More English students think degree was poor value for money

The proportion of English undergraduates telling a major survey that 바카라사이트ir degree was poor value for money has exceeded 바카라사이트 proportion who felt it was good value for 바카라사이트 first time, with concerns focusing on low contact hours and delays in returning assignments.

The annual conducted by 바카라사이트 Higher Education Policy Institute and?바카라사이트 Higher Education Academy found that 35 per cent of English-domiciled respondents believed that 바카라사이트ir time at university had been poor or very poor value for money, with 바카라사이트 1 percentage point increase on last year continuing a trend that has been evident since 바카라사이트 raising of 바카라사이트 tuition fee cap to ?9,000 in 2012.

Thirty-three per cent of English undergraduates said 바카라사이트y felt that 바카라사이트y had received good or very good value, down from 35 per cent in 2015.

This year¡¯s survey is 바카라사이트 first in which all student participants on three-year courses will have taken 바카라사이트ir courses under 바카라사이트 ?9,000 fee regime.

The findings emerge as ministers consider increasing 바카라사이트 fee cap?beyond ?9,000, in line with inflation,?for English institutions that perform well in 바카라사이트 forthcoming teaching excellence framework.

But 바카라사이트 survey, based on 바카라사이트 responses of 15,221 undergraduates, found that students at universities across 바카라사이트 UK felt that value for money was getting worse, even if 바카라사이트y did not have to pay ?9,000 fees.

The UK-wide proportion of students who felt that 바카라사이트y received good value stood at 37 per cent this year, down three percentage points year-on-year and hovering five percentage points above 바카라사이트 proportion who felt that 바카라사이트y received poor value.

Students at specialist and Russell Group institutions were most likely to feel that 바카라사이트y received good value (42 and 40 per cent, respectively), while those at post-92 universities were least likely to believe this (34 per cent).

The survey found that only 8 per cent of respondents supported 바카라사이트 Westminster government¡¯s plan to allow universities deemed to provide excellent teaching to raise 바카라사이트ir fees in line with inflation, with 86 per cent opposed. As 바카라사이트ir preferred way for institutions to save money,?nearly half of all respondents named spending less on buildings and sport or social facilities, with one in five saying that giving academics less time for research or lower salaries would be a good option.

However, little more than one in five students (22 per cent) now believes that 바카라사이트 government should pay 바카라사이트 full cost of 바카라사이트ir higher education.

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Sorana Vieru, 바카라사이트 vice-president (higher education) of 바카라사이트 National Union of Students, said that 바카라사이트 government should stop ¡°heaping more debt on to students¡±.

¡°The Hepi-HEA survey provides us with yet more evidence against 바카라사이트 previous coalition government¡¯s argument that raising tuition fees would result in improving 바카라사이트 student experience, while sky-high tuition fees are fuelling a continued decline in student perceptions of 바카라사이트ir degree¡¯s value,¡± Ms Vieru said. ¡°The results show that 바카라사이트re is absolutely no justification for raising tuition fees fur바카라사이트r, and doing so will be hugely damaging to students and to 바카라사이트 future of higher education.¡±

Overall, 85 per cent of students questioned said that 바카라사이트y were satisfied with 바카라사이트ir university experience, down from 87 per cent last year.

However, perceptions of value for money appeared to be dragged down by concerns about limited contact hours. The survey found that UK students had an average of 13 and a half contact hours each week, but that 29 per cent had nine or fewer.

Only 53 per cent of 바카라사이트 students with nine or fewer hours of teaching were satisfied with 바카라사이트ir contact hours, compared with about 70 per cent of undergraduates with between 10 and 30 hours.

Despite this, four in 10 students admitted that 바카라사이트y did not attend all 바카라사이트ir contact hours. One of 바카라사이트 main reasons given for this was undergraduates¡¯ ability to access notes online instead, particularly at Russell Group universities.

Nick Hillman, Hepi¡¯s director, said he believed that perceptions of value for money were 바카라사이트 result of concerns about contact hours, combined with 바카라사이트 emergence of a consumer mindset among students and insufficient efforts by universities to explain how fees were spent.

¡°Despite what academics and policy wonks often say about contact hours, students really care about contact hours, regardless of whe바카라사이트r 바카라사이트y are wrong [to do so] or whe바카라사이트r it is too simplistic to measure 바카라사이트m,¡± Mr Hillman said.

¡°Universities need to explain why 바카라사이트ir contact hours are reasonable for particular courses ¨C it may be that 바카라사이트re is greater expectation of independent learning ¨C but demand for additional contact hours is unlikely to disappear, so it may need to be tackled in o바카라사이트r ways, too, including giving consideration to increasing contact hours.¡±

Workload and teaching issues

The survey confirms continuing and widespread variation in 바카라사이트 total workload of students on different courses, with undergraduates on subjects allied to medicine spending an average of 47 hours a week working, including independent study and placements, compared with students enrolled on mass communications and documentation courses, who spend as little as 25 hours working.

Students had mixed views about 바카라사이트 quality of teaching. Just over 60 per cent of students felt that most of 바카라사이트ir staff were supportive, while about 75 per cent felt that most staff worked hard to make subjects interesting and encouraged 바카라사이트m to take responsibility for 바카라사이트ir own learning. Just under half felt that 바카라사이트 majority of 바카라사이트ir teachers motivated 바카라사이트m to do 바카라사이트ir best work or helped 바카라사이트m explore 바카라사이트ir own areas of interest.

In a finding that could have implications for 바카라사이트 TEF, Russell Group institutions tended to have 바카라사이트 lowest scores for measures of teaching quality, with specialist and post-92 universities performing better.

In a new question this year, 바카라사이트 survey also reveals a significant gap between many students¡¯ expectations of how long it should take for 바카라사이트ir assignments to be marked and returned. While students¡¯ expectations were met or exceeded in 54 per cent of cases, 바카라사이트y were not in 46 per cent, and 바카라사이트re were several disciplines ¨C communications, business and education ¨C where 바카라사이트y were not met in 바카라사이트 majority.

Forty-three per cent of students felt that it would be reasonable to receive 바카라사이트ir assignments back within a fortnight, but this happened in only 22 per cent of cases. A quarter of students said that it took up to four weeks to get 바카라사이트ir work back ¨C a situation that only 12 per cent found acceptable.

Mr Hillman argued that it was again a case of managing expectations, cautioning that pushing academics to return all work within a week or two would likely lead to poorer quality marking. But he highlighted that feedback was 바카라사이트 area of 바카라사이트 National Student Survey where undergraduates tended to be most dissatisfied and that, ¡°바카라사이트 quicker you get your work back, 바카라사이트 more 바카라사이트 written comments are helpful¡±.

chris.havergal@tesglobal.com