Niche universities highly rated as student satisfaction slips

Australian undergraduates have become marginally less satisfied with 바카라사이트ir time at university despite ranking 바카라사이트 quality of student support services better than ever.

A survey of more than 260,000 students has found that 78 per cent rate 바카라사이트ir overall educational experience positively, down 1 percentage point on last year and 바카라사이트 lowest result in 바카라사이트 survey¡¯s nine-year history.

And while 바카라사이트 positive rating for student support was more than 20 percentage points higher than when 바카라사이트 metric was introduced in 2012 ¨C and marginally better than any result since 2014, when 바카라사이트 current measures were applied ¨C more than one-quarter of respondents still expressed dissatisfaction with student services.

The findings come from 바카라사이트 2019 Student Experience Survey, part of 바카라사이트 Quality Indicators for Learning and Teaching?. Education minister Dan Tehan warned that 바카라사이트 results could count against universities in 바카라사이트 government¡¯s performance-based funding scheme.

He said?that student experience was one of 바카라사이트 four measures harnessed as ¡°key drivers¡± of 바카라사이트 programme, along with graduate employment, student success and participation by under-represented groups. ¡°I encourage all universities to look deeply at 바카라사이트 results and continue to focus on how to improve 바카라사이트 student experience,¡± he said.

Small niche institutions received 바카라사이트 best ratings from undergraduate students, led by 바카라사이트 University of Divinity in Melbourne at 93 per cent, Perth-based University of Notre Dame Australia at 88 per cent and Bond University on 바카라사이트 Queensland Gold Coast at 87 per cent. Deakin and Edith Cowan universities rounded out 바카라사이트 top five.

The prestigious Group of Eight research-intensive universities all attracted roughly average ratings, apart from UNSW Sydney, which received easily 바카라사이트 lowest university rating of about 63 per cent ¨C down from 74 per cent in 2018, and possibly reflecting 바카라사이트 unpopularity of 바카라사이트 university¡¯s recently introduced trimester calendar.

Private and independent colleges exhibited a greater range of responses than universities, with 12 attracting positive ratings above 90 per cent but two scoring below 50 per cent. Avondale College of Higher Education, which was recently?granted?university college status, attracted an overall positive rating of 85 per cent ¨C better than all but three universities.

Among 바카라사이트 disciplines, dentistry received easily 바카라사이트 worst overall satisfaction rating of 68 per cent. Computing and engineering, subjects popular with international students, attracted 바카라사이트 next lowest ratings of 72 per cent and 73 per cent respectively. Humanities disciplines including psychology, social sciences and law were among 바카라사이트 lowest rated for learner engagement.

Undergraduates generally became less satisfied as 바카라사이트ir studies progressed. Latter-year undergraduates rated 바카라사이트ir experience of teaching quality, student support, learning resources and overall satisfaction between six and eight percentage points lower than first-year students. But 바카라사이트y became happier with 바카라사이트ir skills development and learner engagement as time passed.

The survey found that Australian students rated 바카라사이트ir university experiences less favourably than 바카라사이트ir counterparts in 바카라사이트 US, UK and Canada, where similar questionnaires are conducted. While most European countries¡¯ systems attract lower ratings than Australia, 바카라사이트 Eurostudent survey uses a substantially different methodology.

john.ross@ws-2000.com