Measurement Systems
LEAP has established measurement systems that are integrated with SFU’s central platforms to gather learning and teaching data consistently across the university. These systems make it possible to collect feedback from every student and instructor each term and connect that information with broader institutional and demographic data.
To keep pace with the scale of this work—hundreds of thousands of data points each year—we also undertake development projects that test new approaches to analysis and system integration. Our current projects can be found below while our flagship program, the Course Experience Survey, has its own dedicated page.
MLY: A Comment Analysis Solution
Each year, the Course Experience Survey (CES) generates an average of 250,000 written comments from students. This feedback offers rich insights into learning and teaching, but the scale has made it difficult to review in full. In 2024, LEAP piloted a Machine Learning for Comments (MLY) approach to test how text analytics can classify, summarize, and highlight patterns in these comments.
While piloted with CES, MLY has potential for any project that gathers large volumes of open-ended student feedback, creating new ways to make qualitative data usable at scale.
Data Portal Page
Canvas Cloud: Deeper CES Integration
As SFU migrates to Canvas Cloud in 2026, LEAP is preparing new ways to connect the Course Experience Survey more directly with the learning environment. The first phase will improve CES accessibility for students, making participation easier and more seamless. Over time, these integrations may also open new opportunities for understanding learning and teaching through linked data.