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- Preparing your teaching teams
- Student Evaluation of Teaching - Intranet - The University of Sydney
- Teaching resources - Intranet- The University of Sydney
The University is committed to enhancing the student experience through evidence-based evaluation methods that directly inform and support our Teaching and Learning Strategy.
The Tutor Check-In (TCI) process provides mid-semester feedback to help teaching staff and Unit Coordinators (UCs) make timely, evidence-based improvements to teaching and learning.
Designed for tutorial-based and small-group teaching activities (including tutorials, practicals and workshops), TCI complements the University’s Student Evaluation of Teaching (SET) survey by focusing on feedback for teaching staff; supporting teaching quality, reflection, recognition and collaboration during semester.
Tutor Check-In (TCI) is a key initiative of our Teaching and Learning Strategy. The project supports the University’s commitment to enhancing the student experience through evidence-based evaluation.
TCI also helps the University meet its TEQSA requirements to monitor, review, and enhance teaching quality through student feedback. By collecting actionable data on tutoring practices, TCI strengthens quality assurance and reinforces our focus on effective teaching and learning outcomes.
The Tutor Check-In (TCI) initiative supports continuous improvement in teaching and learning by:
Together, these objectives support our goal to lead the Group of Eight (Go8) in student satisfaction by 2032.
The survey currently includes questions on tutor preparedness, communication, and approachability, along with an open-text question that invites students to provide constructive, qualitative feedback on these areas.
A Likert scale is used for the first three items and an open-ended response for the final question.
The survey design has been refined based on feedback from students, teaching staff and Unit Coordinators who participated in 2025 pilots and will continue to be reviewed following the Semester 1, 2026 pilot.
The process is designed to be:
Tutor Check-In is being piloted in phases to test and refine survey design, reporting processes, and communication strategies with direct input from teaching staff, Unit Coordinators and students.
Tutor Check-In is being delivered across all faculties and university schools in Semester 1, 2026, with all teaching staff in those units included in the process. The pilot will test survey delivery, reporting processes and feedback conversations at scale.
The expanded pilot builds on insights from 2025 pilots and supports alignment with the Student Evaluation of Teaching (SET) rollout.
Findings will inform refinements to survey design, reporting templates, communications materials and support models ahead of broader implementation planning.
| Semester 1 2026 | Activity |
|---|---|
| Week 3 | Optional Zoom drop-in sessions held for Unit Coordinators and teachign teams.10 and 11 March |
| Week 4 | Optional Zoom drop-in sessions held for Unit Coordiantors and teachign teams. 17 and 20 March |
| Week 5 | TCI Survey Opens in the University's new survey platform - Explorance Blue |
| Week 6 | TCI Survey Closes |
| Mid semester break | Teacher-level reports released to Unit Coordinators and teaching teams |
| Week 7 | Feedback/debrief sessions held with Unit Coordinators and teaching teams |
| STUVAC | Focus groups held with Unit Coordinators and teaching teams |
| July | Evaluation report prepared with outcomes and recommendations |
We are hosting informal, optional drop-in sessions for Unit Coordinators and teaching staff of participating Semester 1 pilot units to answer any questions about the process, key dates, reporting, and what to expect.
Join any sessions via Zoom:
Tutor Check-In (TCI) complements existing feedback and reflection activities such as Peer Observation, the Modular Professional Learning Framework (MPLF), Advance HE Fellowships, and the Graduate Certificate in Higher Education. It provides mid-semester/teaching period data that teaching staff can use alongside other development tools, to strengthen their teaching practices.
TCI is designed to align with, not duplicate, existing teacher reflection and development programs, reducing survey fatigue for students.
Teaching staff are encouraged to introduce the survey in class and reassure students that feedback is anonymous and used solely to improve the learning experience.
Students do not receive raw results but benefit from teachers sharing general feedback themes and subsequent changes where appropriate.
Students will receive an email explaining the benefits and process of participating in the survey.
Feedback is provided from survey results; access to support resources via Educational Innovation team; and teacher development opportunities. Teachers are encouraged to discuss their feedback with Unit Coordinators.
Student comments need to be confidential to encourage students' open and constructiv feedback. Therefore, all survey data are de-identified before being shared with teachign staff and Unit Coordinators.
The project team is managing survey design, distribution and reporting in collaboration with Advanced Analytics, Planning and Enterprise Data team, ensuring compliance with university privacy and ethical standards.
Qualitative responses will be reviewed and inapropriate comments redacted. Teaching staff and Unit Coordinators will receive advice on recognising and mitigating potential bias in student feedback.
Aggregated reports are being generated to track response patterns in order to surface and contextualise potential biases.
The project evaluation focuses on:
Findings from the 2025 pilots and Semester 1, 2026 expanded pilots will inform recommendations for future implementation, including data integration strategies and support models for teaching staff and Unit Coordinators.
Survey data are de-identified and accessible only to the relevant teachers, Unit Coordinators, and authorised University leaders.
Results support reflection, quality enhancement and recognition; they alone are not used for performance evaluation or employment decisions.
The design and implementation of the Tutor Check-In (TCI) survey are guided by the same similar principles underpinning the Student Evaluation of Teaching (SET) survey.
The TCI survey will:
For further information contact [email protected]
Education and Students portfolio
Email: [email protected]
Education and Students portfolio
Email: [email protected]