Gathering Feedback

A rep holding a speakerphone

Collecting feedback from students is the #1 thing you’ll do as a Rep. You should make sure that you adapt how to collect feedback to the students you represent, some might prefer more in-person methods or more online for instance. When you collect feedback from students, you should be making sure you have enough information and context about the issue so you can begin to tackle it:

  • What is the issue?
  • Who does it affect?
  • Where is the issue based?
  • When did it start?
  • Why is it important?
  • What resolution do the students want?

To help you get started, here's a template Microsoft Form with some questions you might find helpful to ask the students on your course to get their feedback!

  • Check out the Meetings tab for guides on how to hold your own meetings!

  • Catching your classmates during a break in the lecture, or right after it finishes, is a great way to get immediate feedback about your teaching.
  • You may choose to do this if you notice something during a lecture, or you’ve received an update on something like your assessments.

  • Ask BCUSU Reception, or your Faculty Student Centre if they have suitable boxes you can use to collect feedback slips in.
  • You can also use things like money boxes or piggy banks to collect slips in.
  • Come and speak to the ART team if you want to access materials or paint to decorate your feedback box to make it stand out!
  • If you want to put your box at your FSC, are you going to collaborate with the other Reps in your Faculty to make it effective?
  • Don’t forget you’ll need to regularly set aside time to go through feedback submitted to your box. If you’re a Lead Rep it might be a good idea to do this during the monthly meetings you hold with your Course Reps.
  • You should make sure students write their course on the feedback they submit, you could print slips with fields for people to complete to make this easier.

  • You might already have a group chat set up for your class, if not you’re a great person to start one as their Rep.
  • Group chats are a great place to run a poll or a really short survey, if you just want to ask everyone one quick question.
  • Most group chat apps will already have a built-in poll system, but make sure you check and see if you can make the poll anonymous, if not you might need to use a different tool!
  • You can also use them to start discussion on a topic, if you want more information or input on a certain area. Getting written comments from students about an issue can help add valuable context.

Using polls in WhatsApp - WhatsApp polls

Using polls in Teams chats - Teams Chat polls

Using polls in Messenger - Messenger Polls

MS Forms - MS Forms (Lets you use single-sign-on, so only BCU students can fill in your form!)

Google Forms - Google Forms

  • Online noticeboards are great tools that you can leave up all of the time for students to add feedback to as and when they have it, for everyone else to see.
  • Tools like Padlet and Miro are great resources, Padlet allow you to make your boards anonymous so students don’t have to worry about knowing who’s feedback is who’s.
  • Make sure you plan out time to regularly check your board!

Padlet - Padlet

Miro - Miro