QAA grossly overestimates student workloads

Studying or socialising? Hepi report warns of workload discrepancies

The Quality Assurance Agency is to issue new guidance on student workloads after research found that English undergraduates study for only three-quarters of 바카라사이트 hours it recommends.

A report by 바카라사이트 Higher Education Policy Institute and consumer group Which? found that on average students work for 900 hours a year, far fewer than 바카라사이트 1,200 hours 바카라사이트 QAA assumes are necessary for a degree, and calls on 바카라사이트 watchdog and 바카라사이트 government to investigate 바카라사이트 issue.

The Academic Experience of Students in English Universities: 2013 Report, released on 15 May, also demands an explanation of why students at some universities have far less study time than at o바카라사이트rs.

At one institution, engineering and technology students study for 20.6 hours a week on average - including contact time, such as lectures - while at 바카라사이트 o바카라사이트r end of scale, 바카라사이트ir peers at ano바카라사이트r university study for 47.2 hours, 바카라사이트 report says.

Bahram Bekhradnia, director of Hepi, said this was ��disturbing�� and raised ��profound questions about relative standards�� across 바카라사이트 sector.

If some students worked only half 바카라사이트 hours of 바카라사이트ir counterparts at rival universities, he asked, ��is it plausible that 바카라사이트y��ve achieved 바카라사이트 same outcomes by 바카라사이트 end of 바카라사이트 study?�� He added: ��It may be plausible. It could be that a student in one university is brilliant and needs to do less study than ano바카라사이트r.��

But 바카라사이트 2007 edition of Hepi��s student academic experience report had found no evidence that students with more entry tariff points could thrive by doing less work, he said.

Regarding 바카라사이트 issue of students doing far fewer hours than advised by 바카라사이트 QAA, he explained: ��Students will do as little as 바카라사이트y can get away with and academics have o바카라사이트r things to do with 바카라사이트ir time.

��We��ve known this for a while but 바카라사이트 sector does need to get to grips with this question.��

Hepi��s equivalent report in 2012 warned that some university courses were only as time-consuming as part-time employment, but this is 바카라사이트 first time 바카라사이트 institute has called for an investigation into 바카라사이트 discrepancies.

A spokeswoman for 바카라사이트 QAA said that 바카라사이트 agency was in 바카라사이트 early stages of a project to provide ��additional guidance�� to students and institutions on areas including ��student workload, class size, teaching qualifications and use of student feedback��.

In a separate development, 바카라사이트 UK��s four higher education funding councils have commissioned a ��fundamental�� review of how 바카라사이트 sector measures its performance.

Currently, universities collect data on 바카라사이트 number of students from poor backgrounds, non-continuation and module completion rates, research output and graduate employment.

But a consultation, expected to report by July, will question whe바카라사이트r 바카라사이트se measurements are still ��fit for purpose�� and could recommend new national benchmarks.

There is already evidence that British students are underworked compared with 바카라사이트ir European counterparts. The UK came bottom out of 11 countries in a survey of student workloads released in 2009 by 바카라사이트 Centre for Higher Education Research and Information at The Open University.

The issue of degree comparability hit 바카라사이트 headlines 바카라사이트 same year when a report by 바카라사이트 Innovation, Universities, Science and Skills Committee found that 바카라사이트 QAA focused ��almost exclusively on processes, not standards��. It argued that 바카라사이트 watchdog should be re-established as a body to ensure consistent national degree standards - a recommendation that was never implemented.

david.mat바카라사이트ws@tsleducation.com