Nottingham University partners with Explorance to analyse data

The University of Nottingham has partnered with Explorance MLY to enhance the analysis of student survey data and improve educational outcomes.

The University, recognised as one of the UK's top ten institutions and a prestigious member of the Russell Group, is focused on enhancing student satisfaction as a central strategy. Geyv Kathoke, Chief Business Intelligence Officer at the University, stated, "We are conscious that we survey our students a lot, so we wanted to find a way to make better use of the data we are gathering and maximise the value of every survey."

The institution has acknowledged the challenges in analysing free-text survey responses due to limited resources. "The value we have not tapped into is the free-text elements of each survey, as we only have a very small dedicated team to do this work and take any actions from it. We recognise the importance of understanding what student voice says and the need to delve deeper into it, but also that ability to do so has been limited by time and the resource required," Geyv explained.

The University plans to implement National Student Survey (NSS)-aligned surveys for non-final year students with additional free-text questions covering the overall university experience from February to April 2025. Explorance MLY will assist in analysing and categorising the responses, facilitating actionable outcomes. "MLY will deepen our understanding of recurring challenges, including in thematic areas across the University and those in specific academic units, and support taking action and closing the feedback loop," Geyv added.

Geyv noted MLY's adaptability, emphasising its potential use across different survey types. "The technology's specificity, with machine learning algorithms trained on higher education datasets and nothing else, brings huge flexibility, and through it, we can decipher student voice from other surveys," he elaborated.

The partnership aims to improve the efficiency of processing survey data, particularly focusing on the 24,000 undergraduate students and 10 free-text questions per survey. According to Geyv, "MLY has the ability to scale, both in terms of different surveys and resourcing... MLY means humans can do the added-value part."

Strategically, the University sees NSS scores as pivotal, and the investment in MLY is expected to enhance insights that inform practices to improve the student experience. "Strategically, NSS scores are one of our institutional KPIs, and we fully expect that the investment in MLY will provide extra insight to inform practice," Geyv stated.

Geyv praised the collaboration with Explorance, mentioning, "I really enjoy the interactions we have, the team are diligent and supportive, very accommodating and very helpful." He also highlighted the potential benefits of engaging with the broader Explorance community.

John Atherton, VP Sales – EMEA at Explorance, expressed satisfaction with the partnership: "We are really pleased to add the University of Nottingham to a fast-growing list of UK universities which have acquired MLY for AI-powered qualitative analysis of student feedback."