Students' Feedback: An Imperative to Enhance Quality of Engineering Education

Abstract

aBstract The collection of stakeholder feedback has been gradually increasing in universities around the world. The most common practice is the use of surveys to evaluate student perceptions of their units (subjects), courses, programs and overall learning experience. The elements of a good quality system involve not only collecting evaluation information but making improvements based on it. This article gives an overview of the importance of student evaluations, the research supporting such feedback and a case study that illustrates how evaluation and improvement enhance the learning and teaching environment. Bennett and Nair (2010) list the major purposes of such feedback as:(a) Diagnostic feedback that aids in the devel-opment and improvement of teaching and learning environments;(b) Research data useful for guiding the redesign of units (subjects), courses, curriculum;(c) Information on teaching effectiveness that may be used in administrative decision making; and,(d) Measures useful for judging the quality of units and courses which may be tied to funding.The first two purposes describe the gener-ally recognised rationale for student surveys and course evaluations (Nair & Fisher, 2001).