STRATEGIC PROJECT
use case
Student Temperature Project
How LUT University used three check-ins in 10 weeks to track student experience
Segment
University
Size
Location
Name
Duration
Focus area
Accelerated check-in setup
Student participation
Student suggestions
Total questions included
During the pandemic, teachers' every day communication with students decreased and thus concern about their well-being and general moods increased at LUT University. To support students the best way possible - and also on the distance - an easy way to measure and structure student well-being, and improvement suggestions, was needed.
The main challenge for LUT University was to get the right student feedback at hand in an easy interpretable way - in time to make improvements.
To efficiently use check-ins a 10 weeks accelerated project was facilitated by a StudentPulse student experience specialist, including LUT University's Quality Manager and programme representatives.
The project was kicked off with a scoping workshop determining focus areas and student milestones, a preparation session operationalising the feedback collection, and a demoing session to introduce the platform. The check-in setup was built from the beginning of the project, however focus areas being slightly changed along the way, adjusting to the student context and previous feedback results.
To get an understanding of students well-being and moods the three check-ins included 9 out of StudentPulse's 11 student experience drivers. Ranging from learning interaction and contents, to peer relationships, study-life balance and institutional support. The idea with this multiple-driver approach was to take an explorative approach shedding light on all potential causes of student (dis)satisfaction.
Understanding the general experience of students is valuable, but what is often really valuable is to compare programmes, identify their potential differences and build best practices that can be used throughout the institution.
To support this all students were split into different segments allowing easy comparisons within, and across, BSc and MSc programmes.
Few days after starting LUT University got an overview of student well-being and moods, right here, right now.
The three check-ins made it clear that significant differences existed between different programmes - of different reasons.
Whereas differences occured between programmes, feedback made clear that systematic differences occured between BSc and MSc programmes as well.
Several things that LUT University can improve in making students’ learning experience better were identified, students pointing out several actionable targets for development.
Deeper programme involvement
The best way to get started with check-ins is often to "just try it and see what happens" - no matter whether the aim is a permanent check-in setup or a 10 weeks project. A lot of institutional learning will happen in the process of scoping, preparing and using check-ins, as an institution being forced into reflecting on the student journey and institutional needs.
The case of LUT University is a great example of this and how the project has formed the basis of a future setup where specific programmes will be even deeper involved, targeting check-ins to the uniqueness of their students, increasing chances that both students and programmes representatives will benefit from student feedback in the future.
Annikka Nurkka
Quality Systems Manager, LUT University
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