MENU
Learning Experiences Assessment & Planning
Search

Methodology & Research

The following documentation provides the research base supporting the development and ongoing refinement of the Course Experience Survey (CES), including background on measurement development, response rate research, equity and bias analyses, and contextual factors that may influence results.

2026 Response Rate Report

This report explores the decline in CES response rates at SFU since Fall 2022 and examines the factors shaping student participation. Using longitudinal data and institutional comparisons, it considers the roles of instructor engagement, changes to the SFUFA Collective Agreement, and evolving student feedback practices. The report also reviews strategies implemented to improve response rates and highlights the need for coordinated, institution-wide approaches to support the ongoing use of student feedback.

Response Rate Studies 2017-2024

Since 2017, LEAP has conducted an ongoing literature review on student course surveys. This review was updated in 2022 and again in 2024. Reports include findings from interviews with industry leaders and LEAP's counterparts at other Canadian universities. The 2017 and 2022 reports focus on six key questions:

  1. Does SFU have a course experience survey response rate problem?
  2. What motivates students to participate?
  3. Which strategies can be used to increase response rates?
  4. Which strategies have worked at SFU and elsewhere?
  5. Why extend the survey period into the exam period?
  6. Should students be able to opt out of course experience surveys?

TSSU Strike Impact on CES 2023

From June to mid-October 2023, the Teaching Support Staff Union (TSSU) implemented various strike actions. SFU community members noted that the strike affected students' course experiences and that impact may be reflected in CES responses. This report provides a high-level overview comparing mean scores for Common Core questions from Fall 2022 and Fall 2023.

Impact of Survey Extension on CES Response Rate 2023

In Fall 2023, LEAP piloted an extension of the CES to investigate whether a duration longer than two weeks at the end of the term could meaningfully increase response rates. Four departments participated: two opened surveys one week earlier, and two extended surveys two weeks after classes ended. 

SETC Improvement Project 2021-2022

From 2021 to 2022, LEAP undertook the SETC Improvement Project (SIP) to review and strengthen SFU student course experience surveys. At the time, the Student Experience of Teaching and Courses (SETC) survey had been in place for several years, and questions had emerged regarding response rates, item design, bias, interpretation of results, and alignment with emerging practices in Canadian higher education. 

The SIP project brought together institution-level data analysis, psychometric review, student interviews, a faculty engagement review, and a scan of national frameworks to examine how SETC functioned as a measurement tool. The project produced ten focused research reports alongside a final recommendations report, forming the foundation for the development of the current Course Experience Survey (CES).

PDF Downloads
Search
Search
close