HKU conducts institutional surveys on students’ learning experiences for undergraduates and taught postgraduates on a regular basis to yield information for analysis and renewal of curriculum and pedagogy. These analyses help ensure and enhance the quality of students’ learning experiences.

Evidence-based support
for quality assurance and quality enhancement

The survey findings are analysed and fed back to individual Faculties or programmes. Discussions are held with Deans, Associate Deans, programme directors and relevant staff members to address issues arising from the findings for the purpose of curriculum and pedagogy monitoring and renewal. In future surveys students will become more actively involved as they have an integral part to play in jointly constructing the curriculum and the learning.

As a means to gather feedback from major stakeholders and as an essential source for ongoing improvement, the SLEQ feeds into the institutional wide focus reviews, which include but not limited to the themes of internationalisation, experiential learning, Common Core curriculum, and English language enhancement. The survey findings, both quantitative results and qualitative comments, provide valuable data in support of quality assurance and quality enhancement.

Undergraduates

Each year, all first and final year undergraduate students are invited to complete the Student Learning Experience Questionnaire – Undergraduate (SLEQ – UG). The aim of this survey is to collect data about undergraduate students’ perceptions on the achievement of their educational aims and their learning experience at HKU, with a focus on their experience of the degree curriculum as a whole.

In response to Faculties’ request, the SLEQ – UG2 was introduced in April 2014 for administration to second year students under the new 4-year curriculum.

Postgraduates

At the postgraduate level, the Student Learning Experience Questionnaire − Taught Postgraduate (SLEQ − TPG) seeks students’ perceptions of the curriculum and the learning outcomes resulting from the programme, containing questions that are specific for the taught-postgraduate curricula to cater for the characteristics of taught postgraduate programmes. The collected data are used to provide feedback to enhance the programme quality.

Graduates and Employers

Once every two years, HKU conducts Learning Experience Questionnaire for Graduates (GLEQ) to understand the experiences of graduates during their full-time study of the Bachelor’s degree at HKU. Two different cohorts are invited in each round and the survey findings will be used to inform the University’s curriculum renewal. Surveys are also conducted with HKU graduates’ employers to understand their overall impression on HKU graduates.

Other learning experience questionnaires

In the past, HKU conducted a survey to gather information about HKU entrants’ learning experiences at secondary school and their expectations about the learning that they will experience at HKU. The survey findings helped ensure that we provided a learning environment that would help students realize their intellectual potential.

Other HKU institutional surveys of student learning experiences cover specific areas including eLearning, learning environment, international education, experiential learning, service learning and volunteer work. These are conducted when necessary..

SLEQ in Higher Education Research

Research in Higher Education: Measuring longitudinal gains in student learning

Quality Assurance in Education: Comparing perceived learning experiences of two concurrent cohorts under curriculum reforms in Hong Kong