A growing number of people live in apartments worldwide, and research into these contexts is key to the success of our cities. Recruiting apartment residents as research participants can be challenging, however, especially when using a case study approach. This research note outlines the participant recruitment method developed for case study…

The use of surveys to better understand students' experiences and teaching quality in higher education has a long history of implementation and critical review. Although research on student feedback surveys has highlighted a number of areas of concern, a well-designed student survey on teaching and learning will produce a strong foundation of…

This article is a methodological critique of a survey process undertaken with international undergraduate students at the University of New South Wales, Sydney. Despite following best practice surveying protocols this research project initially achieved a 5% response rate. The research team had to change its approach part-way through the process…

"Apprentice and Trainee Outcomes 2021" provides a summary of the outcomes of apprentices and trainees who completed an apprenticeship or traineeship during 2020, with the data collected in mid-2021. The figures are derived from apprentices' and trainees' responses to the National Student Outcomes Survey (SOS), which is an annual survey…

Summative group assessment is increasingly used to prepare undergraduates for employment by developing their communication, interpersonal and teamworking capabilities. This article examined the effects of group assessment on progress rates and satisfaction among undergraduates by analysing the results of two surveys deployed by the Business School…

There is debate over the functional basis of student evaluations of academics, and fresh potential for looking at the data in new ways. Student evaluation data was collated over a three year period (Semester 2 2015 to Semester 1 2018). We used a General Linear Model to estimate the variation in course scores explained by a number of coordinator…

This report provides results of a survey disseminated to over 6000 school principals in Australia and New Zealand (NZ). Participants were invited to provide their perceptions of (1) the types of learning spaces in their schools; (2) the types of teaching approaches observed in those spaces; (3) the degree to which teachers in those spaces utilised…

This study seeks to confirm if internal audit, a corporate control process, is functioning effectively in Australian public universities. The study draws on agency theory, published literature and best-practice guidelines to develop an internal audit evaluation framework. A survey instrument is thereafter developed from the framework and used as a…

Student evaluation of teaching (SET) is now commonplace in many universities internationally. While much effort has been devoted to examining the statistical validity of SET instruments, there has been limited examination of the methodological and consequential validity (together referred to as "utility") of the ways in which SET data…

The Total Survey Error (TSE) paradigm provides a framework that supports the effective planning of research, guides decision making about data collection and contextualises the interpretation and dissemination of findings. TSE also allows researchers to systematically evaluate and improve the design and execution of ongoing survey programs and…

One way many universities have approached the process of better understanding and meeting the needs of their students is through student evaluations. The evaluation data provide not only diagnostic feedback but also useful information in terms of the quality of learning and teaching experiences. In an effective quality cycle, the data gathered are…

The delivery of the primary curriculum has been subject to recent debate in Western countries. In Australia, the primary teacher is by and large considered a generalist; however a current paradox exists whereby there are claims that specialists are needed to deliver the curriculum. This study explores this claim by first addressing the prevalence…

Like the vast majority of Australian universities, Flinders University (Flinders) collects feedback from students on the quality of teaching and learning through unit of study (topic) or classroom evaluations. Prior to 2009, survey instruments at Flinders were delivered via paper mode and in person to students in the classroom. In a drive for an…

Historically, responses to the Course Experience Questionnaire (CEQ) were required to be collected by self-administered paper or online questionnaire to be eligible for official analysis. CEQ responses collected by telephone were excluded from the final analysis file to minimise the potential for bias due to mode effects: systematic variation in…

The Programme for International Assessment of Adult Competencies (PIAAC) will establish technical standards and guidelines to ensure that the survey design and implementation processes of PIAAC yield high-quality and internationally comparable data. This document provides a revised version of the technical standards and guidelines originally…