evasys chosen for Module Evaluation at University of Limerick
We are thrilled to announce another new client partnership – this time with the University of Limerick.
The university launched a very successful module evaluation pilot through evasys in semester 1 24/25 (42% response rate), and will deploy institution-wide in semester 2 24/25.
With over 19,000 students, and 2000 staff, University of Limerick (UL) is an independent, research-led university offering undergraduate and postgraduate programmes across Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences; Education and Health Sciences, Science and Engineering and the Kemmy Business School.
UL’s Cooperative Education programme – one of the largest of its kind in the EU –places over 2,000 students in paid and semi-paid work experience in industry, business and the professions across the globe. 30% of those Coop placements are internationally located.
The University of Limerick is very much rooted in and linked to local industry and community, building regional contribution and creating a critical mass of skills that benefit the region.
New VLE, new feedback mechanisms and new survey platform
A change of Virtual Learning Environment (VLE) prompted a review of module evaluation tools, with UL moving from Sakai and Moodle to Brightspace in the academic year 2022/23. In parallel to this, the institution was running a project aimed at enhancing student feedback mechanisms with a view to ensuring that feedback loops would be closed and that surveys could easily be customised for different types of delivery.
With the previous survey tool relatively static, as well as being somewhat bespoke to UL, and the new VLE solution not having the scope required to service the enhanced student feedback plans, UL went out to tender for a new survey solution.
The tender requirements were driven by the working group that had focused on how to improve student feedback mechanisms and the multidisciplinary project team ; outlining the need for the solution to be flexible, accessible and, critically, easily integrated with Brightspace.
The contract was awarded to evasys. Sinéad O’Sullivan, Director of Quality at University of Limerick, commented:
As a first step in the new module evaluation process, University of Limerick piloted the use of evasys in the School of Law and Department of Economics, with eight lecturers delivering 11 modules to 600 students. With some students undertaking multiple modules, 878 module registrations were included in the pilot.
At survey close, a response rate of 43% has been achieved. Lecturers were able to review responses in real-time and remind students to respond. The automation of key communications such as sending reminders to students and providing lecturers with live response rates, really drove engagement. With lecturers receiving training on using the evasys Instructor Portal, the team in the Quality Support Unit could see that there was real engagement from lecturers in monitoring and reviewing their modules.
Next steps with evasys
Following the pilot, institution-wide module evaluation will be deployed in semester 2 24/25, with clear aims for what they would like to achieve.
Institutionally, UL is aiming to streamline and gather reliable, solid data that can be used to make informed decisions about programmes and module design and the student experience. It is important that this that can then be demonstrated to the students. One key part of this will be the evasys Closing the Loop feature, allowing individual lecturers to provide feedback straight to students, acknowledging their feedback and enhancing the lecturer/student relationship.
Sinéad commented:
The evasys extra mile
When it comes to working with the evasys team on support, implementation and getting the pilot over the line, Sinéad had fantastic feedback: