Following significant discussions at Executive Board and ULTC it was recognised that there was a need to make the MEQs more efficient, effective and meaningful. It was also agreed that the MEQs should be electronically delivered, whilst also allowing students to make meaningful comments about their modules.

It was agreed that the University would implement a new online Module Evaluation Questionnaire (MEQ) survey system in the Academic Year 2012/2013 for all modules (registered in SITS) in order to provide a more comprehensive and reliable measurement of students’ learning experience and (perceived) teachers’ performance. Pilots were conducted by the Department of Higher Education in Semester 2 of the academic year 2011/12 which indicated that the paper-based (original) version of the MEQ provided a less reliable and less comprehensive understanding of the students’ learning experience than can be achieved with the new online version. Implementing the (extended) MEQ online is expected to provide a better understanding of students’ learning experience, quality of assessment & feedback and student-teacher interaction, which will allow for a  more informed understanding of teaching practices.

On 23rd of October 2012, ULTC approved the replacement of the paper-based version with the new MEQ proforma and a move to a fully online evaluation procedure. This will provide more in-depth feedback and a more realistic reflection of the learning experience, which will help inform  teaching and learning practice, and enable the student learning experience to improve. Experiences at other universities indicate that when academic staff actively encourage students to fill in the MEQ online, a similar response rate as paper-based MEQ will be achieved.