Student’s feedback
Why is it important to give feedback?
Giving feedback is an opportunity for students to influence the content of their studies, teaching, and the development of education. By giving feedback, students learn to evaluate and reflect on their own activities and performance and, above all, to justify their views. The skills of giving accurate and appropriate feedback are needed in working life. Insulting feedback or comments directed at a person are not allowed. Giving feedback on teaching and guidance is the student's right and responsibility, as laid down by Tampere University’s Regulations on Degrees.
With students’ feedback, Tampere University can develop the degrees, teaching and guidance. Students’ feedback also helps teachers to develop their course units and teaching tools.
What feedback is collected from students and at what stages?
Student feedback is collected at several stages of the studies, and each feedback has its own role and impact.
- In particular, during their studies, students are asked to provide feedback on their well-being and the fluency of their studies. Course feedback is used for monitoring the quality of course units.
- At graduation, students are expected to respond to the Finnish Bachelor’s Graduate Survey, TEK’s survey for academic engineers and architects and Tampere University’s survey for doctoral graduates.
Post-study feedback on employment, different workplaces and the skills required in working life is very important for new graduates. These are mapped about a year after graduation by the master's placement monitoring and national career monitoring surveys.
How and where is student feedback processed and used?
The processing and use of feedback is part of the University's knowledge management. The processing of feedback varies between faculties and degree programmes.
- Course feedback is processed by the teachers responsible for the course unit. The teachers give counter-feedback with which they communicate, among other things, how they will develop the course in the future based on students’ feedback. Giving counter-feedback is the teacher’s duty, which is also decreed in Tampere University’s Regulations on Degrees.
- Feedback is also processed by the planning groups of degree and doctoral programmes as well as various events related to the development of studies, many of which include student representation. Feedback is considered especially in curriculum design and the planning of teaching provision.
- Steering groups also regularly discuss students’ feedback. In guidance discussions and career planning, feedback is used when discussing, for example, skills development, study progress, inclusion and well-being, and career orientation. Especially new tools and measures to improve students’ well-being are constantly being considered.
- Students’ feedback is also annually discussed by the Education Council, where it serves as a strong knowledge management tool.
Further information on the feedback surveys
Hanna-Leena Hietaranta-Luoma (hanna-leena.hietaranta-luoma [at] tuni.fi)