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International Student Barometer (ISB) Survey
What is the ISB?
The International Student Barometer (ISB) is an online survey conducted in 2009 by
i-Graduate, an independent external research company. The company contacts international students studying at the University of Wollongong and invites them to complete a survey outlying their experiences of the University of Wollongong. All student responses are anonymous to ensure student privacy and encourage honest opinions.
The ISB is the largest annual study of international students in the world, tracking the perceptions and motivations of students across 5 continents. The ISB is now run in 16 countries across the world and has provided over 500 higher education institutions with valuable insights and benchmarking comparisons. Participating in the ISB allows the University of Wollongong to compare the satisfaction, perceptions and motivations of international students with other institutions on a national and global scale.
The survey will be conducted again at the University of Wollongong in 2010 and 2011.
Latest Results
The latest survey was held during the first half of 2009. International students attending UOW commented positively on the University’s surroundings, transport links and the support services on offer. The University is committed to ensuring these areas are maintained. The primary findings are shown below.
The survey asks questions in broad categories: the arrival experience, the learning experience, the living experience, the support experience and overall satisfaction. The following results were UOW student responses to a single overall satisfaction question:
| Overall Arrival Experience | 88% of students were satisfied | +3% National Average* |
|---|---|---|
| Overall Learning Experience | 88% of students were satisfied | +2% National Average* |
| Overall Living Experience | 87% of students were satisfied | -2% National Average* |
| Overall Support Experience | 91% of students were satisfied | +5% National Average* |
| Overall Satisfaction | 89% of students were satisfied | +2% National Average* |
*The National Average is based on the responses of 12 Australian Universities
How have these results made a difference?
- Careers Central is seeking to establish employment training programs (offering elements of job-readiness skills such as customer service and EEO rights) and provide details of available casual job opportunities for international students.
- Accommodation Services has hired a Student Housing Officer to assist students find suitable accommodation and to deal with complaints.
- As a consequence of issues raised within a number of focus groups, the Library is addressing ways to improve its services for international students.
