What do electrical and electronic engineering students say about their teaching staff?

teaching staffelectrical and electronic engineering

Students are broadly positive about staff but want sharper assessment clarity and steadier delivery in electrical and electronic engineering. Across the National Student Survey (NSS), the Teaching Staff theme records 78.3% positive comments, yet tone in engineering and technology sits lower at +38.3. Within electrical and electronic engineering (CAH10-01-08), students speak favourably about teaching staff (+21.1) while raising concerns about feedback (10.5% share, −21.7) and some remote delivery. The Teaching Staff theme reflects how pedagogy and staff interactions land across providers, and electrical and electronic engineering provides a consistent subject lens used sector‑wide; together they point to where precision in communication, assessment and organisation matters most in this story.

What communication challenges do EEE students face?

A common issue highlighted by Electrical and Electronic Engineering (EEE) students involves difficulties in grasping lecturers’ explanations, often due to unclear handwriting or strong accents. This can hinder learning in a subject that demands precision and understanding, and delivery trends more mixed in EEE than the sector baseline. Staff should utilise technological aids alongside pedagogy: presentation slides, pre‑released notes and clearly written materials help convey complex information so all students can follow explanations regardless of handwriting clarity or accent barriers. Enhancing auditory clarity in lectures through reliable microphones and room checks ensures students across large lecture halls can hear and understand. Use technology to support, not substitute, unambiguous verbal and written communication, and pair explanations with worked exemplars so concepts translate into method.

How should feedback mechanisms work for EEE?

In a discipline where assessment topics dominate student comments, feedback mechanisms need to be structured so students can act on them quickly. Anonymous pulse surveys and brief check‑ins after assessments provide honest insights into what students can use. Programme teams should publish annotated exemplars, checklist‑style rubrics and indicative grade profiles, and agree a feedback service standard with visible ownership. Regular feedback sessions and open channels for questions help staff fine‑tune modules in real time. Light‑touch marker calibration reduces variance between modules, and closing the loop on “you said, we did” sustains trust in the process.

Does staff expertise align with modules?

Aligning lecturer expertise with module content improves learning and keeps delivery grounded in current research and practice. When a module covers advanced semiconductor physics, a lecturer actively researching in the area can connect theory to application. Where expertise and content are mismatched, knowledge transfer suffers. Protect high‑trust behaviours alongside expertise: predictable office hours, timely replies to queries and short “what to expect this week” updates make core staff support visible and dependable.

How do staff foster a supportive learning environment?

Approachability and timely help underpin a supportive environment in EEE. Staff who maintain open communication, invite questions and provide mentorship help students overcome barriers to learning. Pulse surveys and dialogue about how teaching is landing ensure support adapts to need. Mirroring support routes for different modes of study—such as out‑of‑hours contact options and short asynchronous Q&A summaries—keeps part‑time and commuter students connected. Make actions visible so students see how their input changes practice.

How can staff encourage self-directed learning without losing support?

Self‑directed learning complements structured teaching in a complex, technology‑rich discipline. Provide accessible resources—specialist texts, online tutorials, and access to industry‑standard software—so students can explore and consolidate at their own pace. Use open‑ended tasks and project‑based learning to encourage independent research and application. Where remote elements remain, set expectations for format, interaction and materials so the experience feels predictable and supported. Balance autonomy with guidance by signposting study routes and providing formative touchpoints.

How should course organisation support learning?

Coherent course organisation accelerates learning in content‑heavy programmes. Plan module sequencing so knowledge builds logically and publish syllabi with objectives and timelines students can rely on. Use a single source of truth for timetables and changes, and share a short weekly “what changed and why.” Digital tools for scheduling and project management help keep delivery stable. Consult students regularly and adjust where needed; predictable operations enable students to focus on mastering material.

What does active engagement look like in EEE?

Active engagement blends taught content with interaction. Group projects, labs and seminars make theory tangible, and regular opportunities to present work build confidence and critical thinking. Structured lab work and project briefs that mirror real engineering problems bridge classroom learning and practice. Use quick feedback loops and short problem‑solving sessions in seminars to keep cohorts involved and to surface where explanations need to be refined.

How should issues be identified and resolved quickly?

Fast, fair resolution of concerns sustains a productive learning environment. Regular instructor evaluations, open forums and anonymous reporting routes allow students to raise issues without risk. A clear triage process—supported by a simple dashboard tracking sentiment by subject and cohort—helps teams prioritise and act. Review outliers regularly and close the loop with cohorts on what changed and why; trust increases when students see consistent follow‑through.

How do teams sustain continuous improvement?

EEE evolves quickly, so staff need ongoing professional development and regular course updates. Workshops on emerging technologies, pedagogic methods and industry partnerships keep teaching current. Monitor sentiment by segment each term and check that interactions are consistent across teaching teams; differential experiences for some groups can be reduced through small, reliable changes in practice. Encourage peer observation and sharing of innovations across modules so improvements spread and stick.

How Student Voice Analytics helps you

Student Voice Analytics gives continuous visibility of Teaching Staff comments and sentiment over time, with drill‑downs from provider to CAH10‑01‑08 and cohort. It supports like‑for‑like comparisons by subject family and student demographics, plus segmentation by mode, site/campus and year of study. The platform generates concise, anonymised summaries for programme and departmental briefings and export‑ready tables for quality boards, helping teams prioritise assessment clarity, delivery operations and support visibility where they matter most in EEE.

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