SEI topics with definitions, keywords, and examples

This article lists the topics used in the Student Experience Intelligence (SEI) analysis type and provides definitions, keywords and examples to help you navigate, filter and understand your analyses and the insights they contain. The topics are listed in alphabetical order and any specific topic can be located quickly by clicking on Control F on the page and entering the name of the topic.

Changelog for MLY SEI 3.0

To access a detailed Changelog of the target paths that were added, removed, or retained for this model, visit: MLY-SEI-model-changelog-Mar-2025.xlsx

A target path directs the model to produce meaningful insights from the comments it analyzes. By updating target paths, a machine learning model can enhance its accuracy and performance, ensuring the analyses remain relevant and aligned with evolving customer needs.

TOPICS

The following topics are included in the SEI analysis type:

Administrative Elements (Updated target paths)

Definition - Administration responsible for overseeing college or university departments, faculty, programs of study, curricula budgets, facilities, and more. Duties of administration can include admissions, registration, alumni relations, financial aid, housing, access to services, events programming, club organization, hiring and evaluating faculty, development of programs, and much more.

Keywords/Phrases - Policy, Staffing

Examples - “I am pleased that there have been changes at the Forum in terms of top level staffing. It is long overdue.”

“Hire more staff in the creative industries/music to inspire students”

“Review your policy regarding recognition of prior learning for parents who have juggled a part time career and child rearing.”

Advisors (Updated target paths)

Definition - A person performing the role of advisor.

Keywords/Phrases - Advisor, Mentor, Supervisor

Example - “I have emailed advisors in the past and received a response 2 months after my initial email. That interaction has put me off for future engagement”

“Project supervisor (John) was incredible and super helpful.”

“The convenors and mentors are fantastic and well-fitted, there is a lot of freedom of expression, and I felt supported even through the pandemic.”

Advisory (New)

Definition - A service provided to students which offers confidential and impartial advice, guidance, and support to help students plan for future learning and/or their learning at large.

Keywords/Phrases - Advice, Assistance, Counseling Service, Help, Support

Examples - “Long waiting lists to see university counsellors/ support services. ..- stigma..- Numerous phone calls to find the required person to answer my questions..”

“Nothing prevents me for seeking advice, it is easy to talk to the help services at this university.”

“I need a career development advice services, but struggle to match my schedule with available appointments. ..I also needed to receive some feedback on my assignment, but I did not know where to go.”

Agreeableness/Approachability (Update target paths)

Definition - Giving or capable of giving joy or pleasure; (Of a person) easy to meet, know, talk with, etc.

Keywords - A pleasure, Agreeable, Candid, Confrontational, Enjoy, Fun, Frustrating, Humor, Kind, Lovely, Mean, Open, Personable, Rude, Welcoming

Examples - “The class was really enjoyable and I learned a lot from it. The best part was how kind the teacher was to all of her students.”

“The field trip was a lot of fun and really beneficial. My favorite part was making a best friend throughout the trip-he’s super nice and smart!”

“I think the entire class was frustrated with assignment due dates. Me personally? I hated how rude our TA was.”

Assessments & Evaluations (Updated target paths)

Definition - Ways to test/assess/evaluate students

Assignments (Updated target paths)

Definition - Coursework and tasks that contribute to the student’s learning progress and quality done outside the normal course of a class.

Keywords/Phrases - Assignment, Homework, Journals, Tasks

Examples - “The homework for this class was extremely helpful!”

“The tasks felt like busy work. I think less assignments would have been more beneficial.”

Assistance (Updated target paths)

Definition - Help or support; the act of helping someone.

Keywords/Phrases - Advice, Assistance, Direction, Drop-in sessions, Guidance, Help, Help sessions, Support

Examples - “There was support available from the hosting research groups.”

”I think there was a little too much help given which meant that students were not encouraged to think for themselves and conduct independent study, rather relying on teaching staff to do a lot of the work for them.”

Athletics (New)

Definition - Any form of physical activity or game, often organized and typically (though not always) competitive, in which an individual or team competes in order to use, maintain, or improve physical ability and skills while providing enjoyment to participants while representing their school. Sports differ from sports clubs which are clubs comprised of individuals who share interest in certain sports but are not necessarily recognized as a group competing on behalf of a given institution.

Keywords/Phrases - {Basketball, Baseball, Soccer, (any name of sports)}, Team

Examples - “The sports teams are well organised and well funded- more participants would be good”

“More of a range of fun sports like trampoline parks, gymnastics, volleyball etc”

“We don't have nearly enough sports teams and sport related activities which a university of this prestige should have.”

Availability (Updated target paths)

Definition - (Of a person) not otherwise occupied-dealing with one’s presence or lack of; (Of an object) able to be used or obtained easily-dealing with the presence or lack of something

Keywords/Phrases - Accessible, Available, Always around, Including, On hand, Providing, Released on, Switching of profs, Timely, “Timely Manner”

Examples - “She was always around and willing to help me out with any questions I had.”

“The lecture notes were never up in time to help me with doing the assignments.”

Bus/Shuttle (Updated target paths)

Definition - A specified type of transportation which includes only the bus and shuttle system of the institution as well as nearby public transportation options.

Keywords/Phrases - Bus, Shuttle

Examples - “Shuttle bus between the 2 campuses is great, but needs more parking at the west campus or a direct bus link between downtown and the east campus.”

“The new bus times are horrible so I now catch the train, but the walk from the station to the other side was hard for me, especially in the middle of the day when there is no shuttle bus.”

Career (Updated target paths)

Definition - Employment after graduation. Alternatively, employment on campus or during schooling.

Keywords/Phrases - Getting/finding a job/work,

Examples - “b/c I was in this program I was able to get the internship I needed” “I have no concerns about getting a job when I’m done” “I have big concerns, all my friends who graduated before me are employed” “Half of my friends who graduated before me are having trouble finding jobs.”

Career Planning (New)

Definition - A service provided to students with the goal of assisting students with almost any aspect of their career from reviewing resumes to helping them decide what jobs they want to pursue after graduation.

Keywords - Career service

Examples - “More career opportunities for people interested in the social sector (human services, international development, NGO, community advocacy, etc.)”

“The career service was not very personal/adapted to my personal needs.”

Challenge (see Complexity/Challenge)

Clarity (Update target paths)

Definition - Easy to understand, perceive, or interpret.

Keywords/Phrases - Articulate, Clear, Comprehensible, Contradict, Convoluted, Direct, Easy to follow/understand/comprehend, Explicit, No nonsense approach, Straightforward, Succinct, To the point, Understandable, Vague

Examples - “I found her lectures to be straightforward.”

“The instructor’s delivery of the lecture was easy to follow despite technical difficulties.”

“Quiz formatting requires restructuring because there were numerous items that were too ambiguous or formatted in a poor manner.”

Class Discussions (Updated target paths)

Definition - The action or process of talking about something in order to reach a decision or exchange ideas.

Keywords/Phrases - Brainstorm, Break-out rooms, Class discussion, Debates, Discussion, Q+A

Examples - “Maybe two classes before an assessment is due we could have a full 15min dedicated to talking about the task. This way we can get a little Q+A time to clarify anything that might be confusing.”

“I liked when the teacher encouraged the class to have conversations about lessons we learned during the lecture. This lead to open and inclusive learning.”

“I think debates could be beneficial in class since it would force students to dive deeper in the topic.”

Class Participation (New)

Definition - Partaking, engaging, or involving oneself/others in something typically within a classroom setting.

Keywords/Phrases - Attendance, Class involvement, Engaging in, Participation, Student involvement

Examples - “Having participation for the weekly worksheets, and receiving immediate feedback and results on the worksheets.”

“There was very little engagement by the entire class.”

“The best part of class was the knowledge provided and the involvement of students during lectures.”

Class Size (Update target path)

Definition - Specifically the amount of students/learners in a class.

Keywords/Phrases - Class is too big/small, Number of people/students/learners

Examples - “Specifically to this unit, the classroom was way too crowded to accommodate the whole cohort of EDF5632, making it difficult to breathe for me.”

“I liked having a larger class, it makes discussions more engaging.”

“He was very contactable and friendly. This course was too much work for him though...It's unfair to leave him with that amount of students.”

Classes (Updated target paths)

Definition - General aspects related to a class

Classroom (Updated target paths)

Definition - Any and all comments pertaining to the physical characteristics of a classroom setting; the physical properties/aspects associated with a classroom.

Keywords/Phrases - Classroom layout, Lecture room, Room

Examples - “Please do something about the loud noise in the classroom, it’s very distracting.”

"The room was really nice! Fancy fancy!"

“This class was always way too hot! Can anything be done about the A/C unit?!”

“The room was too small for the amount of students in this group.”

Classwork (Updated target paths)

Definition - Assignments and other activities intended to be done during class time.

Keywords/Phrases - Activities, Class-work, Exercises, Kahoot, Learning activities, Minute taking, Practice {activities, exams, work, questions}, Review, Tasks, Worksheets

Examples - “I love the range of activities we do in classes and that we have a depository of resources to use on placements.”

“Worksheets were fun and helpful. My only suggestion would be to make the practice questions on the sheets more detailed because sometimes I would get confused.”

“The exercises were a great way of practicing what we learned during our lectures.”

Cleanliness (Updated target paths)

Definition - The state of being clean and free from germs, dirt, trash, or waste, and the habit of achieving and maintaining that state.

Keywords/Phrases - Clean, Dirty, Mess

Examples - “Environment on campus is always really clean and proper, way to go.”

“My roommate is a complete slob! Dirty clothes and dishes everywhere in our apartment!”

Clubs/Societies (Updated target paths)

Definition - Student led groups that provide an opportunity to socialize, learn, and get involved with the student community outside of class; also includes Institution run groups which provide the same opportunities.

Keywords/Phrases - Clubs, Societies

Examples - “I really like all the clubs - they’re a really good way to meet people and have a good time.”

“Our uni needs more clubs and societies! There’s a lack of diversity between the clubs we currently have.”

Communication (Updated target paths)

Definition - The imparting or exchanging of information or news.

Keywords/Phrases - Announcement, Communication, Conversations, Email, Information, Input, Posters, Reminders, Transparency, Updates

Examples - “I think that posters should be put up around campus to advertise about clubs more.”

"Loved seeing posters about a chess club."

Commute (Updated)

Definition - The travel/distance between one’s current location to another.

Keywords/Phrases - Commute, Close, Distance, Far, Traffic, Travel

Examples - “It’s very hard to travel for 10 hours for 1 class.”

“Campus is relatively close from my area so I don’t typically mind the time it takes to get there.”

Complexity / Challenge (Updated target paths)

Definition - (Of a subject) stimulating, demanding or exciting-challenging.

Keywords/Phrases - Challenge, Challenging, Complex, Convoluted, Generic

Examples - “Challenging and interesting class; I learned the most from him this semester.”

“The contents learned ranged from basic to more complex, and the exercises were very detailed.”

“I wish the assignments weren’t so generic and challenged us more.”

Content (Updated target paths)

Definition - Content and/or concepts dealt with in a speech, literary work, classroom, etc.

Keywords/Phrases - Content, Concepts, Information, Knowledge, Lesson, Module, Subject(s), Themes, Theory, Topics

Examples - “Topics like Population and Community Focus on Health expanded my understanding as a nurse beyond the needs of the individual.”

“I liked the structure of the course and the way the learning was organized into modules. However, more theories could have been discussed during lectures.”

“I think the provided topic information was unclear. This did not help the fact that the topics were dull and irrelevant.”

Convenience (Updated target paths)

Definition - Not requiring a great deal of effort on anyone’s part to obtain/take advantage of; fitting in well with a person’s needs, activities, and plans.

Keywords/Phrases - Bad/good time (of a scheduled item), *Comfortable, Closed Captioning, Clunky, Convenient, 'Ease of…', Flexibility, Freedom, Handy, Navigate, Navigation, Start times, Time saver, Unmanageable, User-friendly

Examples - “The recommended textbook was online for free so that was good but the content was not great.”

”Flexible learning options and willingness of lecturer to engage via discussion forums and provide feedback outside of structured teaching times.”

“The project suited me because I was able to choose blogs based on my current work scenario without constraint.”

Cost (Updated target paths)

Definition - The amount that has to be paid or spent to buy/obtain something.

Keywords/Phrases - Cheap, Cost, Expensive, Price

Examples - “I'm glad that this class was online because it allowed me to not spend so much for actual physical books and materials, since everything was online.”

“The textbook costs too much for what it’s worth”

Course Component (Updated target paths)

Definition - Various components of a course.

Course Content (Updated target paths)

Definition - Content and/or concepts dealt with in a speech, literary work, classroom, etc.

Keywords/Phrases - Content, Concepts, Information, Knowledge, Lesson, Module, Subject(s), Themes, Theory, Topics

Examples - “Topics like Population and Community Focus on Health expanded my understanding as a nurse beyond the needs of the individual.”

“I liked the structure of the course and the way the learning was organized into modules. However, more theories could have been discussed during lectures.”

“I think the provided topic information was unclear. This did not help the fact that the topics were dull and irrelevant.”

Course in General (Updated target paths)

Definition - Course in general, nothing too specific, usually part of a program.

Keywords/Phrases - (Name of course), Class, Course, Module, Semester, Subject, Term, Unit

Examples - “Spanish 122 is a very fun course!”

“I did not enjoy this unit very much at all. And overall the subject was not informative.”

“The whole module needs to be restructured.”

Course Material & Structure

Definition - Various materials within a course; the course itself.

Course Registration (Updated topic paths)

Definition - The process of officially registering as a student of a course.

Keywords/Phrases - Bidding, Timetable, Waitlist

Examples - “Bidding was a fast and efficient process for enrolling in courses, please keep this method!”

“Being waitlisted sucks, but I know that many students are vying for this class”

Culture (Updated target paths)

Definition - The attitudes, values, and ways of behaving that are shared by people who work or study in a given institution.

Keywords/Phrases - Culture, Politics

Examples - “I don’t think the Sex Week is useful to anyone and only perpetuates a culture of rampant sexual discrimination.”

“It’s a very good experience, and it’s a nice, laid back culture.”

Dedication (Updated target paths)

Definition - Being wholly committed to something.

Keywords/Phrases - Above and beyond, Attentive, Committed, Conscientious, Dedicated, Devoted, Effort, Extra mile, Hard-working, Taking the time

Examples - “I found her a really attentive and dedicated lecturer. She really took the time to get to know each and every one of us.”

”It was clear that the staff would always go above and beyond to help us students. Their efforts are greatly appreciated!”

“His commitment to this class was severely lacking.”

Depth (Updated target paths)

Definition - Being comprehensive, detailed, and/or extensive.

Keywords/Phrases - Broadened, Complete, Comprehensive, Concise, Concisely, Condensed, Dense, Detailed, Exhaustive, Extensive, Further, Generic, Heavy, Rich, Surface/Brief, Thorough, Vague, Wide range

Examples - “The course lectures were extremely thorough and provided great coverage of the topics.”

”I found the notes too dense! They should be re-written to ensure they are not as exhaustive but still detailed and concise.”

“I would like to have learnt more about adolescent brain development. The content never went beyond surface level information.”

Difficulty (Updated target paths)

Definition - Needing much effort or skill to accomplish, deal with, or understand.

Keywords/Phrases - Achievable, Arduous, Complicated, Cumbersome, Daunting, Difficult, Digestible, Doable, Hard, Heavy, Intense, Manageable, Onerous, Trick(y), Too challenging, Tough

Examples - “Exams were daunting when we knew that we never received the proper material to do well on them.”

“The course material was simple and manageable overall.”

“Exams were too tricky and did not represent knowledge gained.”

Diversity (Updated target paths)

Definition - Exhibiting variety for a given subject; alternatively to be used for a sense of equity, a sense of belonging, or a feeling of otherness.

Keywords/Phrases - Discrimination, Diverse, Equity, Inclusiveness, Otherness, Sense of belonging, Several kinds, Various

Examples - “I enjoyed the various guest speakers we had in this class, they provided different perspectives that were insightful.”

“Assignments were boring and un-engaging. I suggest handing out different types of assignments rather than just reading and writing our thoughts. It becomes too repetitive and creates a lack of motivation.”

“All aimed for youth. Nothing much for more mature students like me. I am invisible.”

Engagement/Interest Level (Updated target paths)

Definition - Captivating and tending to draw favorable attention or interest.

Keywords/Phrases - Appealing, Boring, Captivating, Dull, Dynamic, Engaging, Fascinating, Inspire, Inspiring, Interesting, Intriguing, Lively, Motivating, Rapport, (Student) involvement

Examples - “She was supportive, engaging and approachable.”

“The lectures were super boring and uninspiring.”

“The Teaching Staff and Course Co-ordinator were easy to understand, interactive and provided help in a timely manner.”

Enrollment (New)

Definition - The process of officially applying and enrolling as a member of an institution or a program(s).

Keywords/Phrases - Application, Apply, Admissions, Enrollment

Examples - “Faster application response times please, the application process was so slow and confusing.”

“I felt the time from placing my admission papers in to being accepted was done in good time so I had more than a week to look over things and organize my schedule appropriately.”

Entertainment (Updated target paths)

Definition - An action or actions which yield pleasure, diversion, amusement, or enjoyment. Forms of entertainment may include events, performances, or activities, however not all events, performances, and activities have the main aim to provide amusement, some are instructional for example.

Keywords/Phrases - Entertainment, Activities (not done in class), Parties

Examples - “More music entertainment/nightlife activities or more ways to meet new people at the same campus.”

“Entertainment/events at night have made me come to uni more often so continue having them please.”

Enthusiasm (Updated target paths)

Definition - Demonstrating strong positive feelings towards a topic/situation/etc. overall.

Keywords/Phrases - Eager, Energy, Enthusiastic, Exuberant, Motivation, Talented, Willingness

Examples - “The teacher was so enthusiastic about some of the topics that I couldn’t help but enjoy myself.”

”She was always willing to help and really just had great energy.”

“I wish she had brought some more exciting energy into the room, she was unenthusiastic.”

ESG (Updated target paths)

Definition - Environmentalism-a general term to refer to concern for the environment and particularly actions or advocacy to limit negative human impacts on the environment; Sustainability-the integration of environmental health, social equity and economic vitality in order to create thriving, healthy, diverse and resilient communities for this generation and generations to come.

Keywords/Phrases - Carbon footprint, Climate, Greenhouse gas, Plastic, Recycling, Styrofoam

Examples - "More focus on sustainability. Regarding building sustainability please refer to Green star conducted by Green Building council of Australia. (including fit outs)"

"If I ask a question here, will I get a response anyway?..Why does UoN promote sustainability but so often undertake tasks in a way that is unsustainable?"

"The culture needs to shift more towards environmental sustainability. There are too many plastic bottles being sold and coffee cups that either aren't recyclable or can't be recycled because facilities don't accommodate."

Evaluations (Updated target paths)

Definition - Ways to test/assess/evaluate students.

Keywords/Phrases - Assessment, Assessment sheets, Benchmark, Checkpoint, Exam, Exam preparation, Knowledge check, Midterm, Quiz, Test

Examples - “Please outline the quizzes more clearly!! The instructions were entirely incoherent for us even if you thought they were crystal clear.”

“I found the assessments valuable knowledge checkpoints. It gave me a clear idea for how I was doing in the class.”

Events (Updated target paths)

Definition - A planned public or social occurrence; often characterized by being important or out of the norm.

Keywords/Phrases - Events, Open day

Examples - “I would say that we need more events/communication on campus.”

“AMAZING campus culture and atmosphere!! The events on campus are well advertised and they are all social events open to all students on or off campus!”

Examples (Updated target paths)

Definition - Real world data provided by the instructor.

Keywords/Phrases - Anecdotes, Example(s), Exemplars, Exercises, Samples, Story

Examples - “Lecturer gives clear examples.”

“The sample provided was helpful for the assignment.”

“I think if the teacher told us more relevant stories we would have understood the assignment better.”

Exchange Program (New)

Definition - A program in which students(typically) study abroad at one of their institution's partner institutions with the aim to create opportunities for them to learn, to prosper, and to work with others in a different academic setting/culture.

Keywords/Phrases - Exchange program, Study abroad

Examples - “The things I liked the most from my exchange program were the people I met, the courses at the university (very interactive and hands on) and the visiting of the city/region.”

Expectations (Updated target paths)

Definition - A thing aimed at or sought after; a goal.

Keywords/Phrases - Achievement, Assumed knowledge, Completion, Expectation, Goals, Intention, Learning objectives, Learning outcomes, Milestone, Requirements, Target

Examples - “My prof. kindly provided his expectations from the beginning of the semester. This was helpful in obtaining our academic goals.”

“Why are there no objectives in this class? This bothers me.”

“It was unfair for the prof to assume the students would know how to complete the exercises without teaching us.”

Expenses (Updated target paths)

Definition - The monetary value of items, things, tuition, etc.

Keywords/Phrases - Costs too much, Expensive, Not worth the money, Overpriced, Refund, Ripped off

Examples - “Please reduce tuition fees. Thanks.”

"I appreciate that the material rent fees were adjusted."

“As we are not using or not allowed to use the recreation centre, we want the UNIVERSITY to refund us the recreation fees.“

Experience (Updated target path)

Definition - Having extensive skill in a particular field, especially a profession or job, gained over a period of time.

Keywords/Phrases - Experienced, Expertise, Perspective, Real life experience, Years of experience

Examples - “It was cool to have the guest speakers who are experienced in different topics.”

“I found the instructor lacked the expertise required to teach this class.”

Explanations (Update target paths)

Definition - Detailed information meant to clarify questions.

Keywords/Phrases - Clarification, Explanation, Information, Revision, Summary

Examples - “The concepts were explained better and I understand a lot more about how the maths work.”

“The information could have been described more in depth.”

“Please summarize the instructions in a simpler way.”

Extracurricular Activities (Updated target paths)

Definition - Activities pursued in addition to the normal course of study.

Face to Face Learning (Update target paths)

Definition - Instructing/teaching done in person, typically in a physical classroom setting.

Keywords/Phrases - Face to face, In person, Live

Examples - “I’m grateful that our practicals allow us to meet face to face. It’s nice to see my classmates in person since we’ve only seen each other through screens for so long.”

“This class was not made to be online. Make it in person or cancel the course.”

Fairness (Update target paths)

Definition - Being just, impartial, or unbiased.

Keywords/Phrases - Balance, Discrimination, Disparity, Down to earth, Equitable, Fair, Honesty, Impartial, Integrity, Objective, Reasonable, *Trick(y), Unbiased, Unsound

Examples - “She always graded assignments impartially. And in the end I found my final grade reasonable!”

”Honestly, it seemed like our prof was giving special attention to some of the students. This should be looked into.”

“Very disappointed by how the final exam was written since it was essentially just a series of trick questions that our prof purposely wrote in.”

Feedback (Updated target paths)

Definition - Comments or information pertaining to a student’s performance usually used as a basis for improvement.

Keywords/Phrases - Comments, Constructive criticism, Critiques, Feedback, Rating, Results, Surveys

Examples - “The Professor was very good at giving us feedback and working through what she wanted from us and what she wanted us to learn.”

”It shouldn’t take 3 weeks to receive comments on our assignments, this is unacceptable in my opinion.”

“The teacher never provided any constructive criticism.”

Finals (New)

Definition - A test given to students at the end of a course, typically holding the highest weight for their grade.

Keywords/Phrases - Final, Final exam

Examples - “I was worried that our final exam was going to be cumulative but, thankfully, Addie only tested us on the last 5 sections.”

“Shouldn’t our final test be worth more than this presentation? It was way more difficult and took more time for sure. Point distribution seems skewed…”

Financial aid (New)

Definition - Funds provided to students to help cover the costs of their education. This aid can come in various forms, including scholarships, grants, loans, and work-study opportunities. The primary goal of financial aid is to make higher education more accessible by reducing the financial burden on students and their families.

Keywords/Phrases - Financial Assistance, Bursaries/Scholarships, Funding, Gift cards, Help, School/academic support, Grocery Vouchers

Examples - “The college did a great job at supporting its students by distributing meal plans for us.”

“A greater level of help should be given to international students. Not enough bursaries were awarded in the last year.”

“We all know that right now is a very tough time but Conestoga can help me in various ways like providing grocery vouchers to help relieve financial stress.”

Fitness Facilities (New)

Definition - Often a building or area of space containing equipment and apparatuses for various indoor/outdoor activities.

Keywords/Phrases - Gym, Recreation, Swimming pool

Examples - “Access to free fitness (gym, swimming, etc.) would be great.”

“Gym needs to be more open at convenient times for students so we can utilize the facilities not during class hours!!!”

Food/Beverage (Update target paths)

Definition - The food and beverages available to students outside of the learning institutions (E.g., restaurants, cafes, bars).

Keywords/Phrases - Off-Campus Alcohol, Bars, Cafe, Diners, Drink, Food, Microwave, Restaurants, Water fountain

Examples - “Restaurants and bars are my favourite part of my non-academic experience.”

“Maybe the choice of restaurant could have been a little more ‘typical’ Swiss; all other restaurants and cafes around me are just very generic.”

Food/Dining Hall (Updated target paths)

Definition - A service provided to students which encompasses the food and beverages available to students inside of the learning institutions (E.g., dining halls, vending machines, on-campus restaurants, meal plans.)

Keywords/Phrases - On-campus Cafes, Food, Meal plans, Microwave, Restaurants, Vending machines, Water fountains

Examples - “They’re generally a crappy service with awful food at stupidly high prices.”

“I’m so glad that we have a proper cafe with good quality food, good white rolls, and delicious meat and eggs.”

Format (Update target paths)

Definition - The way in which a given entity/entities are formatted in reference to their online or physical formatting.

Keywords/Phrases - In-person, Online, Take-home

Examples - “It would be nice to reduce the stress on students, taking tests online can be a lot more stressful for the first time.”

“Tutorials should be in-person rather than online as more and easier interactions can happen this way.”

Grading (Updated target paths)

Definition - Evaluates, assesses, or gives a mark to a student or a student’s work.

Keywords/Phrases - Average Grade, Grading, Mark, Marking criteria, Points, Rubric, Results, Score

Examples - “Too strict marking on my assignment! As a result, the class average was low because of the inconsistent grading structure.”

“The teacher should make the rubric for the assessment available upon distributing the students grades so we can better understand his marking criteria.”

Group Discussions (Updated target paths)

Definition - The action or process of talking about something in order to reach a decision or exchange ideas done in a group.

Keywords/Phrases - Breakout groups/rooms, Group communication session, Group discussion

Examples - “Maybe create specific groups for us to discuss our thoughts and ideas? Class discussions make it hard for some people who are shy or uncomfortable speaking in a large group.”

“Group discussions were one of the only times I was able to talk with other classmates. I found those sessions amongst my peers to be engaging and instructive, and I wish she implemented more of them.”

Group Projects (Update target paths)

Definition - Course work that must be completed as part of a team of students.

Keywords/Phrases - Group assignment, Group projects

Examples - “There are too many group projects.”

“Projects shouldn’t be done in groups. Individual projects would be better.”

“It was so much fun whenever I was able to work with my classmates on projects!”

Group Work (Updated target paths)

Definition - General/unspecified work/activities done in a group.

Keywords/Phrases - Group activities, Group members (specific members=students), Group work, Group tasks

Examples - “Group work is very engaging.”

“Some of my team members didn’t pull their own weight, making the group task unenjoyable.”

“Group activities needed to be clearer therefore more instructions were necessary.”

Guest Presenter (Updated target paths)

Definition - A person who does not normally teach or attend the course that has been asked to present a topic(s) during one class.

Keywords/Phrases - Guest, Guest lecturer, Guest speaker

Examples - “I loved having the various different perspectives from all of the guest speakers!”

“Also, guest lecturers for seminar would not always consult with Dr. P. prior, which by no means is Dr. P.'s fault. However, this resulted in the 1.5 hours a week of seminar at times being wildly unfocused on what we were actually expected to know and became entirely overwhelming and counterproductive.”

“Although the knowledge is great, we also need some guests to show us the way to use it in real life scenarios.”

Helpfulness & Support (Updated target paths)

Definition - Giving or ready to give aid/assistance.

Keywords/Phrases - Accommodating, Assists, Beneficial, Cares/caring, Compassion, Considerate, Constructive, Effective, Encouraging, Empower, Facilitates, Flexible, Fruitful, Further, Helps, Improve(ment), Inspiring, Supportive, Understanding, Useful

Examples - “The instructor was encouraging throughout the term and always showed that he cared for his students.”

“I liked being able to go at my own pace with the prerecorded lectures. It was really helpful.”

“The staff needs to be more understanding of students needs.”

Housing/Dorming (New)

Definition - A service provided to students to facilitate their transition into a building, or portion of a building for domestic purposes.

Keywords - Housing/Dorming, Housing/Dorming office, Housing/Dorming service, Housing/Dorming support

Examples - “Housing quality is good and the service of the Housing office was excellent. However, the apartments are rather expensive.”

“Support??! Not only was the price our MBA friends paid for the 9 people hous ridiculous, but also they did have huge troubles with the owner etc. throughout the year. Where was housing support then??”

Hybrid Learning (Updated target paths)

Definition - Instructing/teaching by combining in person and remote aspects.

Keywords/Phrases - Hybrid, Hyflex

Examples - “The instructor needs to be better prepared to teach a Hyflex class. Their not understanding of how to teach the course impacted my learning in a negative way.”

“Even though we’re remote most of the time, I’m happy that hybrid learning has given me a way to connect with my classmates, if only for two days a week.”

“The professor was very organized and utilized in person and remote learning.”

Importance (Updated target paths)

Definition - Of great significance or value; likely to have a profound effect on success.

Keywords/Phrases - Asset, Critical, Crucial, Essential, Focal, Important, Instrumental, Mandatory, Meaningful, Necessary, Obligatory, Required, Vital

Examples - “Reading the textbook was crucial if you wanted to have any chance of doing well on the exam.”

“The third quiz was completely unnecessary for this section. Please. Remove it!”

In-class Interactions (Update target paths)

Definition - Exchanges, interactivity, and contact between individuals done in a physical classroom setting.

Keywords/Phrases - Exchanges, interactivity, and contact between individuals done in a physical classroom setting.

Examples - “These days, all of our interactions are done online but I miss the days we could interact with each other in person.”

“I enjoyed how lively the interactions in this course were.”

“My personal preference if you’re wondering would be concise lectures with no student interaction but just a quick run through of the content with no breaks.”

Institution in General (Update target paths)

Definition - An educational institution dedicated to education and research, which may or may not grant academic degrees.

Keywords/Phrases - Academy, College, Name of school, University

Examples - “I think this is a pretty decent college to go to for nursing education.”

“My time at College was a wonderful experience!”

“I found the University to be extremely unhelpful and I was very disappointed in the institution.”

Interactions (Update target paths)

Definition - General exchanges, interactivity, and contact between individuals not otherwise mentioned as being physical or virtual.

Keywords/Phrases - Interact, Interactions

Examples - “We need more professor to student interactions. Prof. Rodney was almost never around for us.”

“I enjoyed how lively the interactions in this course were.”

“My personal preference if you’re wondering would be concise lectures with no student interaction but just a quick run through of the content with no breaks.”

Instructions (Updated target paths)

Definition - A direction or order.

Keywords/Phrases - Assignment specs, Criteria, Direction, Guidelines, Indications, Information, Instructions, Rubric, Specification

Examples - “The assessment guidelines were not very clear. Particularly the ones for assessments 1 and 2.”

“The directions for the project we're useful.”

“Interesting readings..Well paced program for online study..Clear rubrics and assessment criteria..Practical assessment activities.”

Instructiveness (Update target paths)

Definition - Being educative, informative, and enlightening.

Keywords/Phrases - Added to my knowledge, Critical thinking, Educational, Eye opener, Informative, Input, Insightful, Inspiring, Instructive, Learned a lot, Overview, Perspective, Resourceful, Teach ourselves, Thought provoking

Examples - “The lectures were informative and insightful.”

“I didn’t learn a lot from this course.”

“The thought provoking discussions really opened my eyes to the culture of the Indigenous people.”

Internship (Updated target paths)

Definition - The position of a student or trainee who works in an organization, sometimes without pay, in order to gain work experience or satisfy requirements for a qualification.

Keywords/Phrases - Co-op, Externship, Internship, Placement, WIL (Work-Integrated Learning)

Examples - “The placement was so disorganized.”

“The co-op gave us valuable experience that we will use in the future.”

“The internship would have been better if the teaching nurses were more polite.”

“My personal preference if you’re wondering would be concise lectures with no student interaction but just a quick run through of the content with no breaks.”

IT (Updated target paths)

Definition - A physical/remote building or room equipped with computers, hardware, and various other technological apparatuses.

Keywords/Phrases - Computer lab, IT

Examples - “The remote access computer lab was effective for me throughout this course.”

“The IT help desk needs a serious update.”

Knowledge (Updated target paths)

Definition - Intelligent and well informed.

Keywords/Phrases - Accomplished, Bright, Brilliant, Clever, Competent, Cultivated, Expert(ise), “Gained understanding”, Intelligent, Knowledgeable, Savvy, Sharp, Smart, Specialist, Well-versed, Wisdom

Examples - “You could tell the professor was passionate about this topic by how well-versed she was.”

“The guest lecturers meant well and were knowledgeable but, they very, very, boring to listen to.”

“The TA’s were not competent enough to teach this class.”

Lab Technician/Lab Instructor (Updated target paths)

Definition - A person(s) in charge of a lab usually performing procedures, maintaining equipment, and assisting/guiding students with their work.

Keywords/Phrases - Lab demonstrator, Lab instructor, Lab technician

Examples - “Our lab tech was always available to help.”

“I didn’t have a good experience with my lab this year. Horribly organized and our lab instructor was incompetent beyond all reason. I don’t know how he got hired!”

“I loved how invested all of the tutors and lab leaders were in making sure that you're comfortable with the content.”

Labs (Updated target paths)

Definition - Hands-on class where students can apply what they are studying.

Keywords/Phrases - Experiment, Lab work, Lab report, Lab exercises

Examples - “The labs were often enjoyable and productive.”

“I found the link between the lecture content and the lab exercises really effective in solidifying the information.”

“Oftentimes, labs mostly felt like busy work.”

Learning Atmosphere (Updated target paths)

Definition - The pervading tone or mood where students are learning.

Keywords/Phrases - Atmosphere, Environment, Feeling, Mood

Examples - “Try to engage us more. I know it’s hard since we’re all online, but you could tell that the entire class was either too nervous to speak or just all together checking out.”

“The prof created a safe and nurturing environment for us so I never felt scared to speak my mind.”

“The mood was very hostile and not suitable for proper learning.”

Learning Community

Definition - Group of people (students) who share common academic objectives and engage in collaborative learning.

Keywords/Phrases - Community, Peers learning

Examples - “Our teachers and the whole community were so helpful, thank you!”

“I really got to know and enjoy my cohort through this experience.”

“There was very little personal connection with anyone in the course including the lecturer.”

Learning Environment (Updated target paths)

Definition - The diverse locations, contexts, and cultures in which students learn.

Learning Outcomes (Updated target paths)

Definition - Statements that describe the knowledge or skills students should acquire by the end of a particular assignment, class, course, or program.

Lectures (Updated target paths)

Definition - An educational talk directed at students/learners.

Keywords/Phrases - Class, Lectures, Lecturing, Lesson

Examples - “Both the lectures and tutorials were excellent.”

”I found the lessons to be less engaging than the labs.”

“His classes were clear but I wish students would ask more questions.”

Library (Updated target paths)

Definition - A building or room containing collections of books, periodicals, and sometimes films and recorded music for people to read, borrow, or refer to.

Keywords/Phrases - Library

Examples - “Our library holds the most extensive amounts of literature that I have ever seen!”

“I’m glad that our library has our needed textbooks, helps me to save on expenses.”

LMS (Updated target paths)

Definition - A learning management system is a software application for the administration, documentation, tracking, reporting, automation and delivery of educational courses, or learning and development programs.

Keywords/Phrases - Blackboard, Canvas, Cornerstone, Course shells, Moodle, Sakai

Examples - “Please do something about the LMS. It was way too difficult to navigate around and nothing seems organized.”

"LMS was a handy software to use whenever I needed to check my grades and assignment dates.”

“The LMS was completely unorganized.”

Material (Updated target paths)

Definition - General course materials not otherwise stated as being physical or online.

Keywords/Phrases - Answers/Solutions, Answer sheets, Assessment sheets, Courseware, Exam preparation, Info Sheet, Material, Solutions, Study guides

Examples - “Provide more detailed solutions for the assignment.”

“I felt that the material was irrelevant for us. He should look into changing them.”

“The information sheet helped me prepare for the final exam.”

Meeting Tool (New)

Definition - Meeting tools used to meet virtually in order to conduct conferences online.

Keywords/Phrases - Ding Talk, Google Hangouts, Skype, WebEx, Zoom

Examples - “As an external, the zoom meetings we have are very useful, but there are only 2 or 3 scheduled. Another one or two would be great.”

“I wish we used Zoom instead of Skype.”

“I suggest that UON use more internet tools that are up to date, like Ding Talk. This would provide a more convenient service for the students.”

Mental Health (Updated target paths)

Definition - A student’s condition with regard to their psychological and emotional well-being.

Keywords/Phrases - Mental health, Status, Stress or Distress, Well-being

Examples - “My constant stress has less to do with this course and more to do with what’s going on in the world these days.”

“Cara really made sure that we were all doing okay after each lecture by asking about how we’re doing.”

“This teacher did not care for the mental well-being of his students.”

“STOP SENDING ME E-MAILS ABOUT PHILOSOPHY!!!! I’M A GOD**** MECHANICS MAJOR”

Misconduct (New)

Definition -The way and steps in which academic misconduct and general complaints are made.

Keywords/Phrases - TBD

Examples - “Maybe something that would help us having a place where students can send out legitimate concerns and problems about their professors without having the fear that the teacher will find out and not allow them to pass, or make it very difficult.”

“I think the school needs to update its misconduct policy. I don’t know how this could be done but all I will say is that it really infuriates me when I see this person get away with this.“

Multimedia (New)

Definition - Course material utilizing both sight and sound, normally in the form of slides or videos and recorded speech or music.

Keywords/Phrases - Animations, Podcast, Recorded lectures, Recording, Ted Talks, Transcript**, Video, Voiceover

Examples - “I think that there was a little bit too many recordings to watch.”

“Great and engaging films! The videos were extremely insightful.”

“I would love if a transcript could be included as I can't always use audio.”

Networking (Updated target paths)

Definition - The action or process of interacting with others to exchange information and develop professional or social contacts.

Keywords/Phrases - Networking

Examples - “I had hoped there would be more Masters in Business networking opportunities at the University.”

“Very good, I especially appreciate the numerous events and networking possibilities.”

Noise Level (Update target path)

Definition - Often, how loud or quiet a given space, place, thing, or person is.

Keywords/Phrases - Deafening, Loud, Hushed, Quiet, Rowdy, Silent

Examples - “They tend to be the quietest, I only like studying in a quiet atmosphere due to my hearing loss. Background noise is amplified so can be difficult to concentrate when studying in louder environments”

“I like to study outside in the sun and where there is a nice relaxing atmosphere. I also love studying in the library as it is also so quite that you are forced to stay focused and study.”

“Quiet spaces are best so you can focus, library & vacant rooms have computers you can use as well as desk space for books.”

Notes/Handouts (Updated target paths)

Definition - Materials provided by the instructor to supplement the course learning. (Does not refer to online resources; does not refer to act of writing notes)

Keywords/Phrases - Handouts, Notes, Revision, Study guides, Summary

Examples - “The handouts are a bit vague. A more detailed summary of the topics covered in class would’ve been better.”

“The lecturer’s notes should be available before the semester begins.”

"I appreciated having access to the handouts online"

“I found the lectures moved at a very fast pace and that the notes they provided were messy and incomplete.”

Office Hours (Update target paths)

Definition - The periods of time when an instructor/teaching assistant is available.

Keywords/Phrases - Help hours, Instructor office hours, Office hours, TA office hours, Virtual office hours

Examples - “The extra hours put in to help us with our assignments by the TA was very appreciated by all of us students.”

“The afternoon help sessions were great because I was able to just stay back, study, and ask questions if I needed to.”

“I think something that could be helpful is for professors to have more availability outside of class time for questions from students.”

Online Resources (Updated target paths)

Definition - General/unspecified resources or information provided via internet corresponding to a learning environment.

Keywords/Phrases - Blogs, Courseware, Email, Forums, Online notes, Links, Ted Talks, TurnItIn, Website, Wellness courses (yoga, therapy, etc.)

Examples - “The library site can be difficult to navigate through- quite long winded to search. It often takes you to different search engines that can't accessed.”

“Make sure your links work before you post them. Some of them led me to a non-existent page.”

“I’m glad our teacher switched to an updated website.”

Other Resources (Updated target paths)

Definition - General resources/tools not otherwise stated as anything specific.

Keywords/Phrases - Resources, Tools, Mask

Examples - “Jeff gave us all the tools and resources we would need for a successful future! Hire more people like him!”

“I suggest giving out more useful tools for the assignment so students can have an easier time completing it.”

“There was a rich pool of resources for the course with different practical examples and readings provided.”

Pace (Updated target paths)

Definition - The rate/speed of a given subject.

Keywords/Phrases - Flow, Pacing, Speedily, Too slow, Too fast

Examples -“The lectures move at an incredibly fast pace and it makes me think that I am not gathering all of the information I need to properly learn.”

“Being able to watch the pre-recorded lectures allowed me to view, pause, and listen at my own pace.”

“The class always goes over time because of how slow the professor presents the material.”

Papers (New)

Definition - An essay or thesis; usually a written assignment holding substantial grade weight.

Keywords/Phrases - Essay, Final paper, Paper, Report

Examples - “Get rid of the final exam and replace it with a paper instead. A paper would make more sense for this type of class.”

“The word count for the report kept changing and this was stressful for me and my classmates. I think the instructions for the essay need to be clearer.”

“The essays were a good way for us to showcase what we learned in class. I found them really useful for my learning.”

Parking (Updated target paths)

Definition - A designated area where people can leave their motorized vehicles for a period of time.

Keywords/Phrases - Car lot, Car park, Car ramp, Garage, Parking lot, Spaces, Ticket machine

Examples - “Parking ticket machines don’t accept coins which make sense in this day and age, but maybe upgrade them to utilize cards? Or anything that isn’t just bills.”

“We have adequate parking spots at a fairly reasonable price.”

Passion (Updated target paths)

Definition - Demonstrating intense positive feelings towards a topic/situation/etc. typically associated with a quality/trait of a person.

Keywords/Phrases - Ardent, Fervor, Passionate

Examples - “The teacher clearly loves the subject which makes it more engaging.”

“Her passion for teaching comes through in her presentation of the course.”

"She really doesn't care anymore about what she teaches."

Persons (Updated target paths)

Definition - Various peoples and roles.

Physical Environment (Updated target paths)

Definition - The environment where student life and activity takes place separate from their learning environment.

Keywords/Phrases - Benches, name of Campus, Environment, Mosquitoes, Smoking areas

Examples - “I would like to see more spaces on the Hunter side for students to sit and have lunch/study. Due to the large volume of students on this side of campus seating becomes scarce quickly.”

"Glad they fixed the cockroach infestation issue"

“Mosquitoes. They are showing up in all rooms. I was even getting followed by over 30 mozzies. They are in hunger. Please do something about it.”

Physical Health (New)

Definition - A student's condition with regard to their physical health and wellbeing; can include how able a student can perform aspects of sports, occupations, and daily activities.

Keywords/Phrases - Ache, Fatigued, Hurts, Tired

Examples - “The lecture hall has very uncomfortable seats! Many have complained about back pain. There was really no comfortable position... and I already had my slipped disc and I noticed it again this week.”

“After the first hour I had a headache and was totally exhausted, there was too much information. Maybe split the very first 4-person lesson over two days of 2 hours each, since Chinese calls for a new way of thinking."

“I would like the facility not to be set up for group work in frontal teaching. After the lesson, you have neck or back pain from the constant turning towards the instructor."

Practical Aspects (Updated target paths)

Definition - Elements of the course that relate to actual situations in the real world.

Keywords/Phrases - Case studies, Clinical experience (Grand Rounds), Field Trips, Hands-on Practice, Life situations, Practical cases, Real world, Recitation, Research aspect, Simulations

Examples - “The practicals were engaging, informative, and enjoyable. We gained so much hands-on experience which was great!”

“I wish we would have done more research in this class since it was most helpful in developing our skills.”

“Case studies should be made available before the quizzes.”

Practical Learning (Updated target path)

Definition - Various ways to learn with special regards to real life work.

Practical Learning Format (Updated target path)

Definition - The way in which practical learning/aspects are formatted in reference to their online or physical formatting.

Keywords/Phrases - Online/virtual, Take-home/physical

Examples - “I thought that our online practicals were very organized for once after last semester’s debacle. Well done!”

“I was very distraught with the fact that no clinical experiences were provided for us due to Covid. Maybe next time do some sort of remote clinical experience if this situation persists.”

“The tutorials should all have been online, not some online and the rest in person.”

Presentations (Updated target paths)

Definition - Demonstration provided by the instructor, staff, fellow students, etc. to the entire class usually involving slides, graphs, and possibly audio/video media.

Keywords/Phrases - Class Presentation, Demonstration, Oral Presentation, Presentation

Examples - “I loved the student led presentations as it showcased different perspectives.”

“The oral presentations lacked valuable insight.”

Procedures (Updated topic paths)

Definition - Generally, these are the organized ways and operations in which certain actions must take place within a given institution.

Keywords/Phrases - Starting up clubs, Reviewing school policies, Processes

Examples - “The unclear procedures and unclear avenues to find support prevents me from seeking advice from UON”

“I have a long report about an RM and it just takes a long time to send it in. I wish UON was more selective in the RM hiring process.”

“The university should provide an incentive to create more clubs up. possibly even start up general clubs to build a stronger community. most of the clubs at the club expo during week i have found are not very active if that at all. an incentive to keep the clubs active in a creative way is what is needed in my opinion.”

Professionalism (Updated target paths)

Definition - Demonstrating a work ethic/demeanor/behavior appropriate for an academic setting.

Keywords/Phrases - Condescending, Cordial, Courteous, Down to earth, Management, No nonsense approach, Professional, Punctual, Respectful, Rude, Serious

Examples - “I found the teacher rude and condescending.”

“My professor always treated us with the utmost respect.”

“The instructor was always late to class.”

Professor (Updated target paths)

Definition - The teacher(s) of the course.

Keywords/Phrases - Doctor, Educator, Instructor, Lecturer, Preceptor, Professor, Teacher, Tutorial instructor

Examples - “Dr. T. is very helpful and patient when it comes to explaining how to do things.”

”More contact from the lecturer would be better - it seemed that the teacher did not have the time to be too involved in this unit.”

“As an educator, he should care about what we learn in his class.”

Programs (Updated target paths)

Definition - Academic programs comprise the core, required and elective courses that lead to a certificate or a degree. (May contain similarities with ‘Course in general'.)

Keywords/Phrases - Prerequisites, Program

Examples - “The frustration with this program is a result from the faulty planning.”

“I really love the program I chose but this is one of the worst courses i’ve ever taken.”

Projects (Update target paths)

Definition - An individual endeavor that is planned to achieve a particular aim.

Keywords/Phrases - Final project, Project

Examples - “I learned the most from all of the projects!”

“Please make the information available ahead of time so weekly projects could be completed at our own pace.”

Quality (Updated target paths)

Definition - The degree of excellence of something.

Keywords/Phrases - Clunky, Effective, Efficient, Exemplary, High caliber, Improve(ment), On point, Outstanding, Quality, Problems/Issues, Rich, The state of a given subject, Unsound

Examples - “The textbook was really good and covered all the important topics.”

“Several typos were found on the syllabus.”

“The course had so many unnecessary problems and needs some serious improvements.”

Quantity (Updated target paths)

Definition - The amount or number of a given subject.

Keywords/Phrases - Did not overload, Good amount, Heavy, (In)sufficient, More/less, Not enough, Overwhelming amount, Rich, Reasonable amount, Sufficient, Too little/much

Examples - “I liked the examples a lot! My only complaint is that we need more of them.”

“I enjoyed doing practical work and I appreciate the amount of support we received during this time.”

“The workload was extremely overwhelming and needs to be reduced for future semesters.”

Readings (Updated target paths)

Definition - Written/printed/typed out reading material.

Keywords/Phrases - Articles, Essay, Journals, Papers, Readings, Reading list, Reading materials

Examples - “The instructor never provided a reading list so we had no clue which articles, journals, excerpts, etc., we were meant to read from the course pack.”

“We were assigned an article to read for our first assignment. It was very dense and long.”

“The weekly newsletters were informative readings.”

Relevance (Update target paths)

Definition - Applicable or useful with regards to current situation/world/real life.

Keywords/Phrases - Align, Applicable, Appropriate, *Contemporary/modern, Disconnect, Effective, Linked, Match, On point, Personable, Pertinent, Reflect, Relate, Relevant, Update

Examples - “Go through the Sakai information with a fine toothed comb and make sure that assignment descriptions are up to date and that they match the rubrics.”

“The assignments were all closely related to real industry situations and there was a lot of self learning involved in the assignments which made it quite challenging but it also provided a great learning experience.”

“He provided clear learning objectives, definitions, and concept descriptions; as well as useful case study exercises which we could use for our future careers."

Remote Learning (Updated target paths)

Definition - Instructing/teaching not done in person; typically via online meeting platforms or through pre-recorded lectures.

Keywords/Phrases - At-home, e-learning, Online learning, Remote, Time zone, Virtual class

Examples - “Remote learning was the only viable choice during these turbulent times.”

“Why did I have to pay the full tuition amount for an at-home experience? Totally not worth it.”

“Learning online was very convenient for me! Because of the time zone difference, it was actually much easier for me to attend classes virtually.”

Repetitiveness

Definition - Containing or characterized by repetition, especially when unnecessary or tiresome.

Keywords/Phrases - Familiar, Parrot, Redundant, Regurgitate, Repetitive, Same exact, Similar

Examples - “The posts on announcements seemed copied and pasted from one year to the next. This created a lot of confusion since there was often differing due dates that often needed clarification.”

”I liked how the instructor reiterated the content we learnt from the previous lecture as it helped me learn the material better.”

Responsiveness (Updated target paths)

Definition - How well one answers/reacts to something.

Keywords/Phrases - Answers my questions, Communication skills, Quick to reply, Responds

Examples - “No matter how many questions I asked, the teacher was always happy to answer me.”

”She was always available and quick to answer questions.”

“Although there were many posts on discussion board, replying more promptly and with more clarity would have helped to clear up issues students had.”

Safety (New)

Definition - Not presenting any danger physical or emotional.

Keywords/Phrases - Comfortable, Discrimination (sexist, racist, ableist, etc.), Harassment, Inclusive, Intimidating, Safe, Secure, Unsound

Examples - “Layla made sure that we were welcomed in her classroom by making sure she was using inclusive language and checking in with us every now and then.”

“There was no pressure in class discussions; everyone was comfortable speaking up, so discussions were casual yet productive.”

“He made really inappropriate comments about women throughout the entire semester.”

Services (new)

Definition - Various services offered by an institution.

Skills (Updated target paths)

Definition - Developed/acquired aptitudes or abilities that one can utilize in a given situation.

Keywords/Phrases - Confidence, Skill, Technique

Examples - “I don’t think I’ll ever use any of these skills learned from this course, utterly useless!”

“It really helped me expand my technique and for that I’m grateful.”

“My analytical abilities were improved from this course.”

Slides (Updated target paths)

Definition - Specific presentations comprised of slides which may contain text, images, and other types of media.

Keywords/Phrases - PowerPoint, PPT, PowerPoint presentation, Prezi, Slides

Examples - “The professor did not like to share his PPT before the lecture, which makes it impossible for me to make notes corresponding to the materials during the course.”

“Mark’s Prezi was informative and engaging.”

“The course materials were extremely well developed with detailed slides and modules.”

Socializing (Updated target paths)

Definition - The activity of meeting or spending time with people during your free time in order to enjoy yourself and to potentially build relations with others.

Keywords/Phrases - Making friends, Making contacts, Socializing

Examples - “Yes, but it is difficult to make friends because the university is very impersonal and there is an incredible number of fellow students.”

“I have found it very easy to make friends, which in turn has encouraged me to attend class as it can be very lively on campus.”

“So far i have had a really positive experience, and look forward to the rest of my time at UON! if anything, i would like there to be more opportunities to make friends as its something i really struggle with. thanks :)”

Software (Updated target paths)

Definition - Programs and other operating information used by a computer.

Keywords/Phrases - App, Excel, Honorlock, Kahoot, Matlab, Myob, Opnet, Photoshop, Software, SONIA, vSim, TechLive

Examples - “I liked how he explained the laws and calculations using simple examples. They were useful for understanding the laws better. He also uses excel, by drawing and his own notes that help me to understand the course better.”

“When I ran into difficulties installing, running, and using Opnet, John, my tutor, was not helpful.”

“We are not equipped to use such a complex app. Either change the software or provide instructions so we can navigate through it properly.”

Staff General (Updated target paths)

Definition - Unspecified/general teaching personnel employed to instruct students.

Keywords/Phrases - Assessor, Course convener, Course coordinator, Course demonstrator, Course facilitator, Faculty, Marker, Staff, Teaching staff

Examples - “There needs to be more structure within the rubrics and how the markers grade our papers. I found my results unfair!”

“The coordinator wasn’t always clear with his instructions.”

“I found the staff to be quite helpful!”

Stressfulness (Updated target path)

Definition - Causing stress or anxiety.

Keywords/Phrases - Comfortable, Frustrating, Heavy, Intense, Overwhelming, Pressure, Stressful

Examples - ”The final exam caused me a lot of anxiety.”

“Easy going, no pressure, casual conversation style.”

Structuredness (Updated target paths)

Definition - The quality of having a well-defined structure; how organized something appears to be.

Keywords/Phrases - Adapt, Align, Balance, Breaks, Conflict, Connect, Constructed, Contradict, Divide, Flexible, Flow, Inconsistencies, Link, Match, On the same page, Organized, Re-think, Separated, Spacing out, Structured, Well prepared, Well-put/thought out

Examples - “Syllabus was well organized.”

“The course content and the assignments need to be better aligned because there was simply too much conflicting information between them.”

Student (Updated target paths)

Definition - Learners who are enrolled and participating in the learning activities of the course.

Keywords/Phrases - Classmates, Cohort (← can be a group of students), Fellows, Peers, Student(s)

Examples - “Please be more assertive with the class. Sometimes, useless questions get asked by students who just want to kill time and it is very annoying.”

“It is a shame that my fellow students did not contribute towards the weekly discussions questions.”

“I found many of my classmates to be kind :)”

Student Life (Updated target paths)

Definition - The lifestyle in which a student(s) leads while on the grounds/buildings of an academic setting.

Keywords/Phrases - Campus atmosphere, Campus life, College/university experience

Examples - “Stop cutting funding and killing student life on campus”

“Wonderful student life and involvement, love the sausage sizzles makes everybody very social and love how well cultured the university is for people of different backgrounds!”

Student Voice

Definition - The values, opinions, beliefs, perspectives, and cultural backgrounds of individual students and groups of students in a school.

Keywords/Phrases - Student voice

Examples - “My program is hybrid, and I am to attend class on campus, however I do not really feel comfortable coming in and I was never asked if I was. Other schools asked their students and made arrangements. Conestoga never asked the students and they should have. Student voices matter.”

“The professor demonstrated a professional and supportive stance for students, despite being unable to action any changes/improvements based on a majority of students voicing serious and persistent concerns with the unmanageable workload for this course.”

Study/Life Balance (Updated target paths)

Definition - The degree to which a student(s) feels that their studies compliment and support their quality of life as opposed to reducing it; conversely, the degree to which a student(s) feels that their personal life compliments and support their academic life.

Keywords/Phrases - Balance, Parenting, Student-life, Study-life, Work-life, Working

Examples - “Way too many useless assignments in my opinion. I can’t properly do my school work in addition to working part-time.”

“Ida really cared about us. She always made sure that we didn’t have too much on our plates which helped with our student life balance.”

“Some of us have jobs, families, other course work, outside of this class. Because of the intense workload in this class, it was hard to keep up with my other responsibilities.”

Study Space (Update target paths)

Definition - A physical setting for a learning environment, a place in which teaching and learning occur.

Keywords/Phrases - Space for learning, Study space

Examples - “Maybe allow students to book a few hours to use the campus for a quite study period.”

“Opening more spaces to allow for different areas where students can study together rather than solely remote would be helpful.”

Surveys (New)

Definition - A short survey conducted by an educator at the end (summative) of, or in the middle (formative) of a semester or course of study. The evaluation form aims to collect general information on how each student experienced their course and their student life with the goal of improving the educational/social experience for current and future students.

Keywords/Phrases - Course evaluations, Course survey, Questionnaire, Survey

Examples - “You had better fix the section on commute of your survey!!! I ride a motorcycle and you DO NOT have this as a category. Your results will not be accurate or relevant for me or other motorcycle riders.”

“In my opinion, the survey questions are understandable and due to the large number of questions, the completeness should be achieved.”

Syllabus (Updated target paths)

Definition - The way in which the instructor breaks apart the course for a given learning period.

Keywords/Phrases - Agenda, Calendar, Course name, Curriculum, Due dates/deadlines, Learning plan, Lesson plan, Outline, *Schedule, Submissions, Syllabus

Examples - “He never gave us the lesson plan, and he used the same slideshow with the same information the whole semester.”

“The professor often extended deadlines and I think we all appreciated that!”

“When switched to online teaching model during the Covid-19, the lecturer did not ask students for their availability but rather he just changed the class from Friday to Tuesday night.”

TA/Tutor (Update target paths)

Definition - A person whose job is to assist the primary teacher.

Keywords/Phrases - Doctorand, PhD student, PhD candidate, Lab TA, Teaching Assistant(s), Tutor, Tutorial instructor

Examples - “One of the best TA’s I’ve had in these last two years of college.”

“The tutor was rude to the students. It seemed as though we were bothering him any time we asked for help.”

Teaching Component (See Teaching Effectiveness)

Teaching Effectiveness (Updated target paths)

Definition - Various components of teaching

Teaching Delivery (Updated target path)

Definition - The conveyance of a particular subject, usually done by an instructor.

Keywords/Phrases - Badly delivered, Executed horribly, Goes off on tangent, Isn’t good at teaching, Good at teaching, Teaching (<-General word ‘teaching’), Teaching approach, Well-delivered, Well-presented

Examples - “All in all, I really appreciated how he approaches the course. It was really organized and engaging.”

“The professor often goes off on irrelevant tangents that never have anything to do with the topic of the course.”

“I don't think he needs to change anything. The execution of the course was very well done. Please keep teaching this way.”

Teaching Methods (Updated target path)

Definition - Various teaching methods used by the instructor.

Keywords/Phrases - Case based learning, Flipped learning, Lectorals, Method of teaching, PBL (Project-Based Learning), Self-learning, Teach ourselves, Theory based learning

Examples - “I don’t like the method of showing the demo code in class, it’s a little confusing.”

“I find it’s a lot of reading and many of us are experiencing stress due to the more self directed learning now.”

“Overall I felt that the synchronous components of this class were well done and easy to follow.”

Teaching Style (Updated target path)

Definition - Various techniques and ways in which an instructor manages their class and delivers information.

Keywords/Phrases - Style, Teaching Style

Examples - “Loved his teaching style.”

“Lecture style learning for Mathematics could have been more engaging.”

Technology (Updated target paths)

Definition - Various types of technology within a course.

Technology/Hardware (Updated target paths)

Definition - Tools, hardware, and equipment used for practical purposes.

Keywords/Phrases - Clicker, Computer, Equipment, Hardware, Internet, Laptop, PC, Screensaver, Technology, VPN

Examples - “Also, the PCs used crashed during the tests. The computer lab needs improvements, they are too slow.”

“I love remote learning! I’m able to use my own laptop which I’m way more comfortable using.”

“Also, another reason why recording the lectures would be beneficial is that the wifi (at least in my dorm room) is not very reliable as I would often get kicked out of the meeting or my screen would freeze which made me miss a huge chunk of the lecture.”

Temperament (Updated target path)

Definition - The general mood of a person.

Keywords/Phrases - (any sort of personality) Aggressive, Calm, Carefree, Careful, Compassionate, Disposition, “Down to Earth”, Impulsive, Lively, Moody, Optimistic, Patient, Pessimistic, Relaxed, Rigid, Sociable, Thoughtful

Examples - “Our instructor was always patient with us and that made for a calm environment. Thanks!”

“I don’t think anyone ever went to the TA; she seemed cold-hearted and indifferent about us.”

“On top of the horrible class organization, we have been talked down to on several occasions in our labs.”

Textbooks (Updated target paths)

Definition - A book(s) used as a standard work for the study of a particular subject.

Keywords/Phrases - Book, Textbook(s)

Examples - “The textbooks were never utilized and costed me a fortune.”

“The required textbooks were not available at the school bookstore which was very inconvenient.”

“The text Introduction to Philosophical Foundation was useful for this class.”

Time (Updated target path)

Definition - Any and all subjects related with time; duration of how long or short something takes.

Keywords/Phrases - Duration, Extension, Length, Time, Too long/short

Examples - “We were given adequate time to complete our lab assignments.”

“Multiple assignments a week was very intense. And not receiving grades back in time for the next assignment was stressful.”

“The professor took too long to answer emails.”

Timetabling (New)

Definition - The list of classes that a student is enrolled in during a term/semester/quarter. Often includes times of the day and days of the week that each course is offered.

Keywords/Phrases - Class times, Schedule, Timetable

Examples - “Hello, the schedule is catastrophic at times :)”

“The plan of the semester should be available in advance”

“less clashes with classes”

Transportation (Updated target paths)

Definition - The way in which one travels from one location to another with no mention of transportation specific to bus/shuttle provided by the institution or otherwise; alternatively, public transit or driving on their own.

Keywords/Phrases - Car, Bike, Motorcycle, Public transportation, Railway, Train, Walk

Examples - “Living an hour away means that public transport is unreliable at best and near impossible at worst.”

“Trains are often on time with stable connections between stops.”

Travel (Updated target paths)

Definition - The travel/distance between one’s current location to another; the way in which one travels from one location to another.

Tutorials/Workshops (Update target paths)

Definition - Shorter one-off classes or study periods. Brief intensive educational program for a relatively small group of people that focuses especially on techniques and skills in a particular field.

Keywords/Phrases - Review Sessions, Seminars, Sessions, Tutorial, Webinars, Workshops

Examples - “I found that tutorials were not very thought provoking and were extremely simplistic which made them uninteresting. Also, the workshop to be scheduled at 8am on a Monday is ridiculous.”

“The exercises from the seminar were clear and concise but more questions relating to the course content should be added. However, the discussions that came from the seminar were insightful.”

”More review sessions would have been beneficial.”

Uniqueness (Updated target paths)

Definition - Having no like or equal.

Keywords/Phrases - Creative, Different, Out of the ordinary, Rare, Refreshing, Special, “think differently”, Uncommon, Unique, Welcome change

Examples - “The assignments went against creative thinking.”

“The unconventional style of this course was very inspiring.”

“The knowledge I gained from this course has forced me to think differently about the world.”

Virtual Interactions (New)

Definition - Exchanges, interactivity, and contact between individuals done in a virtual classroom setting.

Keywords/Phrases - Breakout sessions/rooms, Virtual Check-ins, Discussion board, Forums, Forum discussion, Live classes online, Online activities, Online interactions, Video call

Examples - “I really enjoyed our forums. Great way to interact with classmates online.”

“Please stop forcing us into breakout rooms, they are never helpful!”

“Maybe do a weekly online check-in with students and have a social online gathering with other students in the same program.”

Voice (Updated target paths)

Definition - Quality or clarity of an instructor’s voice; alternatively can refer to the voice of anyone not the instructor.

Keywords/Phrases - Audible, Pronunciation, Speech clarity/rate, Speak/Speech, Talk

Examples - “Good tone of voice and loud.”

“The teacher needs to enunciate better because I couldn't understand what he was saying half the time.”

“The lecturer needs to speak slowly. He spoke too fast and not loud enough to hear him.”

Wellbeing (Updated target paths)

Definition - The welfare, health, comfort, etc. of a student(s)

##Wellness (New)

Definition - A service provided in order to improve or help with personal health and wellbeing including mental/emotional/social wellbeing, physical wellbeing, and achieving a healthy lifestyle.

Keywords/Phrases - Dentist, Doctor, Psychiatrist/Psychologist

Examples - “A dentistry service in Newcastle would be great. I haven’t been to a dentist since I started university 3 and a half years ago because I can’t afford it and just realized there’s a dentist at the other campus.”

“It takes too long to get an appointment with a doctor and the receptionists I’ve spoken to have all been rude and unhelpful. Maybe consider a different line of work?”

Workload (Updated target paths)

Definition - The amount (quantity) of work in a general manner.

Keywords/Phrases - Coursework, Tasks, Work, Workload

Examples - “I thought the work for this class was very clear and detailed; overall I found everything helpful!”

“The amount of readings, assignments, projects and quizzes was too much work for a three credit course.”

“The coursework and general tasks were too stressful.”

Worthiness (Updated target paths)

Definition - Having real value or use, sometimes associated with a temporal component.

Keywords/Phrases - Beneficial, Effective, Efficient (depending on context), Fruitful, Further, Invaluable, Meaningful, Pointless, Rewarding, Value, Waste of time, Worthy, Worthwhile

Examples - “Valuable info and details about DM that I found relevant for my career.”

“The entire workshop did not benefit my learning in any way.”

“This course is extremely meaningful and I think everyone should take it.”