CEE Data & Evaluation Evaluation & Feedback YourJCU Surveys FAQs

FAQs

JCU encourages staff to use multiple methods for evaluating and improving the quality of their subjects and teaching; student feedback is one such method. It is important for staff not to rely solely on student feedback for reflective practice and professional development. View the 4Q model of evaluation (PDF, 171 KB), which highlights four major domains for assessing and improving teaching and lists other suitable methods for evaluation.

If your question cannot be answered via the FAQs below, please contact the Teaching Evaluation Team.

YourJCU Surveys are deployed according to the YourJCU Survey Calendar (PDF, 573 KB)

YourJCU on the PULSE is deployed to students in week 1 or 2 of a study period, while Subject and Teaching Surveys are deployed towards the end of a study period.

Surveys are made available in accordance with Student Evaluation of Subjects and Teaching Policy and significant research and student survey benchmarking across Australia.

The survey period allows students to complete their feedback on subjects at a time that suits them, and provides flexibility to capture a statistically appropriate and representative response rate from a wide variety of subjects at JCU that have various teaching and assessment schedules (not all subjects have end of semester exams). Students also have the opportunity to save their survey responses and return at any time to alter or add to their feedback, up to the survey closing date.

The closing date for Subject and Teaching surveys are set at 5 days after the close of a study period. The exception to this business rule is if there is a short period of time between the closing of a study period and the publication of subject results. Student surveys will always close before the publication of subject results to reduce the risk of bias in feedback.

The survey asks students the extent to which they agree or disagree with a series of statements about their subjects and the teaching of those subjects. Several open-ended questions enable students to provide written feedback based on their learning and teaching experience.

Response key

  1. Strongly Disagree
  2. Disagree
  3. Neither Disagree or Agree
  4. Agree
  5. Strongly Agree

YourJCU on the PULSE

Survey Questions: YourJCU on the PULSE

YourJCU Subject Survey

Survey Questions: YourJCU Subject Survey

YourJCU Teaching Survey

Survey Questions: YourJCU Teaching Survey

YourJCU Question Library

Academic Staff also have access to the YourJCU Question Library where Subject Coordinators can select up to 2 additional questions to be included in a Subject Survey and Lecturers can select up to 2 additional questions to be included in their Teaching Survey.

YourJCU Subject Survey Question Library

YourJCU Teaching Survey Question Library

YourJCU Subject Surveys automatically run for every undergraduate and postgraduate coursework subject offering, each study period.

The YourJCU Subject Survey contains 6 core quantitative questions about the subject, and 2 open-ended questions asking about students' perceptions of the best aspect of the subject, and areas that may need improvement.

YourJCU Teaching Surveys are optional. Prior to surveys opening to students, Academic Staff listed as a Lecturer in the TRDB* (Teaching Roles Data Base) will receive an email inviting them to complete opt-in for a teaching survey should they wish to do so.

The YourJCU Teaching Survey contains 5 core quantitative questions about the teaching quality within the subject, and 2 open-ended questions asking about students' perceptions of the best aspects of teaching, and areas that may need improvement.

* Academic Staff must be listed correctly in the TRDB  at the time of survey data extraction and preparation. This can occur up to 1 week prior to the opt-in period opening. Any changes made after survey data has been extracted will not impact preparation that is already under way.

YourJCU on the PULSE

on the PULSE surveys will automatically deploy to all enrolled* students according to the YourJCU Survey Calendar.

YourJCU Subject Survey

YourJCU Subject Surveys will automatically deploy for each subject offering to all enrolled* students according to the YourJCU Survey Calendar.

YourJCU Teaching Survey

YourJCU Teaching Surveys are deployed to students dependent on a Lecturer's decision to 'opt-in'.

Staff listed in the TRDB (Teaching Roles Data Base) as a Lecturer* are responsible for opting themselves in for a Teaching Survey.

Lecturers will receive an email inviting them to complete opt-in for a Teaching Survey. If you do not respond to this survey task a Teaching Survey will not deploy to students.

*at the time of survey data extraction and preparation

Subject Information

Subject information for YourJCU Surveys is extracted from Student Management.

Teaching Information

The Teaching Roles Data Base (TRDB) is used as the source of information for the relationship between an Academic and a subject for the purpose of YourJCU Surveys.

Academics listed in the TRDB as a Subject Coordinator* will have the ability to include up to 2 additional questions from the YourJCU Question Library to be included in a Subject Survey. This task is optional and a subject survey containing the core questions will be deployed to students if this task is not complete.

Academics listed in the TRDB as a Lecturer* will have the ability to opt-in for a Teaching Survey, and also to include up to 2 additional questions from the YourJCU Question Library to be included in their Teaching Survey.

Academics who are a Subject Coordinator and also lecture into a subject and would like the opportunity to opt-in for a Teaching Survey must be listed in both columns in the TRDB; Subject coordinator and Lecturer.

Updates to the TRDB should be requested via the TRDB Administrator in your College/area. The update of this information is not something that the Teaching Evaluation Team is able to assist with.

*at the time of survey data extraction and preparation

IMPORTANT: Survey data is extracted from the TRDB up to 1 week prior to the opt-in and personalisation tasks being made available to Academic staff and data must be accurate at the time of this extraction.
Unfortunately, any changes to the TRDB after survey data has been extracted will not be included in the current study period surveys.

While there isn't a direct survey link that you can add to your subject content, you can include the YourJCU Survey folder in your Subject.

Please follow the instructions provided here to complete this step. When students click on this folder they will be directed to their personal Survey Portal where they will see a list of all of their available surveys.

Alternatively, you can direct students to LearnJCU to access their available surveys:

  • Log into LearnJCU
  • Select the Tools button
  • Select the YourJCU Surveys button

If you are a Sessional Staff member and would like a  Teaching Survey deployed to students, you should:

1. ensure that you have been listed as a Tutor in the Teaching Roles Data Base (TRDB) against the relevant subject/s

2. make contact with the Subject Coordinator of your subject/s and discuss your request to have a Teaching survey deployed to students

3. Download the Sessional Teaching Survey Template and complete the form following the instructions provided in the spreadsheet

4. Ask your Subject Coordinator to send the completed spreadsheet to the Teaching Evaluation Team on your behalf

To complete the survey, students must access the online survey either via a unique link that is sent to them in an email, or via LearnJCU using their unique JCU username and password. All student data is secured and encrypted.

Student identification numbers are linked to the YourJCU surveys for three main reasons:

  1. To ensure only one response is recorded per student
  2. To enable in-depth analysis of findings for internal reporting, and
  3. To allow JCU to meet its obligations with respect to duty-of-care

Under normal use, identifying student data will not be linked within reports, statistics, qualitative comments or group demographic data.

To ensure student confidence in the fair and equitable use of their comments, reports will not be available to staff until 5 days after results are published for that study period.

See this article extract from Duncan D. Nulty.

The Student Evaluations of Subjects and Teaching Policy does not determine a target response rate for YourJCU Surveys, rather, the Teaching Evaluation Team is focused on educating students to provide feedback that is detailed and considered so that any feedback provided is useful.

Create a feedback culture with your students from day one.

Talk to your students and let them know that they will be receiving invitations (and reminders) to participate in YourJCU Surveys and you would appreciate them taking the time to contribute their feedback. Emphasize the importance that both positive and constructive feedback is valued.

Regularly seek informal feedback from your students. Close the feedback loop by following up and telling students what you have learned from their feedback. Your encouragement to participate will be better received if you provide examples of changes that have been implemented as a result of feedback that was submitted. Proof that survey responses have been heard, and used will provide students with a compelling reason to participate.

Provide students time in class to complete their surveys.

To support your efforts with student participation, the Teaching Evaluation Team will send regular email reminders (reminder emails will cease when a student has completed all of their available survey tasks) to students to complete their feedback.

To further encourage students, you can download this presentation for use during lectures.

Staff can also help students understand how to give constructive criticism. A frequent lament of staff is that student evaluations are more a popularity contest than actual evaluations of teaching and learning. One reason for this is that students are rarely educated about constructive criticism. For ideas, view this Student Engagement and Feedback Framework (PDF, 888 KB).

At the moment, it is not possible to monitor the response rate of your surveys while they are in-flight.

This feature is under construction and we hope to offer it soon.

YourJCU Surveys deployed to students for study periods in 2022 and moving forward, are not required to meet a minimum response rate. All survey responses that are received will be released for viewing according to the SEST Distribution List.

YourJCU Surveys deployed to students for study periods for the year 2021 and prior are required to meet a minimum response rate of 5 prior to survey data release.

Access to survey data is governed by the Student Evaluation of Subjects and Teaching Policy.

Survey data is not released for viewing until 5 days after the results publication date of a Study Period.

For full details view the Student Evaluation of Subjects and Teaching Distribution List.

Commencing 2022, Survey Data can be accessed through the Qualtrics platform.

Please follow this link: Qualtrics and use your normal JCU login and password.

Historical Survey Data

Teaching Data

If you require access to YourJCU Teaching Survey Data for 2021 and prior, please email: JCU Surveys
and ensure that you provide the following information:

  • your JC number
  • The year of the data that is required
  • The Study Period that the subject was facilitated in
  • The subject Code/s (BB Code including delivery mode and campus)
  • The subject name

Please note that this data will be provided to you in excel/csv format and distribution will be according to the SELT Distribution List and Policy that governed YourJCU Surveys at the time of data collection.
If you were not associated with a subject at the time of data collection, and the minimum response threshold was not met, your request for data may be declined.

Subject Data

If you require access to YourJCU Subject Survey Data for 2021 and prior, please ask your ADLT (Associate Dean, Learning and Teaching) email the request on your behalf to: Statistics at JCU
and ensure that the following information is provided:

  • your JC number
  • The year of the data that is required
  • The Study Period that the subject was facilitated in
  • The subject Code/s (BB Code including delivery mode and campus)
  • The subject name

Please note that this data will be provided to you in excel/csv format and distribution will be according to the SELT Distribution List and Policy that governed YourJCU Surveys at the time of data collection.
If you were not associated with a subject at the time of data collection, and the minimum response threshold was not met, your request for data may be declined.

Survey data is scheduled to be released 5 days after the results publication date of a study period. It is not possible for survey data to be released early.

The ADLT (Associate Dean, Learning and Teaching) who is assigned to your College/area is equipped to provide you with support if you received feedback that has left you feeling that you need support.

If you have received feedback that is malicious in nature, Policy provisions for you to request for the feedback to be removed from your survey data.

To do this, please email: Dean, Centre for Education and Enhancement and cc the Teaching Evaluation Team.

Please provide the following information:

  • Subject Name
  • Subject Code
  • Study Period
  • Year

We also recommend that you contact the ADLT (Associate Dean, Learning and Teaching) who is assigned to your College/area for support and guidance.

Yes. Malicious feedback is not tolerated by the University, and students who submit malicious feedback are in breach of the Student Code of Conduct and will be dealt with according to the relevant Policy.

When malicious feedback is submitted in response to a YourJCU Survey, the University may use its discretion to determine the identity of a student so that they can investigate the situation.

The YourJCU Surveys are conducted online only.