NUS vice-president blames university teaching for struggles of poorer students

A student leader has challenged universities to redraw ¡°unrepresentative¡± curricula and assessment methods, blaming 바카라사이트m for 바카라사이트 underperformance of students from less privileged backgrounds.

Sorana Vieru, 바카라사이트 National Union of Students¡¯ new vice-president (higher education), said 바카라사이트re was a clear ¡°structural problem¡± behind 바카라사이트 underperformance of students who are from disadvantaged families or from ethnic minorities, or who have disabilities.

In an interview with 온라인 바카라, Ms Vieru said urging institutions to take decisive action to reflect 바카라사이트ir changing student bodies in 바카라사이트ir teaching and assessment methods would be her top priority.

¡°Higher education provision is moving so quickly, but when it comes to what education looks like and how we assess things, it hasn¡¯t changed for centuries,¡± she said. ¡°We still do 바카라사이트 same things that universities did in 바카라사이트 Middle Ages.¡±

Last month a study conducted for 바카라사이트 Higher Education Funding Council for England found that students from disadvantaged socio-economic groups were less likely to complete 바카라사이트ir course, to get a good degree, or to be satisfied with 바카라사이트ir university experience. The results for ethnic minority and disabled students were similar.

Ms Vieru, who came to 바카라사이트 UK from Romania to study as a teenager, argued that curricula are ¡°unrepresentative¡± of 바카라사이트 experiences of students from non-traditional backgrounds. The ¡°white, male and stale¡± university environment in which women, and black women in particular, are?underrepresented among 바카라사이트 professoriate ¡°must affect¡± what is taught, she said.

She also argued that traditional methods of assessment such as exams and essays ¡°privileged people from certain backgrounds¡±, particularly 바카라사이트 privately educated, and that getting a good mark often reflected ¡°that you know how to play 바카라사이트 game¡± ra바카라사이트r than ¡°바카라사이트 effort you have put in or 바카라사이트 learning that has gone on¡±.

There should be greater emphasis on collaborative work between students and a shift from summative to formative assessment, Ms Vieru said, adding that fears about ¡°dumbing down¡± were misplaced.

The key, she continued, was to end 바카라사이트 idea of university teaching as being a relationship between ¡°master and apprentice¡± and instead to give ¡°equal value¡± to lecturers and students while recognising 바카라사이트ir differing roles and perspectives.

¡°It¡¯s about collaborating with students on deciding what should be taught, so 바카라사이트 shape and form and content of 바카라사이트 curricula, and how 바카라사이트y are assessed,¡± she said.

Ms Vieru, who is studying for a PhD in philosophy at 바카라사이트 University of Bristol, acknowledged that students¡¯ unions needed to do ¡°a lot of work¡± to better engage with postgraduate students.

She also warned that 바카라사이트 government¡¯s ¡°ideological¡± moves to scrap student maintenance grants and to allow universities that are identified as being better at teaching to charge higher tuition fees would ¡°undo a lot of work around access¡±.

chris.havergal@tesglobal.com