This resource is designed to support educators to make informed decisions about the small changes they can make to further support student understanding of the QILT SES survey.
Quality Indicators of Learning and Teaching (QILT) is a suite of national, higher education surveys endorsed by the Australian Government that covers the student life cycle from commencement to employment. The QILT surveys aim to provide a consistent measurement of students’ engagement with and experience of courses (program degrees) across Australian institutions. QILT surveys include the Student Experience Survey (SES), the Graduate Outcomes Survey (GOS), Graduate Outcomes Survey Longitudinal (GOS-L) and the Employer Satisfaction Survey (ESS). QILT makes available robust, nationally consistent performance data for Australian higher education with the intention to help drive quality improvement. QILT also publishes the data on ComparED which is used by potential students to make informed decisions about future study.
‘Constructive Feedback’ is consistently identified as a low scoring result by scale in the QILT area of ‘teaching quality’. Notably the QILT survey question does not use the terminology ‘constructive feedback’; the question is phrased as, ‘During 2025, to what extent have the lecturers, tutors and demonstrators commented on your work in ways that help you learn?’ As such,
clearly communicating to your students what constitutes constructive feedback in your course will help them understand the great work you are doing in providing feedback.
Constructive feedback in the classroom is providing students with specific and actionable feedback with the aim of deepening their understanding of the content or application of the skills being taught. If you would like to review your feedback practices and design for the incorporation of effective feedback throughout your teaching period, please review the linked resources. You can also brush up on your skills in constructing effective feedback.
Given the QILT question focuses on the extent to which tutors and demonstrators have commented on student work in ways that help student learning, it might help to explicitly discuss the ways in which feedback will be given in your course and how it is designed to support further learning. You could also incorporate the language of the QILT SES survey question whilst outlining how feedback will look in your course.
Early Semester
During the first weeks of study, we recommend incorporating an outline of how feedback will be given on student work in the introduction, and setting the norm for the course. Create a shared understanding for what feedback is by using the provided slides or through discussion. Be explicit about the details of feedback processes and expectations in your course. Ensure that students understand why they are getting feedback, and how their learning can benefit from their reflection, and action, on feedback.
You could also consider including a page in your Canvas course site. Contact ed-ldti@newcastle.edu.au if you would like support in doing this.
First assessment feedback
Typically one of the most effective ways to comment on students’ work, particularly in large courses, is to collate what worked well and what needs to be improved following the first assessment as general guidance. This could be delivered via a short explainer video, an announcement in Canvas, or provided via slides during a lecture/tutorial.
The University of Newcastle acknowledges the traditional custodians of the lands within our footprint areas: Awabakal, Darkinjung, Biripai, Worimi, Wonnarua, and Eora Nations. We also pay respect to the wisdom of our Elders past and present.