Unit evaluation

Gathering unit feedback from students

The University uses a system called Blue to operate mid-unit check-in and end of unit reflection surveys. Blue is intuitive for both students and staff to use and allows surveys with a mix of set and customisable questions. Blue facilitates Unit Directors to view the student feedback and provide a response to students.

Please see the University Policy on Unit Feedback from Students, the general guidance on gathering unit feedback on the ESS SharePoint and associated guidance on how to use Blue on BEAM.

The expectation is that Blue will be used for mid-unit check-in and end of unit reflection surveys, except for:

1. mid-unit check-in for
   1. the small number of units running in teaching blocks TB1-A, TB1-B, TB2-C and TB2-D where short timescales do not lend themselves to this method;
   2. units with around 20 or fewer registered students, which may find that an alternative, perhaps more discursive, method may be more appropriate;
2. mid-unit check-in and end of unit reflection for units that do not run according to the University’s standard teaching blocks (e.g. run over 2 weeks or the summer vacation).

This page gives guidance on other tools available. You can view the questions on pages 6-12 of Annex A of the Unit Evaluation Policy which is found on the AQPO Unit Evaluation page.

Blackboard Forms

Blackboard forms are anonymous and are completed in the relevant Blackboard course. They can be run within a seminar or lecture or made available for a certain period and completed in students' own time. Forms are best completed using a laptop or desktop computer (not the Blackboard app), so if planning to use them in a face-to-face session please ensure students are advised to bring a laptop. Results can be viewed in Blackboard or exported. See how to use Blackboard forms for Unit Evaluation in Blackboard Ultra.

Mentimeter

Mentimeter is an online polling software available at the University. It’s great for quick online polling, with students adding their responses through their mobile devices. This could be a useful tool for formative unit evaluation.