key to the overall success of obtaining sufficient and relevant student feedback.  When introducing the unit at the beginning of a semester, or any other study period, there is an opportunity to familiarise students with evaluations at ACU, and perhaps ask them about their expectations of the unit. Clarifying student expectations of the unit at the outset may prevent unrealistic expectations. Lecturers could give students tangible examples of improvements made as a result of previous feedback.

Students play an important role in providing constructive feedback about the teaching and learning they experience in their units at ACU. In the SELT surveys, students can comment on such things as:

  • Assessments and feedback
  • Content of lectures and tutorials
  • Reading requirement
  • Use of technology in lectures
  • Communication between students and teachers

Here are some tips to provide to students on giving constructive feedback that will help the Lecturer in Charge, School and Faculty:

  1. Be thoughtful when providing feedback. Constructive comments regarding the unit and the teaching are useful and very important.
  2. When commenting on teaching, provide general comments about the teaching in the unit section, and comments on an individual teacher in the section for that teacher.
  3. Be specific with comments and provide relevant examples.
  4. Avoid comments that are personal (dress, appearance, manner, etc.); focus on the teaching and learning activities.
  5. Try to describe the effect of the teacher’s behaviour on the learning and offer alternatives.
  6. Do not write anything that is offensive, racist or sexist. If the situation needs further investigation, the matter will be reported to relevant authority.
  7. Avoid emotional language.
  8. Point out both the good and bad parts of the unit and/or teaching.

Some examples of feedback are in the Student Guide | How to provide constructive feedback in the SELT Survey which can be given to students.

SELT feedback is collected at the end of a study period and is often utilised in future offerings of the unit.
To gauge how the unit is progressing during the study period, while it is actively being taught, staff can make use of formative evaluation tools such as polls, suggestion boxes or peer review. Information from these tools can enable staff to make immediate adjustments to the unit and respond to issues in a timely manner.

Giving students time to complete the surveys during class time can also encourage participation and increase response rates. Once the survey period commences, an automated message will be sent to ACU student email accounts with a direct link to the survey. The survey layout will appear best on laptops or desktops but can be completed using any web-enabled mobile device, such as a smart phone or tablet.

The guidelines are currently under redevelopment. Check back soon, or contact Evaluations.CEI@acu.edu.au.

Guidelines

Other resources

Page last updated on 03/04/2024
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