Student feedback of teaching work - academic year 2022/23

Dear Educators! Dear Students!

The academic year 2022/23 has brought changes in several aspects of the student evaluation of teaching at the faculty. Below we present the most essential information according to each feedback process.

End-of-semester feedback through Neptun

In the fall semester of the 2022-23 academic year 107,063 student evaluations were received and in the spring semester 95,410 responses were received representing a completion rate of around 80-85%, similar to previous years. The validated results have been used as a criterion for the "Celebration of Teachers 2023" awards since the previous academic year.

The individual results of the instructors and the general evaluations of the subjects can be viewed at any time within the Neptun system by teachers, and summary reports were sent to the heads of the department by email. Please find enclosed the list of our highest-rated departments and teachers by language programmes. In addition to the quantified data, students wrote a wide range of text comments and we have summarised below the positive comments and constructive criticisms of students.

The following were the recurrent praise for each form of education:

• Students were most positive about the lectures if they were easy to follow and highlighted the main points of the course material - either for the exam or for real medical work. They mostly welcomed short, no-stakes tests at the beginning or end of the lectures to help them learn.
• In the seminars and exercises, students praised the high degree of interactivity, the diverse types of exercises and the clarity of the practical topics from week to week. In addition, the detailed patient examination and the regular exercises were a clear positive aspect of the clinical practices.
• In evaluating the examinations, students highlighted the fair and humane attitude of the examiners and the detailed feedback they received on their exam performance. Study competitions were organised in a few subjects and were well received.
• More than fifty different teachers got comments from students like „best lecturer", "best tutor" or "best examiner". In addition to the methodological aspects, the positive attitude towards students, the direct and helpful approach and the enthusiasm for the course material stood out with these instructors.

In parallel to the above, students also expressed critical opinions:

• Most of the criticisms of the lectures were that there was not enough emphasis, there was too much detail or that the slides were not suitable for learning afterwards (e.g., they consisted only of pictures).
• About the exercises, some evaluations reported that there was too much frontal training, with a theoretical focus and little actual practice.
• In the case of examinations in a particular subject, students complained that the examinations were not in line with the course material, that the examination requirements were not clear or that there were significant differences between examiners.
• A common comment that came up several times was the importance of starting and finishing classes (and exams) at the scheduled time, thus avoiding delays from the next classes.
• Unfortunately, the text responses also pointed to the condescending style of some instructors and examiners, which, as part of the “hidden curriculum”, can have serious long-term negative consequences.

Quick feedback through POTEcho

In the spring semester of the academic year 2022-23, in addition to the end-of-semester feedback via Neptun, the automated POTEcho system was launched, which provides the possibility to give short feedback during the semester, immediately after the classes. In the previous semester, 1144 students took advantage of this possibility, supporting the work of the tutors with a total of 21 539 evaluations. As with the current reports, the results of the previous semester are available in the POTEcho system.

Considering the student feedback detailed above, we supplemented the after-class questionnaires with a question for the new semester. For lectures, the quality of emphasis is recorded, and for practices and seminars, the level of interactivity. In addition, both types of questionnaires include the optional text question "What was the most important information/message for you about this class?" In addition to providing feedback to the instructor, this can also help students to reflect on the class and learn.

Student evaluation of internships (general medicine major)

A survey was launched for the summer practices and the final year internships, where students could rate a placement against pre-defined criteria. For the summer practices in Nursing, Internal Medicine and Surgery, 300 evaluations were received from the three language programmes, of which 123 were for the PTE Clinical Centre placements. The assessment for the final year placements started only in the Hungarian programme, with 74 completions. In the current academic year, the sixth-year data collection is continuous up to the final examination and can be accessed by students from the Registrar’s Office website.

We trust that responsible student evaluations and their correct interpretation by educators can contribute to the improvement of education and the training of high-quality doctors. A short recommendation for students on writing free-text reviews is available online, which we hope will contribute to the development of a feedback culture in the faculty.

 

Wishing you a continued successful year, with respect,

Prof. Dr. Zsuzsanna Füzesi, chair

Dr. Gergely Csaba, secretary

PTE MS Feedback Committee

Documents