University aspirations, decision-making & influencers amongst 6- to 18-year olds: a collaborative research project

University aspirations, decision-making & influencers amongst 6- to 18-year olds: a collaborative research project

Bringing together nine universities as part of a collaborative ‘University Futures’ research project, Alterline plans to capture new evidence about how young people view university from early childhood through to adolescence, mapping children’s and young people’s thinking, aspirations and expectations at key stages from aged 6 to 18. We know from our work with 16- to 18-year olds that applying…
September 27, 2017
NSS Q26 – “The students’ union (association or guild) effectively represents students’ academic interests.”

NSS Q26 – “The students’ union (association or guild) effectively represents students’ academic interests.”

Union Futures Project: With the publication of an amended National Student Survey (NSS) questionnaire for 2017, and a new question (Q26) for students’ unions, in October 2016 we launched our first Union Futures project bringing together 18 students’ unions as part of a joint research venture to inform and enable a proactive response to the new NSS question. In a…
September 27, 2017

National Student Survey 2017

The National Student Survey (NSS) is an important barometer of student satisfaction with higher education. Here are five key out-takes from the recently published results of the 2017 survey (unless stated, data relates to England only). Overall satisfaction: 84% of full-time students and 85% of part-time students in England were  satisfied overall with the quality of their course. Figures for…
September 1, 2017
Working with Alterline to embed patient-centricity

Working with Alterline to embed patient-centricity

As patient-centricity becomes increasingly important to the pharmaceutical business model, methods that enable deeper and more personal connections to patients’ lives are crucial. Alterline is a specialist, qualitative research consultancy working to embed patient-centric practices. Our approach is based upon a fundamental principle: patients are first and foremost people; people who live complex, emotional and demanding lives. True patient-centricity means…
July 2, 2017
“What does a tick mean?!” Exploring poor experiences of assessment and feedback through student experience research

“What does a tick mean?!” Exploring poor experiences of assessment and feedback through student experience research

Since the advent of the National Student Survey (NSS) assessment and feedback has received consistently lower ratings compared to other areas, however concerns in this area have been highlighted in institutional experience surveys going as far back as the late 1980s. The result is neither good for students nor good for institutions facing increased pressure from the Teaching Excellence Framework (TEF). …
June 30, 2017
GPs: a clear need to improve patient experiences despite mounting pressures and challenges

GPs: a clear need to improve patient experiences despite mounting pressures and challenges

General practitioners (GPs) are the lynchpin for patients and despite mounting pressures there’s huge scope for improving experiences for patients. Yet health charities are often uncertain about how best to support and enable GPs; there’s a clear need to build more strategic and meaningful engagement. This is not an issue that can be tackled by individual charities alone; a collaborative…
June 19, 2017
Experts in ‘now’: making the most of your alumni in the era of the TEF

Experts in ‘now’: making the most of your alumni in the era of the TEF

In the rapidly changing landscape of the UK labour market and higher education sector, recent graduates have experience that institutions can take advantage of to provide up-to-date, first-hand advice to current and prospective students about making it on the road to career and life success. Alterline's Dr Beth Carley discusses how alumni engagement can contribute to the strategic objectives of universities…
May 23, 2017
Student mental health: Being well, doing well

Student mental health: Being well, doing well

At Alterline we pride ourselves on knowing what students are thinking and experiencing; what they love about student life and what’s going wrong. Over the last few years there’s one theme that has grown impossible to ignore and we’re passionate about helping to address – student mental health. In this article, we take a look at the current research on…
May 4, 2017
Why university libraries are becoming more coffee shop and less text book

Why university libraries are becoming more coffee shop and less text book

Students spend a lot of time in the university library, but is the experience what it should be? Alterline Research Director Ben Hickman explains how university libraries can help student experience in a world where tuition fees may soon be linked to the Teaching Excellence Framework. Customers.  It’s not a word often used to describe university students. But rises in…
April 27, 2017
Life story interviewing: Defining successful patient drug outcomes

Life story interviewing: Defining successful patient drug outcomes

Life-story interviewing is a technique that provides a holistic understanding of patients’ lives, from birth to current day. The benefits of life story interviewing Explores a person’s individual experiences within a macro-historical framework (their life-history) Combines an understanding of both the psychological and sociological aspects of people’s lives (their internal thoughts and feelings as well as their environment and context)…
April 11, 2017
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