Information bulletin

Higher education in further education colleges in England
Outcomes of the 2008 National Student Survey

PDF version

Introduction

The National Student Survey is part of the quality assurance process for higher education. The survey aims to gather student feedback on the quality of their courses, to contribute to public accountability as well as to help potential higher education students make better informed choices.

Through the survey, students express their views on teaching and learning; assessment and feedback; academic support; organisation and management; learning resources; personal development; and overall satisfaction. The results of the survey are published on the Unistats website (www.unistats.com).

Ipsos MORI carries out the survey each year on behalf of the higher education funding bodies for the UK. The survey covers mainly final year students on higher education programmes registered at universities or further education colleges in England.

This information bulletin presents the outcomes of the National Student Survey for higher education students in further education colleges¹. It provides an overview of:

• students' overall satisfaction with the quality of their course
• students' perceptions of the quality of their higher education experience
• general information about students on higher education courses in further education colleges
• additional sources to help inform student choice of institution and course as well as further information on quality and standards in higher education.

Key findings

In the survey of 2008²:

• 23,366 students studying a higher education award in a further education college were included in the survey
• 269 further education colleges where higher education programmes are delivered were included in the survey, and responses were received from 261 colleges
• 76 per cent of students on higher education programmes in further education colleges who took part in the National Student Survey agreed that, overall, they were satisfied with the quality of their course
• 12,776 students on higher education programmes in further education colleges responded to the National Student Survey, giving a response rate of 55 per cent, of which:
• 43 per cent are male and 57 per cent are female
• 16 per cent study part time
• 84 per cent study full time.

Overall, I am satisfied with the quality of the course

Findings from the National Student Survey

Age

Ethnicity

Response rate by college³

Satisfaction with the quality of the course by college⁴

Satisfaction by subject

National Student Survey results website

The National Student Survey results website (www.ipsos-mori.com/nss) provides detailed survey results, including students' comments, to help institutions and students' unions identify areas for improvement and areas of best practise. The site is aimed at participating universities, colleges and students' unions and is for internal use only. The site is produced by Ipsos MORI, on behalf of the higher education funding bodies of the UK.

For further information, contact nss@ipsos-mori.com

Unistats

The Unistats website (www.unistats.com) was developed for HEFCE, by UCAS and Hotcourses Ltd, on behalf of the four funding bodies of the UK. The site provides official, detailed, information about universities and colleges and allows the comparison of institutions and subjects across the sector. Unistats provides information on what students thought about their experience at university or college, the quality of learning and what they did afterwards.

Further information about teaching quality

Further information about teaching quality is available from the Quality Assurance Agency for Higher Education(www.qaa.ac.uk) and on the Unistats website (www.unistats.com).

For further information please contact:

The Quality Assurance Agency for Higher Education
Southgate House
Southgate Street
Gloucester GL1 1UB
Tel 01452 557000
Fax 01452 557070
Email comms@qaa.ac.uk
Web www.qaa.ac.uk

© The Quality Assurance Agency for Higher Education 2008
ISBN 978 1 84482 898 2
All QAA's publications are available on our website
Registered charity numbers 1062746 and SC037786

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¹ Students are regarded as in a further education college if they spend the majority of their first Good advice was available when I needed to make study choices year at the college.

² All NHS students are excluded.

³ Response rates are included for colleges with 23 or more respondents.

⁴ Response rates are included for colleges with 23 or more respondents and more than or equal to 50% response rate.