Centrally-hosted online DLHE survey - Guidance notes (C08018)
Destinations of Leavers from Higher Education (DLHE) Collection 2008/09
Centrally-hosted online DLHE survey - Guidance notes
Version 1.0 Produced 2009-02-25
Table of Contents
Centrally-hosted online DLHE survey
Use of the centrally-hosted online DLHE survey by graduates
By-passing the institution and language selection
Use of the centrally-hosted online DLHE survey by institutions
When can graduates complete the centrally-hosted online DLHE questionnaire?
Support for institutions and graduates
Centrally-hosted online DLHE survey
The centrally-hosted online DLHE survey is a web-based implementation of the standard DLHE questionnaire. It has as far as is possible validation checks built into the questionnaire to ensure that core questions are answered and the response is internally consistent. The centrally-hosted online DLHE questionnaire is also available in the Welsh language for graduates from institutions in Wales. Use of this online version is entirely optional, but institutions are encouraged to make it available. Institutions will need to subscribe to the survey system to make this method available to their graduates. Instructions on how to subscribe are below.
Institutions can download the responses from their leavers through the HESA data collection interface (submit.hesa.ac.uk). These responses will need to be SIC and SOC coded and then incorporated with the rest of the institution's data submission. A description of the Centrally-hosted online DLHE survey - File layout can be viewed here.
Use of the centrally-hosted online DLHE survey by graduates
Leavers should be directed to www.dlhe.ac.uk using the standard email texts, available in both English and Welsh.
The first screen will be a language selection screen (English or Welsh). If the English language is selected, a map of the UK - split by country and region - will be displayed. From this map a list of institutions in each region that are using the system will be displayed - the graduate should select the institution from which they have graduated.
If the Welsh language is selected, a map of Wales will be displayed with a list of the institutions in Wales that are using the system - the leaver should select the institution from which they have graduated.
The next stage will be for the leaver to enter their personal details: name, address, email address, title of course from which they graduated and, if specified by the institution, a student identifier and/or PIN number (see below). Once complete, the leaver will then work through the standard questionnaire until they are instructed to 'Submit' their questionnaire.
By-passing the institution and language selection
Institutions may link directly to the personal details page by using a web-reference in the form www.dlhe.ac.uk?INST=xxxx, where xxxx is the HESA institution identifier. If the institution identifier is that of an institution in Wales the graduate will be directed to the language selection page and then the personal details page. If the institution is not in Wales the graduate will be directed to the personal details page and the questionnaire will be presented in English.
Use of the centrally-hosted online DLHE survey by institutions
Configuration of the system for each institution is via a simple control panel, accessed through the HESA data collection interface (submit.hesa.ac.uk). The control panel opens three weeks prior to the start of the 'Initial contact' period. For the April 2009 survey, the date the panel will open is Monday 23 March 2009, three weeks prior to the start of the 'Initial contact' period which commences on 20 April 2009. For the January 2010 survey, the panel will open Monday 26 October 2009, three weeks prior to the 'Initial contact' period which commences on 16 November 2009. Access codes will be sent to institutions prior to the control panel opening.
There are four sections to the control panel:
- A section to indicate whether or not the institution wishes to be included in this service.
- A section to indicate whether or not a student identifier question is included on the personal details screen.
- A section to indicate whether or not a PIN question is included on the personal details screen.
- A section allowing an institution to re-label the student identifier label - it is acknowledged institutions use a variety of names for the student identifier.
Only those institutions that use the control panel to indicate their use of this service will be shown on the institution selection page used by graduates.
The student identifier and PIN fields can be used by institutions to aid the matching of responses to the DLHE target population list. For both of these fields their completion can be defined as mandatory, optional, or not used. If mandatory or optional are selected then the length of the fields can be specified and validated by the system. The student identifier can be specified up to 20 characters, and the PIN can be specified up to ten characters in length. If no length is specified then any length (up to the maximum lengths) will be allowed by the system.
Below is a mock up of the control panel.
The control panel is locked on the day the system opens; institutions that have not subscribed and configured the system by that time will be unable to use the centrally-hosted online DLHE system for that survey.
When can graduates use the centrally-hosted online DLHE questionnaire?
For the April 2009 survey, the centrally-hosted online DLHE questionnaire system opens on the first day of 'Initial contact' period, i.e. 20 April 2009. It will remain open until the end of the normal data capture period, which is 29 June 2009.
For the January 2010 survey the centrally-hosted online DLHE questionnaire system opens on the first day of 'Initial contact' period, i.e. 16 November 2009. It will remain open until the end of the normal data capture period, which is 12 March 2010.
Support for institutions and graduates
HESA will provide support to institutions during normal office hours. Please therefore contact the Agency's Institutional Liaison team at HESA or email liaison@hesa.ac.uk. The first line of support for graduates should be the relevant institution.
