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The verdict: universities are failing too few people
17 April 2008
DIUS student juries are concerned about pass marks, class size and staff numbers, says Rebecca Attwood
Universities "don't fail enough people" and are setting pass marks too low, panels set up by the Government to gauge student opinion have heard.
Events held in four English cities as part of a plan to give students a say in Government have revealed concerns about academic standards and student-to-staff ratios.
Government expansion targets were blamed for stretching university budgets and for large class sizes, reports of the events released by the Department for Innovation, Universities and Skills show.
"One of the downsides of the Government trying to up the numbers in higher education is that universities don't fail enough people any more," according to one juror.
"There are students who don't even know how to use the library by their third year. This kind of approach will only be counterproductive in the long run, because it'll devalue degrees," the juror added.
Another said: "Assessment is not tough enough: 40 per cent to pass is too low."
Students were asked to give their verdict on university life at "student juries" held in London, Manchester, Bristol and Sheffield.
The results will help inform the work of the new National Student Forum, set up by DIUS in January.
Students said that large class sizes could leave them feeling isolated and anonymous.
Some had the impression that institutions' heavy focus on research meant that leading researchers were not teaching and support for learning was inadequate.
"Research-oriented faculty spend most of their time sourcing funding to buy time out from teaching, leaving most of the teaching load to ... inexperienced staff," said one.
Other jurors felt that personal tutors were not providing enough support for students.
One student said that tutors "should be more involved with their students and be more aware of how they are progressing with their studies. There should be meetings every two weeks or every month, to keep in touch and up to date with what is going on in a student's life."
"Perhaps you could have a personal pastoral support for students as well as an academic one. Academics are too busy to provide this kind of support, so it would be better if it were someone else," another suggested.
For international students, lecturers' attitudes towards them were a key concern.
Many had had positive experiences. "My lecturers have been very sensitive to foreign students like me by drawing on examples more culturally relevant to me," one said.
However, other foreign students felt patronised. "Some lecturers make me feel like I'm slowing things down, so I don't ask questions," another student told the jury.
Juries also heard concerns about assessment methods and deadlines. Some students felt assessment did not properly represent their progress.
"Sometimes assessments can make a mockery of the length of courses and the sustained effort of students throughout a course. Grading on seminar performance and contribution could be a better method of assessment to adopt in the future," according to one.
Study resources, especially hard copies of textbooks, were sometimes inadequate, it was reported. Others said feedback on work was sparse.
"We need a national service-level agreement. Why don't universities have to sign a contract to say what they will or have to do for us?" one student asked.
The importance of good communication between academics and departments was also highlighted.
"I am joint honours and I often have lots of essays due on the same day for my different departments. The problem is more about internal communication between academics and departments than it is about the workload itself," one student said.
rebecca.attwood@tsleducation.com
Rebecca Attwood
Readers' comments
"Sometimes assessments can make a mockery of the length of courses and the sustained effort of students throughout a course. Grading on seminar performance and contribution could be a better method of assessment to adopt in the future," according to one. <p>I have doubts regarding grading on seminar performance and contribution. Seminars happen on a weekly basis and so students who couldn't attend class because of sickness would obviously be void of contributing which would cause various grading complications. <p>The problem is the unbalanced weighings of assignments. I know one case where a module had two essay assignmnets, one weighing at 30%, the other at 70%. The difference between the two was a very small 1000 words. This lack of marking balance is unfair and an excellent solution would be to break down the assessment into smaller assignments. For example instead there could have been two presenations weighing at 25% each and two essays weighing at 25% each. Once an assignment balance can be weighed out properly then students can become content with their learning. They will feel lessed mocked at for their sustained efforts!
It is interesting to see how much youngsters see themselves as 'customers' rather than students these days. <p>In the past, we did not question the lack of books or coursework time clashes in the same way as we were gaining a 'free' education in many cases. I do not think that older Academic staff and the Senior Management have realised the full implications of this change of attitude. <p>It is compounded by the lower levels of ability and knowledge that I have seen in more recent students. They also seem to need more 'spoon feeding' these days both intellectually and organisationally. Indeed, the comment regarding 'lots of essays on the same day' and 'internal communication' suggests that the student expected this to be sorted out by others rather than 'communication' with the Lecturers concerned and sorting it out for themselves. <p>It would be interesting to see the knock-on effects of 'service level agreements' as it might identify and codify the very real contributions made by Contract Staff who gain very little recognition for the extensive work they do with both undergraduates and post-graduates. Currently, this is a hidden activity that in some cases is used to make some Academics look better than they are at delivering to requirements by using unrecognised, unrewarded Post Docs.
"Sometimes assessments can make a mockery of the length of courses and the sustained effort of students throughout a course. Grading on seminar performance and contribution could be a better method of assessment to adopt in the future," according to one. <p>I have seen very little sustained effort throughout the course by most of the students. Hardly anyone bothers to do any kind of non-assessed work given. Even better very few actually bothers to print the notes provided and bring them to lectures (we dont ask them to take notes in lectures any more) or even consultation periods. And this I am talking about a russell group uni. <p>Even if we agree students as customers and universities are businesses, I dont think the any business is to blame the way their advise is being utilised. I dont think the doctor is to blame if the patient refuses to take any bitter medicine.
The fact that student pass rates are artificially inflated is no secret. Academics have been sounding this alarm for years. And what happens to them when they do? They are sacked for exposing the truth. As long as the present government rewards universities for having high pass rates and punishes those whose rates more realistically reflect student achievment, we will have this problem. All students will suffer as their degrees are devalued.
One of the courses I am currently studying is in fact partly graded on seminar performance and contributions, and it works fantastically. Seminars are absolutely vital, particularly for the arts and humanities subjects, and there is nothing worse than sitting in a half empty room surrounded by students who, if they have actually bothered to do the preparatory reading, are either half-asleep or curiously mute. It isn't fair on the rest of us, or on lecturers whose frustration can take curious forms. A situation best avoided, and 'assessment though contribution' certainly helps. <p>In my experience if you want to talk to a member of staff, even if you haven't been taught by or even met them before, all you have to do is ask. Academic help, careers advice or 'my life is falling apart and I've chosen you to fix it!'; a polite email and help you they shall, or at least refer you to someone who can. This can't just be my university, wonderful as it is, surely?! <p>Students are supposed to be adults, and therefore able to open their mouths and ASK for help, if not sort things out for themselves. Don't complain for not being treated like children.