The Survey Period
During the final two weeks of the term (or the final week for shorter courses such as summer intersession), students receive an email invitation (and two reminder emails) to participate in their Course Experience Surveys. At the same time that the survey opens, instructors receive an email notification that they can begin viewing the live Response Rate Monitor via the CES Portal.
Students are more likely to participate in surveys when they believe their feedback will matter. When instructors openly remind students that their feedback is valuable to the development of the course and to their teaching practice, students are much more likely to engage with CES.
Response Rate Monitor
Instructors can view live survey participation through the Response Rate Monitor in the CES Portal. The monitor displays:
- Overall response rate across all of an instructor's courses
- Response rates for each individual course
- Peak response periods (day and time)
- When CES reminder emails have been sent to students
Instructors may opt to display the Response Rate Monitor in class while providing time for students to complete the survey.
Canvas
Students can access their surveys through Canvas once the survey period begins by selecting 'Course Experience Survey' from the course menu. Instructors may also choose to post the CES Portal link in Canvas (e.g., Announcements, Calendar, Discussion Forum). Students who follow the link will be directed to the SFU CAS login page and then to their personalized CES survey homepage.
CES Portal URL
https://my-sfu.bluera.com
In-Class Time
Acknowledging that the survey is open and explaining how feedback helps improve the course greatly motivates students to participate. For in-person courses, providing about 15 minutes of class time for students to complete the survey is recommended to help improve response rates.
Instructors can put up the 'CES Student Reminder Slide' in-class. It contains the CES Portal URL as well as a QR code that students can scan with their phone. Both the URL and QR code direct students to the SFU CAS login page, where they can access their surveys.