The principles of feedback in education and student feedback
Principles of feedback in education at Aalto University
The principles of feedback in education at Aalto University guide collecting and utilising student feedback. The goal is to support the active development of our feedback culture at Aalto so that we have interactive, impactful and streamlined feedback processes. Teachers can use these principles both to support the development of feedback practices in their teaching, as well as when discussing the feedback theme with their students. As a part of tenure track promotion teachers’ ability to actively collect and utilise student and collegial feedback in developing teaching is also assessed (Tenure track evaluation criteria | Aalto University).
We wish to promote an open feedback culture and the reciprocity of feedback. We give feedback in a direct and constructive manner. We respond to the feedback we receive. We discuss feedback with students. We gather feedback from several viewpoints, from an extensive range of actors.
Feedback results in the development and evolvement of operations. We collect feedback in as real-time as possible, in a way that genuinely enables us to process and benefit from the feedback. When giving feedback, we consider how it could be used for the development of operations. We monitor the development that is carried out based on feedback.
We collect comprehensive feedback on multiple levels. Giving feedback is easy, and it is a part of every process. Our feedback portfolio is student-oriented and clear. The feedback we give promotes students’ learning and supports the development of teaching.
Student feedback in Aalto
Course feedback is a unique part of the feedback portfolio in Aalto University and it reaches students in all phases of their studies and is collected systematically throuhgout Aalto. Hearing the voice of students is vital for the development of teaching and education as well as for quality assurance and for improving study-related services. Feedback is used on multiple levels in many ways and its utilisation is a special focus area at Aalto.
Read more about the questions in the course feedback survey.
AllWell? student survey studies how students are doing with their studies in their second bachelor's and first master's years. Students receive personal feedback and programme directors the programme level results of the questionnaire.
- Read more about the AllWell? student survey
- Contact: allwell@aalto.fi
The Finnish Bachelor’s Graduate Survey is a national student feedback survey. The objective of the questionnaire is to yield information on teaching and learning in different disciplines and to form as specific an idea as possible of students’ experiences and opinions of teaching and learning.
The survey is based on the HowULearn survey and the questions in the questionnaire are based on research on academic teaching and learning. The results will only be examined statistically at the group level. Therefore, the information gathered on individual students will not be monitored or reported.
Responsibility for the development and implementation of the questionnaire lies with Universities Finland UNIFI.
Aalto uses the results of the survey to develop its operations. As of 2015, the Ministry of Education and Culture distributes annually 3% (approx. €50 million) of its university core funding based on this student feedback survey.
- A summary report for Aalto staff
- More information: (In Finnish)
- Contact: kandipalaute@aalto.fi
Together with the trade unions (Tekniikan Akateemiset TEK - Academic Engineers and Architects in Finland and Suomen Ekonomit - Association of Finnish Business School Graduates), Aalto University conducts a feedback survey for recently graduated engineers, architects, masters of arts and masters of economics.
The survey is also an inventory of the skill levels of those who will shape tomorrow’s world. It also tells about how well the study system is running, the experiences of alumni in the workplace, the current employment situation and the general level of satisfaction with the degrees alumni have completed. The responses are handled confidentially and cannot be linked to individual respondents.
Survey results are put to use in the unions activities in a number of ways, for example, they are factored into education policies and the development of member services (incl. career advice and consultation on salary levels). In Aalto the results are used in developing results-based indicators that are applied to the work of designing the curriculum and evaluating the quality of teaching and services.
- More information and links to the surveys: Feedback surveys for students graduating with Master's degree | Aalto University
- More information (in Finnish):
- More information (in Finnish):
- More information on student feedback and surveys after graduation (Aalto School of Business)
ISB is a global student survey that focuses on the perceptions and expectations of international students. Its results are used to improve international students’ experience of studying abroad and to develop student recruitment and marketing. The International Student Barometer survey is conducted by i-graduate.
- More information:
A national career monitoring survey is conducted by Career Services of Finnish Universities. The target group in the Master's survey is alumni who graduated five years ago and in the Doctoral survey alumni who graduated three years.
The survey provides current information from the working life that can be utilized in the development of teaching and research. Additionally, students who are still deciding on their studies and job opportunities value the information gained from the career paths of graduates.
For more information: /en/collaboration/aalto-university-graduates-in-working-life
Aalto University takes part in national and international evaluations, audits and benchmarking activities, and self-evaluates its own planning and implementation processes in the areas of teaching and learning. You can find more information about this framework in the Aalto Handbook.
