How The Zagreb School of Business Started Their Journey In Student Feedback Innovation
Encouraging Higher Participation and Thoughtful Responses
The Zagreb School of Business, a small but influential institution, has been shaping young business leaders in Croatia for the better part of two decades. With around 15 full-time staff, 40 external associates and 300 students enrolled in undergraduate and graduate programs, the school places a strong emphasis on effective communication and student feedback to improve on their course offerings.
Challenges in the Existing Feedback System
Traditionally, the school relied on end-of-semester surveys to gather student feedback on courses and instructors. While essential, these surveys have become routine and monotonous for students, yielding generic high scores with minimal comments. This has made it challenging for administration to pinpoint specific issues or areas for improvement, prompting the exploration of more interactive feedback methods.
Students know that they have to do surveys each and every semester, but it’s so routine that it is boring to them.
Goran Luburić, Dean of the Zagreb School of Business
Results of the StudentPulse Pilot
To achieve this goal, the Zagreb School of Business partnered with StudentPulse to pilot a new feedback system that would improve engagement and the quality of student responses. Here are some of the preliminary findings:
- User-Friendly and Intuitive Design
Students found the platform quicker and more straightforward than traditional surveys. This simplicity encouraged higher participation and more thoughtful responses.
- Detailed Comments
The platform led to a significant increase in detailed feedback. These insights, which were difficult to obtain through standard surveys, provided valuable information for actionable improvements.
During the first or second check-in, we received a couple of hundred comments, which was unprecedented for us. This feedback, especially the detailed comments, provided valuable insights for us.
Goran Luburić, Dean of the Zagreb School of Business
- Insights into Students’ Well-Being
For the first time, the school integrated questions about social well-being into the feedback process. This addition helped the school to understand how social factors influenced academic performance and overall student satisfaction, providing a holistic picture of students’ experience at the school.
We were able to ask student questions about social inclusion and their struggles and we didn’t really ask those questions before. So that’s a completely new open topic that we could share with students.
Goran Luburić, Dean of the Zagreb School of Business
Moving Forward: Enhancing the Partnership
The pilot project with StudentPulse not only delivered encouraging preliminary results but also pointed out valuable directions for further progress. One important aspect to address is the perception among some students that the new feedback system is just another system. Successfully clarifying the value of the system to students and the benefits they will receive is crucial to harnessing its full potential.
Another significant longer-term focus is on integrating academic and well-being feedback into a unified platform. This approach will streamline the process, simplifying it for students and faculty, and enhancing the overall efficiency and impact of student feedback.
Exciting developments lie ahead as we advance these initiatives. Watch this space!