In this post, Shelley Cotton offers a simple yet effective intervention to act on student feedback and close the feedback loop in Student Voice activities. Shelley is a Quality and Accreditations Officer at the Business School. This posts belongs to the Student Voice in Practice series.
Imagine this.
You take time, multiple times a year, to offer thoughtful, constructive feedback. You do it hoping that your words will help shape something better. But what happens next?
Nothing.
No reply. No acknowledgement. No “thanks for your input.” You’re left wondering: Did they even read it? Did it matter? Maybe your comments disappeared into the digital void—the vast abyss of the internet.
After a while, it feels futile. So, like many others, you stop trying.
Why bother if no one’s listening?
But here’s the thing: It doesn’t have to be that way. And we shouldn’t let it be.
As educators, we constantly ask students for feedback on our teaching, our courses, and our assessments. But how often do we close the loop and let them know their voices have been heard?
We live in a time of rapid change. Artificial intelligence is transforming how we teach and how students learn. Our classrooms are more diverse than ever; students come to us with different backgrounds, learning styles, and expectations. A single, one-size-fits-all approach no longer works.
And yet, one thing remains constant: students want to be seen and heard. They want to know that their experiences matter. They want to help improve the systems they’re learning within.
That’s why, in the Business School, we’ve tried a new approach.
Every taught course is evaluated with a standard set of questions. When the survey has ended, the Course Organiser receives an email with a summary of the results and a simple “Response to Students” template. The ask is easy:
Read the feedback. Respond to your class.
The response doesn’t need to be long or fix everything. It just needs to acknowledge the student voice, what was helpful, what needs attention, and what might not change (and why). The Quality and Accreditations Team then emails the response directly to the students.
That’s it. A small step. But one that makes a big difference.
One student recently told us they could name every course where the Course Organiser responded to feedback. That’s how meaningful this kind of engagement is.
Here are a few examples of what this response from Course Organisers looks like in action:
Highlight what’s working:
“Some students mentioned that the interactive tools used in class, like Wooclap, really enhanced the learning environment. I’m glad to hear this and will definitely continue using tools that increase engagement.”
Be honest about challenges:
“Many of you found the course and material engaging, thank you. As I mentioned, you were my Beta Testers for this new format, and I really value your input. Some of you asked for more clarity in the assessments and more detailed feedback. I’ve taken that on board and have already added clarifying instructions on the Learn page. I’ll also be revisiting the assignments over the summer to reduce confusion and provide more structured feedback in the future. Please do reach out, email, discussion boards, office hours, if you’re ever unsure.”
When no change is being made (and why):
“This course uses a hands-on, constructivist teaching approach that requires active participation. Students who attended regularly and engaged with their groups got the most out of this. I understand this didn’t work for everyone, but this style is central to the learning outcomes we aim to deliver.”
“This course is foundational. Some students come with a strong background in the subject; others do not. The current 10-week structure has been carefully designed to meet the needs of the majority and to ensure adequate coverage of both topics involved. At this time, no change to the course length is planned.”
These kinds of responses don’t take long, but they’re powerful.
They let students know they’ve been heard, build trust, model the kind of reflective, open communication we want our learners to develop themselves, and, perhaps most importantly, give us as educators an opportunity to think critically about how we teach and how we can evolve.
We’re not aiming for perfection; we’re aiming for connection.
While we may not be able to act on every piece of feedback, acknowledging the conversation itself is meaningful. It turns a monologue into a dialogue and creates space for mutual respect, curiosity, and growth.
So, here’s the challenge: The next time you receive feedback from your students, take a moment. Read it. Reflect. And respond. Even a brief message can go a long way.
Let’s keep the conversation going. Our students are ready to speak, so let’s be ready to listen.
Shelley Cotton
Shelley Cotton is currently employed at the University of Edinburgh as the Quality and Accreditations Officer responsible for advancing the student experience through strategic survey management and data analysis within the Business School. She leads the continuous development and implementation of the Business School’s Course Enhancement Questionnaires (CEQs) and End-of-Programme Surveys across over 260 courses annually.
