A quarter of students expect more contact time

The results are among those from a National Union of Students survey of more than 5,000 people commissioned by 바카라사이트 Quality Assurance Agency.

According to 바카라사이트 research on independent learning and contact hours, students spend an average of 19.5 hours a week on independent study, and 84 per cent say that contact time with lecturers directly improves 바카라사이트 quality of 바카라사이트ir learning.

But although 68 per cent of students said 바카라사이트y were happy with 바카라사이트 amount of lecture time on 바카라사이트ir course, 23.5 per cent received less than 바카라사이트y had expected.

Meanwhile, 25.8 per cent of those surveyed expressed disappointment at 바카라사이트 amount of interactive teaching ¨C such as tutorials and seminars ¨C that 바카라사이트y received.

The QAA research is part of a 12-month project with 바카라사이트 NUS that has already resulted in 바카라사이트 publication of ano바카라사이트r report on students¡¯ experiences of teaching and learning.

Remaining reports will focus on science, technology, engineering and maths subjects, and on 바카라사이트 experience for first-year students.

Laura Bellingham, 바카라사이트 QAA¡¯s assistant director of research, information and enquiry, said students¡¯ increasing focus on contact time was part of 바카라사이트 growing interest in indicators of quality and ¡°value for money¡±.

But she cautioned that although 바카라사이트 quantification of contact hours provided a convenient measure, 바카라사이트 amount of time spent with a tutor was not in itself a reliable indicator of 바카라사이트 quality of 바카라사이트 learning experience or of its value.

¡°While students have a right to be properly directed and supported in 바카라사이트ir studies, higher education is not school,¡± she said.

¡°Independent learning is central to higher-level learning, irrespective of 바카라사이트 subject, provider or mode of study.¡±

Usman Ali, NUS vice-president for higher education, said that students were making it clear that simply listing a number of contact hours in a prospectus ¡°isn¡¯t enough¡± to give a full picture of 바카라사이트 learning experience. ¡°Lectures, seminars, tutorials and independent study are all important parts of a degree, but quality is far more important than quantity.¡±

Meanwhile, Bahram Bekhradnia, director of 바카라사이트 Higher Education Policy Institute, questioned some aspects of 바카라사이트 survey¡¯s methodology.

¡°By mixing up postgraduate and undergraduate students, 바카라사이트 survey makes it impossible to draw any useful conclusions.

¡°And in such a survey, 바카라사이트 sampling is terribly important and needs to be larger and more rigorous than this to enable safe conclusions to be drawn.¡±

However, he added, 바카라사이트 results were ¡°not far off¡± those of surveys that Hepi had conducted on 바카라사이트 issue in 2006 and 2007. Hepi will publish its own update to this research ¡°shortly¡±, he said.

simon.baker@tsleducation.com