The directive is issued based on clause 12) of § 11 of the Statutes of Tallinn University of Technology and subsection 2 (6) of the Academic Policies.
1. General provisions
1.1 These Rules apply to conducting of feedback surveys and questionnaires concerning teaching and organisation of studies (hereinafter referred to as “teaching and courses”) at Tallinn University of Technology (hereinafter referred to as “TalTech” or “the university”), analysis, use and disclosure of the survey results.
1.2 The university’s feedback surveys and questionnaires on teaching and courses conducted on regular basis include the following:
1.2.1 the student feedback survey on teaching and courses conducted in the Study Information System (hereinafter referred to as “SIS”);
1.2.2 the graduate satisfaction survey;
1.3 The Office of Academic Affairs shall conduct feedback surveys and questionnaires and organise analysis and disclosure of the survey results. Feedback surveys and questionnaires may be organised also by other interest groups, including the education quality working group of the TalTech Student Union, on their own initiative.
1.4 Confidentiality of the data in feedback surveys and questionnaires is ensured and the results are presented in aggregate form only.
1.5 The results of the feedback surveys and questionnaires are analysed and taken into account in their work:
1.5.1 by the members of the teaching staff in improving the quality of teaching and developing teaching and courses;
1.5.2 by the programme directors, heads of departments, vice-deans for academic affairs and deans in developing study programmes and educational services;
1.5.3 by the Office of Academic Affairs in planning, implementing and analysing the impact of development activities;
1.5.4 by the deans, heads of departments in determining the training needs of the academic staff conducting studies (hereinafter referred to “members of the teaching staff”) and as one of the inputs in evaluating the effectiveness of teaching;
1.5.5 by the attestation committees as one of the inputs in obtaining information on the quality of the teaching activities of members of the teaching staff;
1.5.6 by the students in selecting courses and enhancing the quality of education;
1.5.7 by the management team of the university in making management decisions;
2. Student feedback survey on teaching and courses in SIS
2.1 The goal of the feedback survey on teaching, courses and organisation of studies is to ensure and improve the quality of studies. The feedback allows students to provide input for the development of a course, to draw attention to various aspects of teaching and to contribute to the development studies.
2.2 The feedback survey is conducted each semester in SIS. The survey is opened one week before the end of the period of classroom sessions of the semester and is closed on the deadline for submission of the next semester’s individual study plan laid down in the academic calendar.
2.3 A student must provide feedback on the teaching in all the courses for which he/she has registered (a PhD student must provide feedback on one course).
2.4 If a student has not provided feedback in the amount specified in clause 2.3 by the beginning of the period of registration for courses of the next semester, the student’s user rights (excluding the user rights of PhD students and visiting students) in SIS¹ will be restricted from the first date for submitting the individual study plan until the date of closing the survey.
3. Graduate satisfaction survey
3.1 The goal of the graduate satisfaction survey is to receive feedback on the completed study programmes and to evaluate satisfaction with the quality of teaching, organisation of studies and supervision.
3.2 The graduate satisfaction survey is conducted twice a year: in winter and in summer after defending a graduation thesis or passing a final exam. The survey targets graduates of the corresponding academic year.
4. Disclosing and implementing the results of feedback on teaching and courses
4.1 The results of the feedback specified in clause 2 of the Rules (average rating, breakdown of responses by statement and comments) will be available for the users of SIS after closure of the feedback survey in the scope of the role assigned in SIS. Students have access to average rating and breakdown of responses by statement.
4.2 The summary reports of the feedback surveys and questionnaires set out in clauses 2 and 3 of the Rules are available on the university’s intranet; the Office of Academic Affairs shall submit the reports to the vice-deans for academic affairs, present the results in the Committee for Academic Affairs and at the university’s information events.
4.3 The programme director shall analyse the results of the feedback surveys and questionnaires on the study programme and submit to a vice-dean for academic affairs of his/her school and the Office of Academic Affairs a feedback report of the academic year, which shall include an assessment of the results of feedback on the previous academic year, an overview of the corrective actions taken and an action plan for the elimination of the deficiencies pointed out in the feedback surveys and questionnaires.
5. Implementing provision
5.1 I hereby repeal Rector’s directive No 4 of 3 February 2020 “Rules for requesting and taking into account feedback on teaching and courses“.
5.2 The directive shall enter into force on 1 July 2023.
1A student cannot submit an individual study plan for the next semester until he/she has completed the feedback survey.