What is the Learner Voice Survey?
The Learner Voice Survey will be a new national survey for learners across Wales who are in post-16 education or training. It has been created to understand what learners think about their courses, support, wellbeing, and overall learning experiences. The aim is to capture what is working well and what could be improved, so that future learning across Wales is the best it can be.
Who is running the survey?
The survey is being developed and run by IFF Research, an independent research organisation, on behalf of Medr, who fund and regulate post-16 education and want to ensure all learners receive high quality teaching, support and opportunities.
Why it matters
Your views and experiences help shape the future of learning in Wales. The survey is designed using direct feedback from learners, ensuring the questions reflect what matters to you. Findings will help Medr and your learning provider understand what learners value, highlight areas for improvement, and support better decision making across the sector.
How to take part
The survey is online.
You can do it using a phone, tablet, laptop or computer. There are different ways to access the survey:
- If you receive an email about the survey, click the link in the email.
- If you see a poster about the survey, scan the QR code with your phone or tablet, or type the web address into your browser’s address bar.
Once you’ve opened the survey, choose the language you want to complete it in and click Next. You can answer using the touchscreen on your phone or tablet, or using a mouse or keyboard.
If you need any help completing the survey, talk to your tutor, or check our Frequently Asked Questions.
This explainer video summarises the key information.
Need help or have questions?
If you have questions about the survey or how your data will be used, check our Frequently Asked Questions or speak to your tutor.
How your data will be used
Your privacy is taken very seriously:
- Your answers are confidential
- Medr will not receive any personal information about you
- Everything you share is used only to improve the Learner Voice Survey and wider learner experiences – never for marketing or automated decision making
- All data is anonymised before being reported so no individual can be identified
- Participation is completely voluntary, and you can withdraw at any time
IFF Research stores data securely and follows strict UK GDPR guidelines. Only authorised researchers can access your information, and all personal data is deleted within the timelines set out in the privacy notice.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who can take part?
Learners across post-16 education in Wales, including further education, apprenticeships, and adult learning.
What is my learner ID? Where can I find my learner ID?
This is a number that you may have been given when you enrolled / signed up to start on the course. It might be on your student card, or a letter from the provider confirming your enrolment or email from your learning provider confirming you are doing the course. You can also ask your tutor for help if you don’t know your learner ID.
If you don’t have a learner ID, you can still do the survey.
Why am I being invited?
Because your experiences matter. The survey is intended to reflect what learners really think, and your voice helps shape future decisions.
Why am I asked to provide my contact details?
You are asked to provide your contact details so that you can be entered into the prize draw to win an iPad. The contact details you provide will only be seen by a small number of people working at IFF Research and will only be used to contact you for the prize draw.
Is it voluntary?
Yes, the survey is voluntary – but it’s important that as many people complete this survey as possible. This is so that we can collect different opinions and no one is left out.
Does this survey follow the rules about data protection?
Yes, this survey follows all the rules about data protection. All of the answers you give in the survey will be kept completely safe.
If you want to see the answers you have given in the survey, or if you want to change your answers or you want your answers to be deleted, this is fine. You can find out how to do this on the IFF Research website.
Are there different ways that I can do the survey?
Yes, there are different ways you can do the survey. The survey is online, and so you can take part using a mobile phone, a tablet, a laptop, or a computer.
The full survey is available in English and Welsh. If you need any help accessing or filling in the survey, you can talk to a tutor or member of staff at your college, or training provider. They might be able to support you, for example by giving you an easy‑read version or a paper copy of the survey.
If you would find it difficult to finish the survey in one go, at the start of the survey you can ask to be sent a new link by email. This will then let you pause the survey and re-start it later, without losing any of your answers.
If you cannot do the survey online, You can also ask your learning provider for a paper version of the survey, which will be in English or Welsh.
If you need help filling in the survey (whether online, or on paper), please speak to a tutor at your learning provider and ask if they can help you.
I’m having a technical problem with the survey, what do I do?
If you are having problems making the survey work online, please speak to your course tutor. They may be able to help, or they can speak to the research company that is running the survey, who will try to fix the problem.
We also have some help for technical problems below:
I can’t get into the survey / the survey link doesn’t work
- Make sure you are typing the survey link into the address bar of the browser. This will be at the top of the window and have “http://” at the start. Do not type the survey link into a search engine such as Google.
- If you are using a laptop or computer, try using a different browser (e.g. Chrome or Microsoft Edge). If you are using a phone or tablet you can scan the QR code on the survey posters or leaflets.
I asked for a unique survey link to be emailed to me, but it hasn’t arrived
- Check your Junk email folder – it may be in there
- It can take up to an hour for the emails to arrive – you may just need to wait a bit longer
- You might have typed your email address wrong – you can go back into the survey and ask for the email to be sent again
I paused the survey and now can’t go back in
- If you did not request a unique link, if you close the survey you will need to start again. You can start the survey again by clicking the link in the email from your provider, or by typing in the survey address from the posters or leaflets or scanning the QR code.
- If you requested a unique link by email, you can pause and re-start the survey. However, for security reasons, after you pause you will need to wait 15 minutes before you can go back into the survey.
Does Medr see my personal details?
No. An independent research agency called IFF Research is running this survey. There is a small team of people working at this company who will be able to see your answers. These people are not allowed to use your answers for anything other than the research. Your learning provider will not be able to see your individual answers. Medr will only receive anonymised findings.
If, however, you disclose something in your responses that suggests you or someone else may be at risk of harm or danger, the research team may need to take appropriate action to ensure safety.
Do I get anything for taking part in this survey?
By taking part in the survey, you’ll help to improve the learner experience at your college or provider and support positive changes for future learners across Wales. If you take part in the survey and provide your contact details, you will enter a prize draw to win an iPad. The draw will take place at the end of fieldwork, and one winner from each provider will be selected at random.
What will IFF do with all the answers?
When the survey is finished, all of the answers from learners in all the different learning providers in Wales will be combined and analysed to produce reports for your learning provider as well as a national report. The report will say things like “80% of people thought the support they got for learning was good.” The report will not mention anyone’s name.
Who can I contact with questions?
For project questions: IFF Research — learnervoicesurvey@iffresearch.com
For privacy questions: dataprotectionofficer@medr.cymru
Why does the survey ask for my learner ID?
The survey asks for your learner ID so that IFF Research can add information about what course you are doing after you complete the survey. This means we don’t need to ask you for this information in the survey.