Not yet. We want to make sure the ability to add pre-written questions works smoothly before providing support for faculty to suggest new items to add to the catalog. We will provide mechanisms for instructors to suggest items after fall 2026 at the earliest.
Category: Instructor FAQ
How was the catalog of survey items constructed?
The most commonly used items from ICES Online were identified. A team of survey designers refined that set of items to follow current best practices for survey design.
Can I add instructor-specific questions to my FLEX survey?
Not yet. Starting as soon as we work out support by the vendor, a catalog of survey items that instructors may choose from will be provided. Instructors will be able to add up to three items from the catalog to their survey. You will be notified by the FLEX system when you are able to […]
Can I opt out of having my students complete FLEX surveys? If so, how?
The campus guidelines for teaching feedback and evaluation state that instructors must gather student feedback on their teaching, not that they administer FLEX. If you believe that FLEX is not appropriate for your course, work with your unit executive officer (i.e., chair, head, director) to identify an acceptable alternate source of student feedback. You can […]
Will students’ geographical location impact whether they can access a FLEX feedback form?
Due to certain international laws, some students may be blocked from accessing the FLEX website. Students who are currently geographically located in the EU, EEA, UK, or Switzerland should contact flex@illinois.edu for further information.
What information will be shared with Explorance Blue?
The university will share instructor’s name, NetID, title/role (e.g., TA vs. faculty), and UIN; course information (e.g., CRN, subject code, course number, course title, section identifier); course registration (e.g., students’ NetID, class status); and other university staff contact information such as unit executive officers’ name, NetID, and UIN and their designees. This data will be […]
Why use Explorance Blue as a third-party survey provider?
Explorance Blue is the software that best satisfies our campus’ requirements for access control, security, FEPA compliance, and that best accommodates the variety of our course models and structure.
Who will be collecting the feedback from the survey? Who is Explorance Blue?
CITL will administer the Explorance Blue system. Explorance Blue is a feedback analytics and insights platform that streamlines collection and analysis of surveys. Learn more about Blue.
How has the FLEX survey been validated?
FLEX was developed following evidence-based practices for survey design. The scales for the survey were chosen to align with the campus definition of teaching excellence. Initial survey items were drafted and circulated for faculty feedback for importance and applicability. An initial set of items were selected based on faculty feedback. These items were taken to […]
Who will have access to the results from FLEX surveys for courses?
Instructors and their unit executive officers will by default have access to FLEX results. A provost’s task force is being charged to address questions such as whether should students have access to some type of access to FLEX results (i.e., raw or summary data) and whether access to FLEX results can be used as an […]