Students’ Opinions (OPIS) #
The students’ opinions (OPIS) are anonymous surveys over the quality of the teaching for each subject. They are mandatory for booking exams for a specific subject, and are analysed each year by a board of professors, which will use them for identifying problems and find solutions for them.
Each OPIS can be completed on InfoStud, by inserting an 8-characters (letters or numbers) string in the format XXXXXXXX (for instance, MPDSXZSH could be a plausible OPIS code). Mind that the OPIS for a certain subject can be completed once per academic year. Until the moment when it’s not sent, all the data are saved as draft, and will be sent to Sapienza only when the student finishes the whole questionnaire.
Why do OPIS surveys exist? #
OPIS surveys were implemented by a law passed the 27/10/1999, for which all universities in Italy must acquire, anonimously and continuously, feedbacks from the students regarding the teaching of the offered courses. This is needed because, each year, all universities must send to the MUR (Minister of Universities and Research) a report regarding the satisfaction of the students regarding the offered courses.
Sapienza, as an italian university, adheres to such law, collecting on each semester the students’ opinions regarding every course that they take. Specifically, the law suggests the universities to allow the compiling of the surveys on a mobile device whenever 2/3 of the teaching has been done, hence the reason why they are usually done in November (if the teaching has been done in the 1st semester) or in April (if the teaching has been done in the 2nd semester).
The law states, moreover, that the OPIS surveys are mandatory for all the students: it’s important to listen to all the students, whether they are following the course or not; there is not only the right of expressing one’s opinion, but there is a moral duty to give feedbacks to one’s university, which is a collective good.
But what does Sapienza do with the OPIS surveys? First of all, they can be used by the single professors in order to find eventual problems with their teachings; second of all, they can be used by the single departments to analyse its courses, both individually and cumulatively. Each year, a commission of professors and some students’ representatives is reunited to observe and comment the results of the OPIS surveys: this allows for a department to find eventual problems within its courses.
The reports regarding the results of the OPIS surveys are published each year on Sapienza’s website. The report for an academic year XXXX/XXXX + 1 is published one year after the said academic year (so in 2024 the report for the A.Y. 2022/23 got published).
Structure of an OPIS survey #
An OPIS survey is made of 7 sections, 6 of which are made of questions with multiple choice answers. The possible answers are:
- Definitely yes;
- More yes than no;
- More no than yes;
- Definitely not.
The last section contains two text sections for leaving any comment that you may have, for a maximum of 300 characters.
Warning
It is very important to compile the OPIS surveys with the uttermost honesty: if the professor held a good course, it’s important to state it; if there were some issues along the way, it’s important to state them as well. Comments are the most effective way for a student to communicate its thoughts regarding a course. Remember to take your time while doing your OPIS survey: your words are heard and have a great impact on the courses that you follow/followed.
Don’t be scared of being honest: remember that OPIS surveys are anonymous, and the professors can’t see who made each single submission!
How to complete an OPIS survey #
In order to complete an OPIS survey, you must have the OPIS code. Such code can either be given to you by the professor or it could be automatically be given to you by InfoStud when trying to reserve an exam. We’ll assume that the professor gave you the code.
Prompted to complete the OPIS before reserving an exam seat
In case you are automatically prompted to complete the OPIS, then you can choose whether to complete the OPIS or to do it in another moment. Remember that it’s mandatory to first complete the OPIS before reserving for an exam. A similar message will be shown on screen when trying to reserve for an exam whose OPIS survey hasn’t been completed yet:
- Go to the
Opinioni Studenti/Students' Opinionsmenu under theCorsi di Laurea/Bachelors and Masters Degree Programmessection;
- Insert the code of the OPIS survey, then click on the
Vai al questionario/Go to questionnaire;
- You will be brought to the OPIS survey page, you can now start answering to the questions.
- There are two ways to access to the OPIS questionnaires through the mobile version of InfoStud. One of this is to insert the OPIS code directly in the homepage of InfoStud. If you choose to insert the code this way, then you can skip to step X. Otherwise, if you prefer to insert it in the other way, follow the next steps;
- The second way for accessing the OPIS form is to go on the dots grid on the bottom right of the home page, and then to click on the
Opisbutton on the bottom left of the menu grid;
- After clicking on the
Opisbutton, a new page will open, with a text form asking for the OPIS code. Insert it, and press theProcedi/Proceedbutton;
- If everything went correctly, you will be brought to the OPIS survey page; you can now start answering to the questions.