Learning surveys

Find out about our student feedback in the MBBS programme.

How does UCLMS collect feedback?

For the MBBS programme at UCL we have two main ways of collecting feedback:

You can also ask questions at any time either by reaching out directly to the undergraduate teams at your clinical site or your year teams and module leads at UCL.

Learning Surveys FAQs

  • Learning Surveys are hosted on the Academic Student Record (ASR).
  • They are our tool for continuous module dialogue as required by central UCL, and our primary method of getting feedback on modules and placements across the MBBS.
  • They were introduced in 2022-23 to replace traditional end of module questionnaires. This followed a working group looking at the purpose of gathering feedback, the ways in which the data is used, and the best ways to encourage student engagement.
  • Take-up has been high, with more than 5000 submissions over the 2024-25 academic year.
  • The underlying principles of the Learning Survey process are:
    • short and simple to complete
    • immediate feedback for staff
    • transparency for students
       

  • Learning Surveys consist of two questions: one numerical “satisfaction score” and one free text. As much demographic data as possible is pre-populated, but there will be some to enter. In total the surveys may have 5-6 questions each.
  • They can be completed during each Module/Placement, rather than having to recall teaching several weeks prior.
  • A single link/QR code (available on a PPT slide) is used for all surveys, to make it easier to access them. Students can also submit at any time by going to their ASR app.
  • Multiple forms can be submitted for the same placement/module. For short placements (i.e. one week) a single response is normal. However, for longer modules and placements we recommend having two or three prompt points.
  • Time to complete Learning Surveys should be embedded in teaching sessions, sign offs, etc. Otherwise, students can be signposted either directly or by email.
  • It is the responsibly of the Module/Placement Leads to identify suitable times to ask students to complete feedback and ensure the QR code is available. 
     

  • Students are asked to submit a Numerical Rating (1 = Very Poor; 2 = Poor; 3 = Good; 4 = Very Good) and a free-text comment box.
  • The QA team may occasionally add one extra question to get feedback on a particular issue.
  • Students can also “add tags” currently the options for these are Student Safety, Facilities, and EDI. These tags allow site administration teams and the EDI committee to better review comments relevant to them across all student specialities and sites.
     

  • Scores from ratings are processed instantly and can be viewed on the analysis dashboard by both staff and students.
  • Comments are moderated and may take a few days to show. Again these are available to all on the analysis dashboard.
  • If we feel anything needs redacting, we will note this on the entry and send a full copy to the relevant Academic Lead(s) for review.
     

  • There is a live dashboard with up-to-date numerical scores, so feedback is published in real time. Comments are moderated by the QAEU and released to the dashboard regularly (usually once a week).  These can be accessed by both students and staff whenever convenient.
  • Leads can react to feedback quickly, as they do not need to wait until the end of each Block for feedback to be collected and then several more weeks for reports to be circulated.
  • Actions taken in response to feedback will be logged at Student Experience sub-Committees and a selection are also reported via the Quality Assurance Blog on ASR.
  • Feedback should be constructive – what can we do to make the course better? Comments may be redacted from the ASR dashboard if we have any privacy, safety or libel concerns. These are forwarded to the relevant Leads for review and consideration.
  • To improve feedback processes at UCLMS we continue to analyse the feedback we receive. This may include research projects approved by the UCL ethics committee.
     

  • Unfortunately, there is no functionality to respond to individual comments on ASR.
  • Student Experience sub-Committees are the appropriate venue to discuss any feedback received and actions taken with Student Reps, who can feed this back to their peers.
  • Feedback can also be discussed directly with the students whilst on placement, for example, at the end of a teaching session, via emails or included in Moodle messages.
  • The QA team have launched a blog on ASR where we can promote examples of what has been done in response to student feedback. Please contact us if you have suggestions!
     

  • Learning Surveys were designed to be anonymous and this is very important to the students. Therefore any further information about individual submissions cannot be supplied.
  • The QA team can, in exceptional circumstances where student or patient safety is threatened, request access to the source of individual comments for intervention purposes only. 
     

  •  Module/Site/Specialty Leads should regularly monitor their feedback and look to make ad-hoc changes if needed.
  • Module Leads should analyse the feedback received and use to populate the agendas for each term’s Student Experience sub-Committees meetings.
     

  • If modules or placements do not have any responses or are showing Red/with a score or 50% or less on the Learning Survey dashboard, these will be flagged for discussion at our termly Student Experience sub-Committees.

  • They can also be used for modules in Years 1&2 and CPP teaching. We have introduced an option to feedback on Assessments too.

  • Feedback can be accessed by all students and UCL staff members who have an ASR account. Colleagues at our NHS Partners can request access to comments using the form on the dashboard. 

  • Learning Surveys are live and continuously updated, they should be viewed regularly throughout the term to ensure we can respond swiftly to any issues as they arise. Therefore termly or annual summaries will not be produced by the QA team.

  • For IT issues relating to the Learning Surveys platform contact the ASR helpdesk. For general concerns or queries mention in the Learning Survey free text or speak to your Student Rep. 

  • Sites: If you have any changes you would like to propose to the site data (for example, adding or removing a placement site) please let the medical school know around May or June for the following academic year, as such changes can only be actioned over the summer. The QA team will send a reminder to Year Leads around that time to confirm the lists
  • Specialties: Unfortunately, the specialties/modules are pulled from the curriculum map, so it is not possible to alter these (for example adding extra options or changing names).
  • Other: UCLMS are happy to hear any suggestions for improving the Learning Survey portal, although it may not be possible to enact all suggestions for technical reasons, because these may inadvertently impact other placements, or because it would not be compatible with the overall aims of our student feedback policy. All proposals should be discussed with the QAEU team in the first instance medsch.qaeu@ucl.ac.uk.
     
Learning Surveys