Postgraduate Taught Experience Survey

The Postgraduate Taught Experience Survey (PTES) enables us to gather important information about the experience of taught postgraduate student on a Masters, Postgraduate Certificate or Diploma course. It is developed and delivered in partnership with AdvanceHE and JISC.

The Postgraduate Taught Experience Survey (PTES) is the only UK higher education sector-wide survey to gain insight from taught postgraduate students about their learning and teaching experience.

What will I be asked?

You’ll be asked to rate the following series of questions with a score of 1 to 5, with 1 being “Definitely Agree”. When answering questions please consider all your experiences at University of Staffordshire, from the day you joined us right through to the present day.

Teaching and Learning 

• Teaching staff are good at explaining things 

• Staff are enthusiastic about what they are teaching  

• The course is intellectually stimulating  

• The course has enhanced my academic ability  

• The learning materials provided on my course are useful 

• There is sufficient academic contact time (in-person or virtual/online) between staff and students to support effective learning 

• I am happy with the support for my learning I receive from staff on my course 

Engagement 

• I am encouraged to ask questions or make contributions (in-person or virtual/online) 

• The course has created sufficient opportunities to discuss my work with other students (in-person or virtual/online) 

• My course has challenged me to produce my best work  

• The workload on my course has been manageable  

• I have appropriate opportunities to give feedback on my experience 

Community 

• I feel part of a community of postgraduate taught students  

• I feel a sense of belonging at my institution 

• There are sufficient opportunities to interact with other postgraduate taught students 

Assessment and feedback 

• The criteria used in marking have been made clear in advance  

• Assessment arrangements and marking have been fair  

• Feedback on my work has been provided on time 

• Feedback on my work (written or oral) has helped my learning 

Organisation and management 

• The timetable fits well with my other commitments  

• Any changes in the course or teaching have been communicated 

• effectively  

• The course is well organised and is running smoothly  

• I was given appropriate guidance and support throughout my course  

• I am encouraged to be involved in decisions about how my course is run 

Online learning resources  

• There is appropriate access to online library resources 

• I have been able to access subject specific resources (for example: course materials, software, virtual learning environment) necessary for my studies when I am learning remotely 

• I have been able to make effective use of the online learning platform 

Support 

• The support for academic skills meets my needs (for example, support for your writing, language, subject-specific skills) 

• The support for using IT and accessing resources meets my needs (for example: support with accessing online journals and e-books, using digital learning tools / apps) 

• The support for my health and wellbeing meets my needs (for example: personal tutor, student support and counselling services) 

Skills development 

• As a result of the course, I have developed my skills as an independent learner 

• My confidence to be innovative or creative has developed during my course  

• My research skills have developed during my course 

• My ability to communicate information effectively to diverse audiences has developed during my course 

• I have been encouraged to think 

• about what skills I need to develop for my career  

• As a result of the course I feel better prepared for my future career 

Overview 

• Overall, I am satisfied with the quality of the course 

Open Text Questions  

• What has been the one most positive aspect of your course so far? 

• What one thing would most improve your experience of your course? 

• What barriers have you faced during your studies, this could be personally, or academically? 

Welfare Resources and Facilities 

• There is sufficient provision of welfare and student services to meet my needs. 

• When needed, the information and advice offered by welfare and student services had been helpful. 

Learning Outcomes 

• I feel part of a group of students committed to learning. 

• I have been able to explore academic interests with other students. 

• I have learned to explore ideas confidently. 

• Within my course, I feel my suggestions and ideas are valued. 

• I feel part of an academic community in my college or university. 

Employability and Skills 

• My Higher Education experience has helped me plan for my future career. 

• My institution offered activities and resources designed to prepare me for the next step in my career. 

• The skills I have developed during my time in Higher Education will be useful for my future career.