Effectively analysing open-ended feedback from students is a significant challenge facing universities today. The emergence of AI, however, presents a promising opportunity in feedback analytics, particularly in higher education. Explorance MLY is at the forefront of this revolution, empowering institutions to distill actionable insights from vast amounts of unstructured feedback swiftly and effectively.
Join Explorance and a panel of esteemed experts from the University of Westminster, Liverpool John Moores University, and The University of Manchester for an illuminating discussion on how they have used actionable insights from Explorance MLY, an AI-powered qualitative analysis tool, to better understand and improve the Student Voice.
The panel discussion will underscore the transformative potential of Explorance MLY and AI in deciphering the 'why' behind student feedback, thereby facilitating informed decision-making processes aimed at institutional excellence and continuous improvement.
About Speakers:
Matthew Abley, Institutional Research Analyst, University of Westminster:
Matthew’s career focuses on enhancing student outcomes across secondary and higher education. He taught English before transitioning to the Third sector, where he spearheaded the design and evaluation of pilot initiatives to raise attainment in marginalised student demographics. His expertise in change management and qualitative research methodologies consistently emphasises enriching the student experience.
He excels in extracting actionable insights from significant national surveys, such as the NSS and PTES. His collaborative efforts with peers on primary research techniques and his strategic recommendations to the university’s leadership are instrumental in fostering student engagement and academic achievement.
Matthew’s recent endeavours include overseeing the deployment of AI tools to streamline the dissemination of insights and actions. His innovative approach to developing qualitative lead indicators enhances and provides context to quantitative data, furthering the university’s commitment to student success.
Daniel Bayes, Teaching and Learning Officer (Student Voice and Feedback), The University of Manchester:
Daniel is the Teaching and Learning Officer with responsibility for Student Voice and Feedback at The University of Manchester. After graduating with a BA in History they joined the University and have worked through a series of student experience roles. In 2021 they joined the Taught Programme Enhancement Team led by Jo Hicks and were part of the team working on ‘Transforming Teaching Together @Manchester’ a project to review and develop quality assurance and enhancement activity across the University. From this activity the team worked to introduce Blue by Explorance. As of 2023 Daniel has moved role within the team and now manages the student surveying portfolio for taught programme activity. Working with colleagues across Manchester’s three faculties they support student confidence and opportunity to provide effective feedback and co-create solutions in a dynamic dialogue with colleagues.
Fenbna Boerkamp, Liverpool John Moore's University: Further details to follow
Fenna Boerkamp, Institutional Research and Evaluation Officer, Liverpool John Moores University
Fenna Boerkamp is an Institutional Research and Evaluation Officer at Liverpool John Moores University. Her main focus revolves around overseeing internal and external surveys and evaluating activities related to Access and Participation, with the aim of providing valuable data-driven insights to enhance the student experience.
With degrees in Psychology (BSc) and Behaviour Change (MSc), both earned with distinction, Fenna brings a solid academic grounding to her current role. Previously, she taught psychology at the University of Twente, specialising in research methodologies, systematic intervention design, and communicational skills. Additionally, she gained practical experience in a Behavioural Science Consultancy, applying behavioural analyses and user research to inform policy and service design in the public sector. These experiences equipped her with a thorough understanding of teaching methods, student needs, and the ability to translate data into actionable insights, essential for her current role in institutional research and evaluation.
John Atherton, VP Sales EMEA, Explorance
John is the VP Sales for EMEA at Explorance. He graduated from Sheffield Hallam University in 2007 with a Business Studies degree and has since worked in the higher education sector, supporting universities with student voice strategies and technologies.
In that time, he has worked directly with over half the institutions in the UK and many more across Europe and Africa. John joined Explorance in 2015 to lead the growth and operations for the European region and continues to manage several university partnerships.
About Explorance:
Explorance is a provider of People Insight solutions. The company empowers organizations with actionable decision-making by measuring students' and employees' needs, expectations, skills, knowledge, and competencies. Through scalable automation with tools including Blue and Metrics That Matter and expert-based services, Explorance facilitates continuous improvement and accelerates the insight-to-action cycle, leading to personal growth and organizational agility.
Please contact info@hespa.ac.uk for more information
