The University is committed to enhancing the student experience by implementing evidence-based evaluation methods that directly inform and support the Teaching and Learning Strategy.
Working with students and staff, we have developed the Student Evaluation of Teaching (SET) survey which is intended to replace the Unit of Study Survey (USS) after piloting and evaluation.
The SET survey is a refreshed institutional tool designed to gather student feedback on the quality of their learning and teaching experiences at Sydney. It focuses on both the unit and the teaching within it, providing valuable insights into how students perceive the organisation, content, delivery, support, and impact of their coursework.
The survey includes both unit-level and teacher-level questions. It distinguishes between quantitative feedback on units and individual teachers and qualitative feedback on teaching practices across the unit, ensuring feedback remains constructive and focused on enhancing the learning experience.
For pilots in Semester 1, 2026, teacher-level feedback will include both continuing academic and casual teaching staff who meet a defined threshold of teaching contribution to a unit.
The SET survey will be:
The SET survey provides data to support continuous improvement in teaching and learning, giving staff meaningful, actionable feedback to inform practice and celebrate outstanding teaching.
It also ensures compliance with our legislative obligations under the Higher Education Standards and supports our strategic goal to become number one in the Group of Eight (Go8) for student satisfaction by 2032.
Through consultation and collaborative design, we are developing fit-for-purpose data sets on units, teaching, and teachers. These data sets will inform cycles of support, continuous improvement, recognition, and reward.
We are strengthening the University's current student feedback mechanisms to ensure compliance with TEQSA's Higher Education Standards Framework, which specifies that:
We have identified best practices in student evaluations of units and teaching by examining case studies from other Australian universities and conducting policy and literature reviews.
We are establishing protocols to monitor and share data responsibly, with careful consideration of psychosocial risks, biases, accountability, and confidentiality.
We are reviewing our Learning and Teaching policy suite, focusing on quality assurance mechanisms for units, teaching, and teachers, with a view to potential amendments.
With the launch of a new student-facing survey platform (Explorance Blue) and ongoing engagement with student leaders we are implementing several student engagement strategies to promote student survey completion, including “closing the loop” with students, reinforcing that their feedback matters.
The SET project has progressed through multiple phases of design, piloting and refinement, informed by staff and student feedback, governance review and technical testing.
Progress to date:
The Academic Board has endorsed the project to move into a piloting of the survey tool in Semester 2, 2025 and Semester 1, 2026. A selected number of units have been chosen. Participating units will be supported with readiness and debriefing sessions.
In 2026, the SET project is progressing to expanded pilots and preparation for University-wide implementation.
| Semester 1 2026 | Activity |
|---|---|
| Week 5 | Optional Unit Coordinator and teaching team information session |
| Week 7 | SET Town Hall (online) |
| Week 10 | Optional Zoom drop-in sessions |
| Week 11 | Optional Zoom drop-in sessions |
| Week 12 | SET Survey Open in University new survey platform -Explorance Blue - 19 May |
| Week 1 of exams | SET Survey closes - 9 June |
| 2 weeks post exams | Reports released to Unit Coordinators and teaching teams. Data shared with school, faculty and University leadership |
| 2 weeks post exams | Local school and faculty feedback/debrief sessions held between Unit Coordinators and teaching tems |
| 3 weeks post exams | Focus groups held with Unit Coordinators and teaching teams |
Stage 1 implementation:
Support and implementation:
We are developing guiding principles and a reporting framework to ensure SET reports are released in a timely, transparent, and responsible manner. These will outline expectations for confidentiality, accountability, and communication of outcomes.
Reports will:
Teaching staff (continuing, fixed-term, and casual) who contribute above a threshold overall teaching load of a unit will receive:
It is anticipated that teachers and teaching teams will draw on the data alongside other evidence (for example, peer review) to support their reflective practice and Academic Planning and Development (AP & D) discussions.
The SET survey being piloted is being referred to as the “standard” survey, suitable for units comprising lectures, seminars, workshops, tutorials, labs etc. in face-to-face, blended and online modes.
We are considering an iteration of the SET survey suited to a range of placement or work-integrated learning settings. It is understood that some courses require specific placement surveys to meet accreditation requirements.
The survey questions are being evaluated as part of the Semester 2, 2025 pilot, with ongoing testing to ensure clarity, relevance, and impact.
Once the survey instrument has been finalised, incorporating feedback from staff, students, and other stakeholders, the final version will be shared in advance of its broader implementation across the University.
The survey will be one source of feedback among a broader suite of evaluative tools to support the continuous improvement of teaching and learning across the University. It is designed to generate meaningful, standardised data on students’ perceptions of both unit quality and teaching effectiveness, aligned with the University’s strategic priorities and TEQSA standards.
The intention is that the survey will replace the USS. Following a period of robust testing and refinement, the new SET survey is expected to replace the current USS for relevant units. Once finalised, we will distribute the SET survey directly to students through the new survey platform (Explorance Blue) offering a streamlined and more user-friendly experience.
This transition aims to reduce duplication, enhance the quality of feedback collected, and ensure that the data gathered is more targeted, actionable, and aligned with the University’s strategic priorities.
We recognise the potential for unconscious bias particularly related to gender, culture, and other personal characteristics.
To address this, we are implementing several key measures:
The survey design also helps to minimise opportunities for bias by focusing qualitative questions on teaching and learning across the unit rather than on individual teachers.
Where students refer to individual teaching staff in open-text responses, comments are reviewed and redacted where appropriate before reporting.
While the survey includes quantitative questions where students rate aspects of teachers (such as how well prepared or supportive the teacher was), the open-text questions are designed to capture reflections on teaching and learning across the unit as a whole.
This approach helps keep feedback constructive, respectful, and centred on improving the learning experience.
Inappropriate or personal comments will be redacted before results are shared with staff.
The survey questions include a blend of Likert-scale responses, two open-text questions related to the overall unit and teaching perceptions, and two faculty-specific quantitative questions. The Blue platform also provides ‘Help Text’ to clarify each question’s intent, helping students understand whether they are responding about the unit as a whole or specific aspects of teaching.
The survey design recognises that some units may have only one teacher who undertakes all teaching – lectures, seminars, workshops, tutorials etc. In these cases, the teacher will be the focus of both the quantitative and qualitative responses.
In units with multiple teaching staff, students may provide feedback on teaching staff who meet the defined contribution threshold.
Staff and students were part of the Co-Design Team and Advisory Group throughout December 2024 – June 2025, helping define the purpose, structure, and content of the draft survey instrument and associated protocols.
We held targeted student focus groups to test early iterations of the survey. These sessions provided valuable feedback on the clarity, length, tone, and engagement level of the questions, ensuring they were accessible and meaningful from a student perspective.
Student leaders’ insights were also periodically sought.
Throughout the SET Project, University governance groups have provided input and intermittent endorsement. We have also briefed leadership groups across Faculties and University Schools and relevant communities of practice.
Feedback from staff and students during pilots informed refinements to survey scope, including the inclusion of casual teaching staff where they make a substantial contribution to the teaching load.
The SET survey will be distributed directly to students, via email, through the new survey platform, Explorance Blue. This platform offers a more streamlined and user-friendly experience, allowing students to complete the survey easily on desktop or mobile devices.
Completion of the survey in class time generates higher student completion.
Education and Students portfolio
Email: [email protected]
Education and Students portfolio
Email: [email protected]