About the Student Course Experience Questionnaire (SCEQ)
In 1999 the Institute for Teaching and Learning (ITL) began collecting data for The University community on students' perceptions of their teaching and learning experiences. This data is gathered every second year using a survey specifically developed for this task, the "Student Course Experience Questionnaire" (SCEQ). The purpose of the SCEQ is to provide the University community with a basis for strategic, faculty level academic development and curriculum review to further enhance the quality of teaching and student learning.
Some of the information gathered by the SCEQ survey also contributes to three of the University's ten performance indicators for teaching. A web-brochure, summarising the University's strategy for Performance Based Funding of Teaching (pdf file), (including information on the Teaching Performance Indicators), has been provided by the Office of the Pro Vice-Chancellor, Teaching and Learning. Copies of the brochure are also available from the ITL.
The survey gathers data on students' perceptions of the quality of teaching and student learning in their degree courses as well as their perceptions of the administration and student support services. The ITL analyses this data and provides a range of reports to staff and students of the university through this web site. Background information and resources to support staff in interpreting and acting upon the SCEQ results, can all be found on this web site.
In 2000 the ITL convened an Evaluation and Quality Assurance Working Group with representation from each faculty, to consider how the faculties might make the best use of such evaluation and quality assurance data. The ITL also collaborates with faculties to arrange follow-up teaching and learning forums on the SCEQ on request. Such fora should be open to all staff and students of the faculty and are intended to stimulate debate and discussion on the way forward based on the SCEQ results. The SCEQ data is also used by faculties in the development of their annual teaching and learning operational plans and in developing TIF applications. Staff of the ITL are available to provide support to faculties in the interpretation of the SCEQ data and the development of strategic responses to address any teaching and learning issues identified. Please contact Prof Keith Trigwell.
After the initial census survey of undergraduate students in 1999, the SCEQ survey was extended to include postgraduate coursework students in 2000. In 2002, an additional survey was developed, the SREQ, which gathers data on the learning experiences of research degree students.
To make it possible to extend the survey to include all groups of students at the University, SCEQ data collection was based on a stratified random sample of undergraduate students after 2000. In 2001 this sampling was extended to faculties with a large (>500) postgraduate coursework enrolment.
For a description of the SCEQ, its psychometric properties, and its use at the University of Sydney, see:
Ginns, P., Prosser, M., & Barrie, S. (2007). Students’ perceptions of teaching quality in higher education: The perspective of currently enrolled students. Studies in Higher Education, 32, 603-615.
