Survey Core Questions
Each survey will contain all ten of these questions. After piloting a new scale for fall 2024 and receiving feedback, the Likert scale will revert back to: Strongly Disagree, Disagree, Neutral, Agree, Strongly Agree.
Spring Faculty Town Halls
The Explorance Blue rollout team will be hosting four town halls in the spring semester. These events will be designed for faculty to ask questions and provide feedback to the team.
Empowering Student Success Through Course Experience Surveys
At the University of South Carolina, we're committed to fostering a dynamic learning environment that allows students to thrive. Course experience surveys play a critical role in achieving this goal. To this end, the Office of the Provost, in partnership with DoIT and the Faculty Senate, InDev Committee has selected a new survey platform: Explorance Blue. Implementation of this system will occur in three phases.
Phase I
Implementation Phase I will kick off with the tool rolled out to a select pilot group in Fall 2024. Feedback from the pilots will be used to refine processes and future deployment.
- 3 departments and 1 college participated
- 181 courses were part of the fall pilot
- 3,406 surveys sent to students with a 50.3% response rate
- Departments recognized an average of 21.86% increase in response rate over Fall 2023
- 31 of the 181 courses utilized the instructor-optional questions
- 2 reports were published and distributed to faculty and staff; 1 additional report is under review
Phase II
In Phase II, a broader deployment will take place in Spring 2025, incorporating lessons learned from the Fall 2024.
- In addition to the participants of the fall pilot, 2 comprehensive campuses, 1 college, 3 schools, 3 departments, and 1 program will participate in the spring pilot
- Townhalls are being scheduled for faculty for an overall of Explorance Blue
- Provost’s Office is planning a Course Survey Week to promote Explorance Blue and course surveys.
- Spring pilot will revert the Likert scale on most questions back to (Strongly Disagree, Disagree, Neutral, Agree, Strongly Agree)
Phase III
The university aims for full implementation in Summer 2025, with Explorance Blue becoming the standard for course evaluations.
Optional Question Bank
Instructors will have the option to add two additional questions from this bank. The spring pilot will continue to allow instructors to select up to two additional questions from the question bank.
Honors Block Questions
These are the questions that will appear on every survey of an Honors course.
InDev Tips for Increasing Response Rates
The InDev committee has created a resource to help faculty encourage stuents to complete course experience surveys.
Gaining Valuable Insights, Together
These surveys offer a unique opportunity to understand your students’ learning experiences. Their feedback allows you to:
- Sharpen your focus: Identify areas where your course can reach new heights, ensuring students are equipped with the knowledge and skills they need.
- Amplify student voices: Hear directly from your students about their challenges and successes, fostering a sense of collaboration and shared purpose.
- Measure the impact: Assess the effectiveness of your teaching methods and curriculum, ensuring they are optimally aligned with student learning outcomes.
Transforming Feedback into Action
Course experience surveys are more than just data points; they're a catalyst for positive change. By analyzing the results, you can:
- Refine your strategies: Implement data-driven adjustments to your teaching methods, making your courses even more engaging and effective.
- Celebrate together: Showcase the positive impact your course has on student satisfaction and development, fostering a sense of shared accomplishment.
Building a Culture of Continuous Improvement
Your participation in course experience surveys demonstrates your commitment to student success. By working together, we can create a learning environment that is not only meaningful, but also continuously evolving to meet the needs of our students.