LSE Course Level Surveys

The School surveys students about their teaching experience in the Michaelmas and Lent Terms. The surveys provide an opportunity for students to share their opinion of the courses they have taken and to inform the School of what works well and of areas where improvements can be made at programme-level.

We no longer administer paper surveys, all surveys are delivered online. For further information on the process, please see the section on 'Conducting the Survey'.

Survey questions

There are several types of survey. Course-level surveys contain two components — one related to course provision that is not directly connected to teaching (i.e. questions about Moodle, etc.), "Course Questions"; and one seeking student feedback on class/seminar teachers and lecturers, i.e. "Teacher Questions". Students are also invited to provide overall comments on the positive and negative aspects of the teaching they are receiving. Students either enrolled on undergraduate programmes or on taught postgraduate programmes should receive one course-level survey for each of their taught, credit-bearing courses.  

LSE's programme surveys are released to non-finalist undergraduate students in Lent Term, and the questions contained in the survey mirror the question banks used in the National Student Survey (NSS), which runs concurrently with these internal programme surveys and is intended only for finalist undergraduates. Similarly, all taught postgraduate students are invited to complete a programme survey in Summer Term and the questions contained in the survey also mirror the NSS.

Survey results

The results from these surveys are used in a number of ways. They provide teachers with feedback on strengths in their teaching competencies; and they flag those areas in which they might improve.

Heads of Departments, Department Managers and Course Convenors receive the teaching survey results of their staff members. Where individual teachers score poorly, the relevant departmental governance helps to put support and development arrangements in place. This can include coaching and mentoring from the Teaching and Learning Centre for example.

Survey results also help the School to reward teaching excellence. For example, a teacher's survey results are an important set of evidence considered by the Promotions and Review Committee.

The Education Committee also reviews course and programme survey results. Survey results form part of the data set departments are asked to consider as part of the annual programme monitoring exercise and are also included in the evidence base when departments undergo periodic review. In this way, student feedback can influence how a course is delivered and how taught provision and particular programmes of study evolve over time.

Contact:

Christopher Llewellyn, Surveys Manager

Email:  tqarosurveys@lse.ac.uk