NSS Response 2015

NSS Response 2015

imperialcollegeunion.org

Contents 03

Introduction

06

Teaching

12

Assessment and Feedback

22

Academic Support

32

Organisation and Management

40

Learning Resources

48

Personal Development

54

Imperial College Union

2

NSS Response 2015

Introduction This is our fifth annual National Student Survey (NSS) Response, an important occasion in our ongoing conversation with our members and with College about the development of education at Imperial College London.

Imperial College Union has a vital role to play in amplifying the student voice and in enhancing the student experience, ensuring our members’ views and opinions are heard and are acted upon across the College. The NSS asks final-year Undergraduates to reflect upon their whole experience at Imperial, and as a result offers a wealth of insights into the lived experiences of our members across their entire degree.

Stretching students in a way that feeds their appreciation of a subject Over the past few years, we have spoken up for our members by recommending dozens of specific actions, ideas and priorities for academic and support staff across College’s departments. Last year, we themed our NSS Response around one fundamentally important topic: quality feedback, a prerequisite for the kind of learning and development that College aims to offer its students.

Chun-Yin San Deputy President (Education) dpeducation@imperial.ac.uk

This year, our NSS Response is themed around another aspect of education that our members have mentioned time and again: the importance of nurturing and building upon students’ love of their chosen subject.

Our members speak about the importance of stretching them in a way that feeds their appreciation for their chosen subject, rather than overassessing or pushing them so hard that their appreciation for their subject is weakened and undermined - often irreversibly.

In writing this NSS Response, we have reflected not only on the data presented within the survey, but also consulted more widely with our community of dedicated Academic Reps to build a set of recommendations that are relevant to past, present and future students.

NSS Response 2015

3

Introduction

This idea - of realigning and rethinking courses and resources to support our students’ wider development and their deeper engagement with science and society - generates a wide range of possible actions, explored below.

From industry placements, to assessment methods, to pre-sessional experiences and the role of extra-curricular activities, the whole range of the Imperial experience can be viewed through this lens.

One of my priorities as Deputy President (Education) is to work with College to build an academic experience that stretches students and establishes their mastery over their subject of interest, but also provides the space, structure and incentive to explore more widely. To develop our students’ potential as creative and intelligent thinkers - able to engage critically with their subject and relate it to global challenges - will set Imperial graduates apart from and beyond those of other world-class institutions, and empower them to make a profound difference on the world around them.

4

NSS Response 2015

I am grateful to all the work and hours that my colleague Andrew Keenan, ICU Education & Welfare Manager, has dedicated to producing and authoring much of this Response. My thanks also to all the Academic Reps who have been involved in conversations over the past weeks - their ideas have been foundational to many of the recommendations presented here. Finally, my deepest appreciation to all those who responded to the NSS 2015; I wish them the very best in whatever directions they are now pursuing, and hope they can look back at their time at Imperial with fondness, knowing that they have been able to shape the University experience for the benefit of current and future students.

For a digital copy of this report and accompanying information go online to

imperialcollegeunion.org/nss2015 All information correct at the time of going to print November 2015.

NSS Response 2015

5

Teaching

88+H 89% 2015

88+86 H +H 88% 2014

87%

Sector Average

6

NSS Response 2015

88% 2013

Some lecturers are more interested in their research than they are in teaching. I think the course as a whole is too theoretical and not practical enough. It is only now in final year project that I feel like I am actually working things out for myself and putting them into action as opposed to rote learning

Parts of the course, especially lab work, seemed hard work just for the sake of being hard work without actually teaching me all that much... I spent many, many hours in synthesis lab doing a few things over and over again… without really feeling that… was all that helpful CHEMISTRY STUDENT

AERONAUTICS STUDENT

The course in general is very research-focussed. This in my opinion is a negative aspect. On my internship, many student from lesser-established chemical engineering courses were able to do certain industrial aspects I couldn’t... The majority of the graduating students will not go into research and so less emphasis should be put on this.

Brilliant course, taught by some of the best lecturers.

Focuses not only on delivering information, but also side-goals for engineers, such as design, business and legal awareness, presentation skills, confidence COMPUTING STUDENT

CHEMICAL ENGINEERING STUDENT

NSS Response 2015

7

Teaching Recommendation Students are put at risk of losing their appreciation of their chosen subject through pressure and course intensity - overlapping deadlines, excessive coursework, long and consecutive lectures, and stressful examination sessions.

In a number of recommendations throughout this Response, we ask that College use its existing course review mechanisms and processes to adapt and realign courses moving their focus beyond learning objectives and passing examinations, into exploring subject matter deeply and in innovative ways.

Examples of this practice exist across College, with many students recognising the ability of their lecturers to enthuse and inspire them in their subject; however too many students feel a ‘factory’-style learning environment, in which students don’t make personal connections with academics and are put off from deeper exploration of their chosen degree subject.

8

NSS Response 2015

Centre curriculum design around inspiring and sustaining students’ love of their chosen subject

Teaching Recommendation Newer teaching styles such as ‘flipped lectures’ and other technological innovations have proven popular with students; they have also featured in College’s Education Days and Student Academic Choice Award nominations.

Promote recognition and reward schemes that incentivise innovative teaching styles

Innovation is inherently risky, and we feel that staff understandably may not innovate or experiment with their teaching if they worry about impact on their research, working patterns or even student satisfaction. We suggest that departments incentivise teaching innovation, potentially by initiating specific events with staff and student interaction - such as a teaching hackathon and select sessions that are clearly experimental - and/or creating innovation funds to reward new ideas.

NSS Response 2015

9

Teaching Recommendation In departments such as in Biomedical Science and Chemical Engineering, staff have been reviewing module content where they have found an array of lecture and taught content that gives little additional learning value.

Sometimes, these were historical remnants lectures taught by staff who had since left or which were relevant at the time, but which no longer had substantial value to the curriculum A radical approach to course reviews, challenging established structures, could generate significant time savings - for staff and students. Such time could be freed up for a host of other purposes, such as example tutorials, practical sessions or self-led learning time. These could be of more value to the student, for example to reinforce content that is more relevant to the student’s curriculum, or to give them ways to explore and discover and learn more in a more flexible way.

When the Academic Standards Framework initiative standardizes module sizes throughout the College, it would necessitate many departments to evaluate and re-organize their taught modules. This would be an excellent opportunity to review the necessity of content being taught, and to embed more flexible content and learning methods in the courses. Even if certain departments don’t need to change their content, they should still consider reviewing their course content in conjunction with student Academic Reps, as a sign of commitment towards improving student satisfaction and supporting academic attainment.

10

NSS Response 2015

Ensure course reviews involve critical evaluation of current teaching and assessment methods

Teaching Recommendation Students in several departments have commented on a lack of opportunities for them to apply the theory they have learnt in a practical, simulated setting. Modules/courses where such opportunities are provided tend to attract praise from students, as the practical dimensions give them the opportunity to consolidate their knowledge, and see what it’s like to pursue a career path in the subject area.

Ensure that courses balance teaching of theory with sufficient opportunities for students apply their learning, especially in laboratory-based/oriented subjects

Careful planning is needed, however, when designing practical sessions. In some departments, students have said that they preferred sessions that are challenging - for example ones which gets them to troubleshoot, research protocols, or work with others to achieve a goal - rather than just following a list of pre-written instructions.

How does this relate to our theme?

High-quality teaching can make the most complex and challenging topics accessible.

Without it, students are at risk of disengaging from their subject through frustration, fear, fatigue or even boredom.

Additionally, quality is more important than quantity - if a critical-minded course

review reduces teaching hours and frees up time for newer learning and research methods, students can have a more diverse and personalised academic experience.

NSS Response 2015

11

Assessment & Feedback

67+H 68% 2015

66+62 H +H 67% 2014

72%

Sector Average

12

NSS Response 2015

66% 2013

Russell Group Average

Feedback must be improved and must be more prompt ... it is surely trivial to deliver yet is threatening the otherwise excellent reputation of the department ELECTRONIC & ELECTRICAL ENGINEERING STUDENT

I feel that feedback from staff should be improved. I often never understood why I got the grades I did and marking seemed very inconsistent between teachers LIFE SCIENCES STUDENT

Feedback is almost non-existent in 99% of work that we submit.

MECHANICAL ENGINEERING STUDENT

As far as assessed work during the year (“coursework”) is concerned, so much importance is attached to the students meeting deadlines & to the clarity of expression. This is not always met by the assessors and by the feedback they provide often late, or at unspecified dates, and with limited will to discuss/receive their feedback 1:1 PHYSICS STUDENT

Loads of pressure and little time to complete tasks. Having periods of low work and periods of high volume of work MATHEMATICS STUDENT

NSS Response 2015

13

Assessment & Feedback Feedback remains Imperial’s primary weakness. While continuous progress has been made, change is simply not happening fast enough; at this rate, we will reach the current sector average in 2020, a whole strategic cycle away.

Unless our institutional approach changes, prospective students currently drafting their Imperial applications will have graduated by the time we become merely average at the quality of our feedback and assessment practices.

14

NSS Response 2015

The importance of feedback has been recognised in College’s new Strategy, which states that “we will make timely and useful assessment and feedback a central part of our approach”. The task of every faculty, department and the Academic Representation Network is to choose the strategy, objectives and tactics that will deliver this change.

The stakes, and potential benefits, are high.

Without change, Imperial’s pre-eminence as one of the UK’s leading universities for teaching cannot be assured; if we can address this situation, we will set the bar of teaching and assessment quality for the rest of the sector.

Assessment & Feedback Recommendation Our experience in supporting students with mitigating circumstances through academic appeals is that, often, students don’t immediately recognize the impact of personal difficulties on their studies - or attempt to separate their academic and personal lives, sometimes without success. Combined with widespread misunderstanding and variations in practice around leniency processes, zero-tolerance policies only contribute to an atmosphere of fear, uncertainty and doubt.

They damage relationships between staff and students and affect well-being; we consider them to be more damaging than beneficial for academic outcomes and the welfare of our students.

Repeal the zero-tolerance policy for late coursework submissions

Additionally, students regularly comment on how departments can zealously enforce penalties for late coursework submissions, while tolerating extremely late and lax return of the feedback on said coursework. Both parties - students and staff - should be able to trust that the other will complete work on time, in a context of understanding and empathy for workload and unexpected difficulties.

NSS Response 2015

15

Assessment & Feedback Recommendation Late, poor and insufficient feedback imposes a massive opportunity cost on the educational achievement of our students. Previous NSS Responses have discussed a number of tactics for improving feedback at a granular level, including departmental Feedback Champions, departmental strategies, reducing assessment, and more.

We continue to encourage each Department and Faculty to give one senior member of staff clear responsibility to address the root causes of poor feedback in their area, and work with Academic Representatives to create a strategy to address it. Incremental change will not address this critical issue.

16

NSS Response 2015

Eradicate late feedback

Assessment & Feedback Recommendation Feedback is educationally beneficial when it helps students understand opportunities to improve, and when it helps them understand their errors. In particular, our students look for constructive criticisms and suggestions that support them in critically reflecting on their work. Simple percentages without comments, or mundane comments and corrections, are pedagogically useless.

Improve feedback quality through a required basic format that encourages critical thinking and reflection

A basic template - as simple as “three suggestions for development, three achievements to build upon� would simplify the task of giving quality feedback for staff, and give students material to use when considering how to learn, and develop their understanding.

We suggest that Faculties take the lead on developing minimum standards in consultation with students, and enforce these standards to ensure constructive and useable feedback within their departments.

NSS Response 2015

17

Assessment & Feedback Recommendation Similarly to feedback, provisional grades are used by students to understand their current situation and academic progress. They are also used by students for applications to internships and graduate recruitment schemes, which can ask for current grades as an indicator of future performance.

We ask that departments introduce provisional grades with more granularity, allowing students to understand where they currently sit in terms of grade boundaries; additionally, the difference between provisional and official marks should be clearly explained on the website as marks are being accessed. For example, instead of ‘A’, ‘B’ and ‘C’ band provisional grades, the College should give ‘H-2.1’, ‘M-2.1’ and ‘L-2.1’ provisional grades.

18

NSS Response 2015

Be more transparent on provisional grades

Assessment & Feedback Recommendation A significant concern amongst students is their inability to view their exam scripts. This removes a valuable opportunity for students to learn from their mistakes and successes.

This is especially frustrating for students as it can be argued that the majority of mistakes in exams are skills-based, such as poor time management or lack of clarity in their explanations or structure.

Ensure that students can view and learn from their examination papers based on a practical framework developed between students and staff

There is also significant confusion amongst students and staff alike with regards to the policy regarding exam script access - some departments readily provide their students with access to scripts, whereas other departments argue strongly against it, citing a range of purported reasons - from legal to logistical.

While the official line currently is that students cannot access their scripts, exam script access is a common practice in many other UK universities which suggests that there isn’t a significant legal challenge. We hope that a clear message and investigation in this field will help to clarify any confusion.

We are aware that there are concerns that this will open a ‘floodgate’ of logistical challenges, which is why we don’t suggest that students have access to their scripts without some framework agreed between students and staff.

However, through discussions with Reps and staff, we have already come across some interesting and practical frameworks that can be of value to students.

NSS Response 2015

19

Assessment & Feedback Recommendation There is significant disparity across the College as to the submission arrangements of coursework for coursework that is due to be submitted online.

Ensure that students can re-submit their virtual coursework indefinitely up to the deadline

Academic Reps in the Faculty of Medicine note that infinite resubmissions is a standard process, whilst Reps in the Faculties of Natural Sciences and Engineering note that different departments have different processes.

Some departments allow only a limited number of resubmissions, while other departments allow only one submission.

In departments where infinite resubmissions are permitted, students have been able to capitalise on this by demonstrating high levels of organisation and time management skills.

For example, they can submit the bulk of their work in advance of the deadline, before taking the remaining time to perfect their work. This is similar to application systems where applicants can save their applications before submitting.

The focus of assessments should be the work itself, and benefiting from the challenge and learning outcomes it contains, rather than squeezing the work into a forest of inflexible deadlines.

Where departments don’t allow infinite resubmissions, it only adds to considerable levels of student anxiety - especially when combined with a zero-tolerance policy, as it encourages students to be fixated on minor issues.

20

NSS Response 2015

Such departments have occasionally noted that the process is to stop students from abusing the ‘plagiarism checker’ e.g. submitting the work to see if they have plagiarized then re-submitting.

We note that the plagiarism checker results can be disabled to prevent this possibility of abuse.

Assessment & Feedback

How does this relate to our theme?

Feedback is a crucial ingredient of self-reflection and personal growth. Without constructive and detailed input from more experienced academics, our Undergraduates are held back in their progress through their chosen subject and their development as creative and critical thinkers.

Without feedback, our students can feel that they are underperforming, but without knowing exactly why - and what they can do to fix it. This is deeply damaging to their confidence, and the efficiency of their self-directed learning.

NSS Response 2015

21

Academic Support

82+H 83% 2015

79+75 H +H 82% 2014

82%

Sector Average

22

NSS Response 2015

79% 2013

The welfare and support at Imperial is catastrophically bad.

I feel no emotional affiliation to the institution and resent many of the decisions that the college has taken with respect to student resources… Very little support is provided for struggling students creating an aggressively competitive “sink or swim” environment which is wholly unhelpful to a serene and successful academic progression LIFE SCIENCES STUDENT

NSS Response 2015

23

Academic Support An Imperial education is not expected to be easy. Achieving a degree from a worldleading institution is meant to be a significant challenge, involving personal discipline, intelligence, reflection and hard work.

However, Imperial College Union has argued strongly in recent years that there is a growing issue of poor mental health in the Imperial community, and that the way we teach and learn - and the expectations put on our students - are contributory factors.

One of the most important debates taking place within the College community recently is the impact that high-stress teaching and assessment methods can have on the mental health of our students.

Led by Mentality, a group of students personally affected by this issue, Imperial College Union has been arguing that mental illness has local causes that are just as important as wider societal and economic drivers, and that Imperial’s staff must take responsibility for the effects of inappropriate assessment, poor feedback and insufficient communication.

24

NSS Response 2015

Poor mental health blocks academic progress and personal development; we believe that addressing local issues of poor teaching will reap a rich dividend for College and for students, in terms of educational outcomes and personal wellbeing.

We are encouraged by College’s commitment to this at the highest possible level - in the 2015-2020 College Strategy - and we look forward to discussing with Departments and Faculties how this will be enacted at all possible levels.

“We will prioritise the mental well-being of the student body, recognising this as both a moral imperative and a prerequisite of academic success”

Academic Support Recommendation Many students feel that some academics participate in teaching only because they are required to, and that they would rather focus on their research. This can have a demoralising and dispiriting effect on students. Conversely, the staff who demonstrably care about the quality of their teaching, who may even have chosen a teaching-focused career, are highly respected by students - as evidenced by three years of positive testimonials in the Best Teaching for Undergraduates category of the Student Academic Choice Awards.

Create more teaching-only career paths that are as attractive as research-focused career paths

Without risking the idea of research-led teaching, we encourage College to increase the number of teaching-focused career opportunities, and to explore ways for academics who would prefer to reduce teaching hours to be released from their obligations.

NSS Response 2015

25

Academic Support Recommendation Across faculties, there has been a drive in recent years to ensure teaching is equally important to research in the University, with significant investment in the recruitment of dedicated teaching staff such as Teaching Fellows, and also in the development of existing staff to be more capable in engaging and quality teaching.

But the impact of teaching staff goes beyond just the lecture experience. Many Teaching Fellows are highly student-facing and ‘in-tune’ with their students, helping to create a vibrant cohort atmosphere and reducing the distance between staff and students.

We ask that the College to continue to recognize and invest in dedicated teaching staff both in the short term and in the long term, and to continue to encourage and support staff members in developing quality teaching expertise. This includes ensuring the promotion of the first teaching fellow to full Professorship status.

26

NSS Response 2015

Invest in dedicated teaching staff and staff’s teaching abilities, and recognise their achievements

Academic Support Recommendation The Educational Development Unit are soon to launch an excellent online resource for Personal Tutors, supported by their induction classes and other materials, and drawing upon the findings from the Best Tutoring category in the Student Academic Choice Awards.

Ensure the new Personal Tutor resources are being used within departments

We ask that each Senior Tutor and Director of Undergraduate Studies prepare to discuss this new resource with the staff in their department.

NSS Response 2015

27

Academic Support Recommendation As discussed above, mental health is fundamental to academic achievement. There are opportunities for supporting improved mental health while also exploring new ways to encourage students’ interest in their subject, and while diversifying learning opportunities.

We ask that departments and faculties continue to engage with the Mentality project and wider work around mental health, and assess proposed teaching and learning methods for their ability to support and develop a student’s academic confidence and their ability to apply their subject widely.

28

NSS Response 2015

Encourage improved mental health and wellbeing by putting deskbased study into a wider learning context

Academic Support Recommendation On the College level, research is primarily associated with the experience of Postgraduate Research students. However, many Undergraduates undertake graduate level, short-term research projects as part of their program, making research a key tenet of the Undergraduate experience also.

Recognise the importance of high-quality project supervision in Undergraduate learning

While a small minority, students have at times experienced poor research supervision in the same vein as Postgraduate Research students. Meanwhile, good supervisors can be instrumental in inspiring students to explore research as a career direction.

We ask that the College recognize research supervision as a key factor in the Undergraduate experience and to investigate whether recommendations from the Working Party for World-Class Research Supervision would be equally important and beneficial to Undergraduate students in this sense.

Furthermore, we will explore establishing a SACA for Supervision on the Undergraduate level.

NSS Response 2015

29

Academic Support Recommendation Personal Tutors should take advantage of the new resources and support available to them; but also should not have to overburden themselves or jeopardise their other work if they have too many tutees. Additionally, students in difficulty can find it hard to access support if too many other students have a claim on their Personal Tutor’s time. We suggest that departments assess whether loads are shared fairly amongst their staff, and decide whether a maximum should be imposed that facilitates quality support for each student.

30

NSS Response 2015

Standardise the number of students assigned to each Personal Tutor

Academic Support

How does this relate to our theme?

One of the factors that most damages a students’ appreciation for their subject is developing a sense of fear or apprehension around it.

Inadequate support - support that fails to challenge, guide, advise and develop students - can lead to students who formerly loved their subject, coming to suffer it instead.

levels of Postgraduate study, and also on the confidence and development of our students. In our submission to the Future Student Services review, we gave a number of recommendations around the development of support services for students, and we look forward to working with College on implementing them.

This has a long-term impact on science, by affecting the

NSS Response 2015

31

Organisation & Management

81+H 84% 2015

83+82 H +H 81% 2014

79%

Sector Average

32

NSS Response 2015

83% 2013

My third year exam timetable was a nightmare. I had 5 exams in one week and after the Thursday exam, I developed a migraine from overworking.

Thus, I found it really difficult to do the key last minute revision for the day afterwards. Students’ Mental and Physical Wellbeing should be Paramount when organising the exam timetable.

PHYSICS STUDENT

In fourth year, the courseworks were all thrown at us at the same time towards the end of the term, with the first half of the term virtually free. The coursework should be more evenly distributed CIVIL ENGINEERING STUDENT

Sometimes coursework seemed unfairly weighted or just too excessive. Workload was certainly very high, much higher than I could have imagined.

Occasionally coursework was not returned on time, although this improved as time went on

It’s all pretty well laid out. Tough work, but that’s what helps you learn a lot both technically as well in terms of time management.

Good lecturers really know what they are talking about and always make the time to help you when you have questions, even if they haven’t directly assigned you a piece of work CIVIL ENGINEERING STUDENT

Largely, the timeliness of coursework mark results and feedback, experienced throughout the degree. Often taking much longer than what was originally stated. To some extent, the quality and functionality of the lab resources and equipment was occasionally lacking, therefore making it difficult to work as efficiently and effectively as possible in undergraduate labs CHEMISTRY STUDENT

COMPUTING STUDENT

NSS Response 2015

33

Organisation & Management The needs and abilities of staff and students change over time. Course content can become outdated; staff leave and new staff arrive; buildings, software and equipment can age.

Regular course reviews exist to recognise, capture and mitigate this natural change.

Appropriate organisation & management practices can keep courses effective and modern, maximising the academic impact on their students.

Practical matters such as timetabling, exam venues and communication can have significant impacts on students when they go wrong - particularly if the errors continue throughout a whole academic year or degree.

34

NSS Response 2015

Organisation & Management Recommendation Overassessment can have a destructive effect on students’ health, wellbeing and their appreciation of their subject. With some courses featuring multiple modules, and potentially several staff members involved with each, it is possible for assessment timings and deadlines to coincide with each other - without staff recognising or intending this to happen.

Course planning and management should optimise coursework and exams to reduce overassessment of students

We recommend the following boundaries be put on assessment, and that regular course review processes map out all assessments with student input - to highlight crunch points and overlapping tests.

• To think critically about whether the number of exams and assessments in the curriculum are authentic in understanding student ability and conducive to student learning, with the view of reducing/consolidating the number of summative exams and assessments • To establish and align departments into two exam periods a year, as per consultation with students in the department • Cap the number of exam hours a student can experience in a day to three, and end consecutive exams wherever possible • Increase the number of ‘whitespace’ between exams so to give students room to practice and absorb knowledge, as opposed to engaging in a state of constant ‘cramming’ for the next exam

NSS Response 2015

35

Organisation & Management Recommendation Students should sit in lectures for no more than three hours at a time, with room for short breaks (5-10 minutes) between each session.

Longer breaks - at least one hour - should be available before moving onto the next block of teaching.

There is strong evidence from studies of education that attention span and the ability to absorb learning outcomes are simply not suited to periods of more than 45-60 minutes. We ask that the latest findings in these matters are disseminated across College and considered an important limiting factor in lecture length and timing.

36

NSS Response 2015

Enforce a strict limit on consecutive teaching hours

Organisation & Management Recommendation Currently there are up to 15 different ways in which students across the College may receive their timetables This generates significant fragmentation in the student experience, and can reflect poor organization and management within departments.

Continue to improve how timetables are published to meet the expectations of students

Some methods of timetabling publication, such as through archaic Word and Excel documents, is also a poor way to distribute important information such as timetables, in terms of ease of access, user experience, and the generation of confusion when information is changed e.g. with students having multiple copies of the same timetable.

By standardizing to one method - injection of calendar entries into students’ Office 365 Outlook calendars via Autocalex, and notification of updates via email - this will ensure that students can have a unified experience that makes use of College-provided services.

NSS Response 2015

37

Organisation & Management Recommendation Major changes should be communicated at least 24 hours in advance, while last-minute changes should be done through channels that are accessible to all students.

38

NSS Response 2015

To choose a communication channel to give students sufficient notice of course changes

Organisation & Management

How does this relate to our theme?

Time and place can be as important as content when students are learning. Imperial faces pressure on its physical learning spaces - from lecture theatres to laboratories and has a wide range of learning resources used across different departments.

Staff in planning roles and

Academic Representatives should work together to ensure that a balance is struck between efficient use of scarce resources, and creating course structures that support learning and development without excessive stress or unpredictability.

NSS Response 2015

39

Learning Resources

95+H 95% 2015

95+92 H +H 95% 2014

86%

Sector Average

40

NSS Response 2015

92% 2013

There are always enough resources for self-study (tutorials, books, lecture notes, etc.).

Lecturers are generally very interested about their own research, and that feeling is transmitted to the students AERONAUTICS STUDENT

Great experiences in great hospitals. Very technologically forward giving iPads to everyone in the year. Great resources

The laboratory resources are in limit, e.g., every time demonstrator tells us we have to do the experiment in turns, because there are only few of the machines that we can use, especially the computer systems used in the lab is too old (still using Windows 98) I really hope that university can spend more money in the lab, while they charge international student more tuition fee every year LIFE SCIENCES STUDENT

MEDICINE STUDENT

Amazing academic staff.

Incredible amount of resources to study (library, workshops, facilities, tools, software ...). Very few universities can offer that much MECHANICAL ENGINEERING STUDENT

NSS Response 2015

41

Learning Resources Learning Resources remains one of College’s biggest NSS successes, with high satisfaction across departments and a score in excess of the sector average. The next steps in this area include preparation for the White City Campus, a high-level solution to problems of exam space, and strategic development of online resources.

42

NSS Response 2015

Learning Resources Recommendation There’s certainly appetite for eLearning, as can be seen through the uptake of Blackboard, Panopto and widespread interest in Starfish - new technology to assist in learning is considered the ‘norm’ and students are excited for it.

Invest in eLearning resources and explore links with the Student Space online resource

The resources have had tangible benefits for students, e.g. Panopto as a revision tool that has allowed students to better access taught materials and to learn in a way that suits their learning styles. But, the overwhelming demand for likes of Panopto may be fuelled by the lack of alternatives, and also lack of awareness about existing resources.

We call upon the College to take stock of the materials that they already have invested, and to make this more organized and accessible to students - potentially through Student Space and the Success Guide, alongside high-impact publicity In addition, departments and faculties should seriously consider eLearning when revising or revamping curriculums.

The College should also consider putting in place opportunities and ‘seed funds’ for students to explore developing their own eLearning ventures; this would build on successes seen at other Universities where Universities lend support to organic efforts e.g. podcasts developed by their own students.

NSS Response 2015

43

Learning Resources Recommendation Imperial has high satisfaction scores for learning resources, but the University should think ahead to guarantee this in the future.

Resources that the College has invested in, including Lynda.com, has potential to delivery high quality information and guidance on transferable skills that departmental staff may not be able to offer. However, the acquisition of such material is not always done according to any particular strategy or vision, and their methods of distribution can therefore be ad hoc and incoherent when viewed from a Collegewide perspective.

Taking advantage of the opportunities opened up by the Academic Standards Framework project, departments should consider taking the opportunity to explore more widely - and in a coherent way with support from faculties and the College - the integration of such material into their course design and curriculum.

44

NSS Response 2015

Develop a vision and strategy for eLearning that ensure Imperial students can stay ahead of the curve

Learning Resources Recommendation Finding appropriate examination spaces is a significant issue each year for many departments. Additionally, reasonable adjustments for students with different needs create extra complexity.

There are three main issues: • The lack of space restricts the exam schedule, which in turns affect the academic timetabling and limiting how the latter can change • Quality of exam spaces leaves much to desire; some exams are known to take place in the Reynolds Bar, lecture theatres with tables slanted at an angle, lecture theatres with only one aisle causing significant disruption if students have to get up for whatever reason, spaces with inadequate temperature control, and spaces where students can be distracted e.g. by pedestrians peeking in or the sound of trombones across the wall, spaces where clocks aren’t visibly available to the students • Unpredictable use of venues, including external ones, generating additional psychological barriers that may affect the performance of more malleable students We ask that the College take this issue seriously and allocate investment and effort into changing this, including driving forward relatively ‘quick fixes’ that can capitalize on the curriculum flexibility generated by the Academic Standards Framework work.

Create quality examination spaces so to facilitate more flexible exam schedule

This includes: • Making available more flat spaces in the College for examination purposes • Ensuring the basic provision of resources key to exams, such as ensuring all exam venues must be equipped with clocks that are visible to all students taking the exam • To improve the quality of the spaces, including better sound-proofing • To develop new and multipurpose examination spaces at Imperial White City, and to develop transport links that allow students to efficiently move between venues for exam purposes, and to publish guidelines on how off-site exams should take place

NSS Response 2015

45

Learning Resources Recommendation Feedback from Undergraduate students based at Hammersmith Hospital and Silwood Park campuses have painted a dire picture for the student experience at auxiliary campuses; a lack of quality and clean social and study spaces, poor transport links that leave students on long commutes and at the mercy of erratic schedules and high transport costs, lack of basic facilities and resources such as cafes and restaurants, and feeling of detachment from the South Kensington community are common complaints.

With the opening of the White City Campus in 2017, of which some Undergraduate students will inevtiable be based, these problems are likely to be repeated - or even exacerbated given the greater mix and range of students.

This has already generated concerns from students responding in the NSS. We urge the College to invest in providing quality services and spaces at the existing auxiliary campuses; this could involve discussions and concrete commitments in the near future about the services and spaces to be provided at the auxiliary campuses, and robust student consultation on such plans.

We also ask that College recognise that students shouldn’t incur additional costs to meet academic commitments, and as such to put in place mechanisms to support students moving between campuses for the purpose of meeting academic commitments, whether it’s subsidising transport or refining shuttle bus services.

46

NSS Response 2015

Develop the student experience at auxiliary campuses, focusing on communities and services

Learning Resources

How does this relate to our theme?

New teaching methods are accompanied by new resources; an integrated approach to reviewing curricula to support student development will require consideration of resources and systems to deliver it.

College has a positive track record of supporting student learning through high-quality resources, and we look forward to discussions about how to maintain this achievement.

NSS Response 2015

47

Personal Development

84+H 85% 2015

84+83 H +H 84% 2014

83%

Sector Average

48

NSS Response 2015

84% 2013

Poor social aspects, course leaving limited time for revision and extracurricular activities.

Though some lecturers were interesting and dedicated, a select few seemed disinterested in the students and lectures were not as stimulating as they could have been CHEMISTRY STUDENT

Some of the group projects such as the second year social enterprise project and third year project were fantastic learning opportunities and gave you a wider view of business. The entrepreneurship course was very interesting and useful to attend. Having a lot of free time for work/internship applications in first term of third and fourth year was great

I’m really enjoying my final year practical project, being with a scientific researcher and actually doing “science” is amazing and makes you implement what you have learnt throughout the degree. Designing and carrying out an investigation (with guidance!) is initially scary, but it’s made me feel prepared for a career in science and has made it feel much less daunting and much more realistic to obtain LIFE SCIENCES STUDENT

Workload can be overwhelming at times and it has a negative impact on the social life at uni.

Imperial need to improve this a lot COMPUTING STUDENT

ELECTRICAL & ELECTRONIC ENGINEERING STUDENT

NSS Response 2015

49

Personal Development Personal development is growing in importance as a theme - for students individually who take earlier and more considered approaches to employability and their personal goals; and to College and the Union. A strong track record and excellent volunteering opportunities have allowed schemes such as Imperial Plus and the new Imperial Award to emerge.

50

NSS Response 2015

Personal Development Recommendation Imperial College Union’s fundamental mission is to develop our members, through volunteering, campaigning and socialising opportunities. New collaborations with College and external partners are amongst our most exciting recent innovations, and we look forward to increasing the number of students who participate - and maximising the positive impact these projects have on their personal development, professional skills, selfconfidence, effectiveness and wellbeing.

Continue to foster a strong relationship between the College and the Union when it comes to personal and student development

The Imperial Award, Imperial Plus, new social enterprise partnerships, and events like the Imperial College Climate Symposium are becoming fixtures of the Imperial student community and calendar. This success should continue to be captured, shared and developed, by the partnership of Imperial College Union and Imperial College London.

NSS Response 2015

51

Personal Development Recommendation Personal tutors play an important role in their tutees’ personal development. They may be the referees for their tutees, and the career advice and support provided by personal tutors can be instrumental in shaping the future directions of students.

Where personal tutors fail to provide ample support to students, we also see students feeling lost in terms of who to approach for referees and not sure of familiar faces to talk to in regards to career development issues.

The Imperial Award provides a framework for this, and depending on the outcome of the pilot, we hope that this can be scaled up or provide framework and inspiration for similar initiatives. Moreover personal tutors should be given motivation to recognize their importance in their student’s personal development - they might not realize it, but the experiences they have had to date and the knowledge they have gleaned along the way could be extremely valuable.

52

NSS Response 2015

Continue to re-align the Personal Tutor system to support personal and professional development

Personal Development Recommendation Coming out of LSE-Imperial summer school there seem to be strong appetite for exploring outside of the ‘Imperial bubble’. To interact more with the ‘outside world’ e.g. having access to industry, international opportunities is also something that is reflected both in NSS data and in student comments, especially in the Faculty of Natural Sciences and Faculty of Medicine where such opportunities are few and far in between.

Invest in internships, work experience placements, research placements and exchange programs to facilitate student growth

We hope that the University can invest in more partnerships, or capitalize on its existing partnerships, to open up more opportunities for students to participate in. The opportunities should also allow students to explore tangentially related topics and initiatives.

This also involves re-visiting and possibly re-forming the Undergraduate Research

research placements alongside a formal UROP program with funded,

Opportunities Program, in order to boost equity of access as currently there is very limited funding. Perhaps shorter, voluntary

extended opportunities will help to increase access while remove barriers to entry.

How does this relate to our theme?

A students’ love for their subject can develop outside of formal academic environments such as lectures or laboratories.

Departments and academics should work with Imperial College Union to create the space and time for students

to engage in personal development - whether through volunteering, placements, training or accreditation schemes - and recognise the benefits it can bring to their confidence, abilities and academic progress.

NSS Response 2015

53

Imperial College Union

84+H 78% 2014

84+83 H +H 75% 2013

68%

Sector Average

54

NSS Response 2015

77% 2012

As you can probably gather, I’ve been hugely involved in the College and have had a fantastic time. I came very close to standing for President this year because of my views on the above issues, so I hope these can be taken on board and developed PHYSICS STUDENT

An excellent sporting culture, everyone is encouraged to join a sports club no matter their ability level. For those who do not wish to play sport there are so many societies. The clubs and socs are an incredibly valuable part of ICSM and my experience would be much poorer without them…

Careers evenings and specialty lecturers are very helpful and I don’t think we realise that we are very lucky to have them, although I would say that a lot of the progress in this area is made by student societies and the Students’ Union.

Good structure in terms of improving the course and sorting out issues with students with the year representatives ELECTRICAL & ELECTRONIC ENGINEERING STUDENT

It took me months to make friends inside of Mathematics (and I flatter myself I’m easy to get along with) simply because I never got the chance to meet them socially! Aside from the highly contrived “Mums and Dads” meet ups and halls very little was provided in terms of Mathematics socials at the beginning of the year.

MATHEMATICS STUDENT

LIFE SCIENCES STUDENT

NSS Response 2015

55

Imperial College Union We are proud of the achievements of our volunteers, officers and staff; our students’ own satisfaction places us as London’s best students’ union and one of the top 25 in the UK. We are about to enter a new strategic cycle, and are excited at the opportunities ahead of us. From the Imperial Award to new models of student entrepreneurship, to new Advice services, we are creating new ways to develop and engage our members. However, we are always open to suggestions and critiques, and encourage College staff and departments to work with Officer Trustees, volunteers and staff to find ways to improve our services.

56

NSS Response 2015

Imperial College Union Recommendation Our Academic Representation Network continues to deliver a high standard of academic representation for Imperial students.

Our Reps have collaborated constructively with staff from across the College to drive change for the benefit of their students, from helping to reform entire degree programs to coming up with innovative solutions to course problems.

The impact made by our Reps are reflected in the high-profile projects and campaigns being undertaken by the Union and College, and further evidenced by positive comments and statistics in the NSS where our Reps have made great impressions within their Departments.

Continue to maintain the standards of our Academic Representation Network, and to develop a clear strategic vision, so to ensure sustainable and quality academic representation for all students at Imperial College

We are committed to maintaining the Rep Network’s standards, and to further grow our Rep’s potential to be student leaders. Work that we will do to achieve this goal include continuing to strengthen our investment in our volunteers, through providing robust support and training. We will also look into acquiring additional resources that allow us to make the Rep Network more resilient and able to project on key issues, and fostering a sense of community across all parts of the Network.

NSS Response 2015

57

Imperial College Union Recommendation After a period of consolidation and development, the Academic Representation Network has been stable for the past two academic years. We are now in a position to review it as a service, taking into consideration its weaknesses and its opportunities for improvement, to ensure it remains an effective force for amplifying the student voice, as well as an attractive volunteering position for students at any stage of study.

Development opportunities include the implementation of Rep Teams and the Rep Team Development Framework; the Central Reps concept, supporting the Deputy President (Education) on strategic education issues; and our new small-group training model, which focuses on scenarios and practical learning.

We will also bring together the work of our Rep Network, the SACAs and our Responses of the past five years, creating an accessible and coherent corpus of our views and our contribution to the academic mission of College; this will help us maximise the impact we have on decision-makers across the institution.

58

NSS Response 2015

Improve access and awareness of Academic Reps and their responsibilities, both with students and staff, particularly Reps who engage on the Faculty level and with College leadership

Imperial College Union Recommendation We want to continue to reduce the barriers for our students to give us feedback and raise issues, and to widen the ways by which students can reach out to us such that we are as adaptive to student needs as possible. This includes establishing a new, confidential feedback mechanism whereby students can reach their Rep Teams without necessarily having to have memorized emails, inspired by the success of a pilot scheme from our Reps in Civil Engineering.

Launch an anonymous feedback mechanism for the Rep Network and other representational activities

NSS Response 2015

59

Imperial College Union Recommendation We were strongly encouraged by the College’s response to our suggestions for their Strategic Plan; points relating to PhD supervision quality, academic feedback, mental health and personal development were all included upon our suggestion.

The development plans mentioned above, and College’s commitment to work with us on these priorities, are an excellent opportunity for us to make fundamental and long-lasting change to the academic environment at a strategic level. We will review structures and resources to ensure the Academic Representation Network is able to focus on these strategic issues.

60

NSS Response 2015

Develop our ability to lead on strategic educational issues, such as personal development and emerging PhD research structures

Imperial College Union

How does this relate to our theme?

Imperial College Union is recognised by College as having a crucial role to play in student development and satisfaction - as the lines between academic and extra-curricular achievement are increasingly blurred.

Societies (such as E.quinox, DepSocs, and Engineers

without Borders), external volunteering opportunities in schools and internationally, and the Academic Representation Network itself all contribute to our students developing their love of their subject and choosing for themselves how they will apply it in their careers and lives.

NSS Response 2015

61

Imperial College Union Beit Quadrangle Prince Consort Road London SW7 2BB Registered Charity No: 1151241

Tel: 020 7594 8060 Fax: 020 7594 8065 Email: union@imperial.ac.uk Twitter: @icunion imperialcollegeunion.org