Student Voice Analytics for Ophthalmics — UK student feedback 2018–2025
Scope. UK NSS open‑text comments for Ophthalmics (CAH02-06-03) students across academic years 2018–2025.
Volume. ~641 comments; 96.1% successfully categorised to a single primary topic.
Overall mood. Roughly 58.9% Positive, 36.5% Negative, 4.5% Neutral (positive:negative ≈ 1.61:1).
What students are saying
Ophthalmics students most often talk about the shape and scope of their programme. References to type and breadth of course content lead the conversation (~11.0% share) and are strongly positive (index ~+44.3), well above the sector’s tone for this topic. Students also speak positively about Teaching Staff (index ~+34.7) and Delivery of teaching (index ~+31.9), indicating that day‑to‑day teaching quality and structure are clear strengths.
A notable share of comments centres on the operational mechanics of delivery. Scheduling/timetabling (~4.4%) trends slightly negative (−9.2), while Organisation and management of course (~5.7%) is, unusually, net positive (+10.9) and well above sector. Communication about course and teaching is a smaller topic (~1.6%) but carries a clearly negative tone (−49.7). Remote learning is mentioned less now (~1.8%) and is relatively positive compared with sector.
Placements/fieldwork appear in ~6.5% of comments with a slightly negative tone (−3.9), sitting below sector on sentiment. The picture on assessment is mixed: Feedback (~5.5%) is notably positive (+31.0) and far above sector, but Marking criteria (−37.0), Assessment methods (−24.2) and Dissertation (−35.8) pull sentiment down where expectations and standards feel unclear. Costs/Value for money, while a smaller theme (~2.1%), is the most negative category (−56.3), echoing a challenging sector narrative.
Overall, the data suggests students value the content and those who teach it, while seeking greater clarity in assessment standards and a steadier operational rhythm around scheduling and communications.
Top categories by share (ophthalmics vs sector):
| Category | Section | Share % | Sector % | Δ pp | Sentiment idx | Δ vs sector |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Type and breadth of course content | Learning opportunities | 11.0 | 6.9 | +4.1 | +44.3 | +21.7 |
| Teaching Staff | The teaching on my course | 8.1 | 6.7 | +1.4 | +34.7 | −0.8 |
| COVID-19 | Others | 7.8 | 3.3 | +4.4 | −5.6 | +27.3 |
| Placements/ fieldwork/ trips | Learning opportunities | 6.5 | 3.4 | +3.1 | −3.9 | −15.7 |
| Organisation, management of course | Organisation and management | 5.7 | 3.3 | +2.3 | +10.9 | +24.8 |
| Feedback | Assessment and feedback | 5.5 | 7.3 | −1.8 | +31.0 | +46.0 |
| Delivery of teaching | The teaching on my course | 5.2 | 5.4 | −0.3 | +31.9 | +23.1 |
| Student support | Academic support | 4.7 | 6.2 | −1.5 | +28.4 | +15.2 |
| Scheduling/ timetabling | Organisation and management | 4.4 | 2.9 | +1.5 | −9.2 | +7.3 |
| Student voice | Student voice | 3.9 | 1.8 | +2.1 | +8.5 | +27.8 |
Most negative categories (share ≥ 2%)
| Category | Section | Share % | Sector % | Δ pp | Sentiment idx | Δ vs sector |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Costs / Value for money | Others | 2.1 | 1.6 | +0.5 | −56.3 | −3.5 |
| Marking criteria | Assessment and feedback | 2.4 | 3.5 | −1.1 | −37.0 | +8.7 |
| Dissertation | Assessment and feedback | 2.3 | 1.1 | +1.1 | −35.8 | −25.2 |
| Assessment methods | Assessment and feedback | 3.1 | 3.0 | +0.1 | −24.2 | −0.5 |
| Scheduling/ timetabling | Organisation and management | 4.4 | 2.9 | +1.5 | −9.2 | +7.3 |
| COVID-19 | Others | 7.8 | 3.3 | +4.4 | −5.6 | +27.3 |
| Placements/ fieldwork/ trips | Learning opportunities | 6.5 | 3.4 | +3.1 | −3.9 | −15.7 |
Most positive categories (share ≥ 2%)
| Category | Section | Share % | Sector % | Δ pp | Sentiment idx | Δ vs sector |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Student life | Learning community | 2.3 | 3.2 | −0.9 | +51.9 | +19.8 |
| Type and breadth of course content | Learning opportunities | 11.0 | 6.9 | +4.1 | +44.3 | +21.7 |
| General facilities | Learning resources | 3.6 | 1.8 | +1.8 | +40.8 | +17.3 |
| Learning resources | Learning resources | 2.3 | 3.8 | −1.5 | +40.8 | +19.4 |
| Teaching Staff | The teaching on my course | 8.1 | 6.7 | +1.4 | +34.7 | −0.8 |
| Delivery of teaching | The teaching on my course | 5.2 | 5.4 | −0.3 | +31.9 | +23.1 |
| Feedback | Assessment and feedback | 5.5 | 7.3 | −1.8 | +31.0 | +46.0 |
What this means in practice
- Double‑down on what works: strong content design and visible, structured delivery. Keep signposting how topics connect and build, and continue to back teaching teams with clear session aims and resources.
- Bring assessment clarity forward. Publish rubric‑style criteria, annotated exemplars and realistic turnaround commitments. Calibrate markers and communicate standards plainly to lift Marking criteria, Assessment methods and Dissertation sentiment.
- Stabilise the operational rhythm. Name an owner for scheduling and course communications, maintain a single source of truth, and use light‑touch weekly updates. Small, predictable practices reduce anxiety around timetable changes and opacity.
- For placements or other practical components, make expectations and support visible before, during and after the experience. Consistent guidance and timely check‑ins typically move sentiment from slightly negative to neutral or better.
Data at a glance (2018–2025)
- Top topics by share: Type and breadth of course content (≈11.0%), Teaching Staff (≈8.1%), COVID‑19 (≈7.8%), Placements/fieldwork (≈6.5%), Organisation & management of course (≈5.7%), Feedback (≈5.5%).
- Delivery & ops cluster (Placements, Scheduling, Organisation & management, Course communications, Remote learning): ≈20.0% of all comments; mixed tone (negative on Scheduling; positive on Organisation & management and Remote learning vs sector).
- People & growth cluster (Personal Tutor, Student support, Teaching Staff, Availability of staff, Delivery of teaching, Personal development, Student life): ≈24.7% of all comments; consistently positive.
- How to read the numbers. Each comment is assigned one primary topic; share is that topic’s proportion of all comments. Sentiment is summarised as an index from −100 (more negative than positive) to +100 (more positive than negative), then averaged at category level.
How Student Voice Analytics helps you
Student Voice Analytics turns open‑text survey comments into clear, prioritised actions. It tracks topics and sentiment over time for the whole institution and at fine‑grained levels (faculty, school, department, programme), so teams can focus on the categories that move experience most—assessment clarity, delivery operations, placements/practical components, and student support.
It also lets you prove impact with like‑for‑like sector comparisons across CAH codes and by demographics (e.g., year of study, domicile, mode of study, campus/site, commuter status). You can segment by site/provider, cohort and year, and share concise, anonymised summaries with programme teams and external partners. Export‑ready outputs (for web, decks and dashboards) make it straightforward to communicate priorities and progress across your institution.
