‘Student Expectations of Higher Education’ th September 2015 Wednesday 30 th Tony Turjansky Director of Quality Assurance & University Learning and Teaching Fellow
Session descriptor Edge Hill’s Student Charter sets out the terms of partnership between the University and its students and summarises what a student can expect from the institution and what is expected of them in return. The UK Quality Code for Higher Education also refers to working in partnership with students in shaping and delivering their learning experience. This session will draw upon University policies and findings from national research to consider students’ expectations of teaching, assessment and support including personal and professional development. We shall also look at the recent clarification of consumer protection law as it affects universities and students.
‘Students at the heart of the system’ (HE White Paper, 2011) Financing students Improving the student experience Increasing social mobility A new, fit-for-purpose regulatory framework
Financing students • “A new system for higher education funding which ensures that no first-time undergraduate student will have to pay fees up-front and that people are only ever asked to contribute towards the cost of their education, once they can afford to do so .” • “ To be successful, institutions will have to appeal to prospective students and be respected by employers. Putting financial power into the hands of learners makes student choice meaningful.” • “ We expect new courses to offer increased value for money , as they will be delivered by a range of providers with different business models… This will further improve student choice by supporting a more diverse sector.”
Im Improving the student experience • “We will remove the regulatory barriers that are preventing a level playing field for higher education providers of all types, including further education colleges and other alternative providers… It will also lead to higher education institutions concentrating on high-quality teaching .” • “ We will radically improve and expand the information available to prospective students , making available much more information about individual courses at individual institutions and graduate employment prospects.” • “Student charters and student feedback will take on a new importance to empower students whilst at university.”
‘Student expectations and perceptions of HE’ (QAA & King’s College London, 2013) (QAA) “The report sheds new light on what students perceive as value for money , and what is important to them. It also provides evidence about the information students need and what they get, how their courses are managed and structured, and the role of technology in shaping their experiences. It raises the issue of what feedback students expect – something that comes up regularly in QAA’s reviews and that universities and colleges still need to consider very carefully .”
Value for money • Institutions and the sector need to explain the relationship between fees and the quality and value of their degree. • To support student choice, there should be greater information and transparency of information on how money is spent on teaching and learning activities.
In Information and support • Institutions need to provide more realistic information about their courses including what they [students] should expect and what was expected of them. A broad sector approach to increased public information about students in higher education could help students prepare them for the realities of higher education. • To support student choice, there should be greater information and transparency of information on what qualifications academics have in their subjects and for teaching, how academics are hired and trained and how teaching is structured and allocated. • There need to be clear and simple statements communicated for the most important aspects of a student’s degree, focused at the course‐level . Institutions should be cautious of using these as marketing opportunities and setting unrealistic expectations or ‘selling’ an undeliverable experience.
In Information and support (contd) • There needs to be recognition that students enter higher education on different trajectories, they need different kinds and levels of support, and the institution needs to be responsive to students ’ needs . Students should have clear avenues for support that they are comfortable using for personal and academic concerns. • Staff need to be supported by their institutions to provide the interaction, support and guidance that is important to students. This includes manageable teaching loads, a balance between teaching and research responsibilities and meaningful reward, recognition and progression opportunities related to teaching and support activities.
In Information and support (contd) • Institutions need to foster a welcoming and supportive sense of community, between staff and students, and involving all staff (e.g. academic, professional and administrative). For students this involves a sense of shared aims, shared identity and shared spaces — at the subject level and institutionally. • Institutions need to offer more course‐level information and better organisation of their offering of internships, placements, work experience and skills support, all tailored to specific subjects, with support available from those with experience in those industries and fields. • Students want more support for employability , focusing on processes, guidance support available and development opportunities, including internships, placements and work experience .
In Information and support (contd) • Students want opportunities to meet and interact with other students, engage with their course and participate in extra‐curricular activities, both social and academic‐related . This means building relationships between Students’ Unions, institutional student services and support and departmental activities. Across the sector this requires greater support, promotion and development opportunities for those in student‐facing roles. • Students need more support for the transition from school or college and into higher education, particularly in terms of how to study, the level of support provided by the institution and the expectations for students. Direct intervention strategies such as peer mentoring of incoming students, were well regarded by students.
How courses are managed • Students almost exclusively spoke of their educational learning experience in terms of their course. Students’ concerns about quality of teaching on their courses highlight the need for strong local management and oversight of teaching allocation, quality and enhancement . Institutions should support departments in ensuring staff are qualified and trained. • Institutions should support departments in ensuring students are offered sufficient small‐scale seminars and tutorials. • Joint honours courses need stronger management and coordination .
How courses are managed (contd) • There should be better coordination between academic staff and library staff about the availability and accessibility of resources. Academics should consider availability and costs of materials when recommending course materials to students. • There needs to be a collective, institution‐wide response to support for student services and student affairs, offering a balance of course‐based provision and access to centralised services coordinated at the course‐level . • There should be support for staff development and training (both initial and continuing support), public information about teaching qualifications, along the lines of the UK Professional Standards Framework (UKPSF) and institutional reward for teaching and recognition of teaching excellence . Staff should be supported, trained and developed to enhance teaching and learning; good teaching staff should be retained as a priority.
Feedback students expect • The pressure for quick feedback returns with limited staff time can exacerbate the problems students have identified with feedback detail and personalisation. Institutional policies should prioritise quality, format and timing of feedback in relation to assessments, managed at the course level, over standardised feedback turnaround times. • There is a need for local management of feedback processes in relation to the structure of the course, and that feedback and evaluation needs to be an issue for individual academics, a collective issue across a course and an institutional responsibility to assure quality across courses. Closing the feedback loop needs to be improved, particularly how information is fed back to students, and done at the local level as much as possible.
Role of technology • Institutions should be cautious of using technology as a replacement for face‐to‐face interactions, or as a substitute for developing an active and collaborative learning environment and community. • Institutions should consider students’ preferences for functional infrastructure and face‐to‐face interactions when allocating resources related to teaching and technology.
‘Student Experience Research’, NUS/QAA (2 (2012) Teaching and learning Independent learning and contact hours Subject differences First Year Student Experience
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