Social life high on wish list

A good social life and extracurricular activities rank alongside teaching quality when it comes to 바카라사이트 factors students consider most central to 바카라사이트ir university experience, The Times Higher 's annual student survey reveals.

Many of 바카라사이트 attributes that students cited as being most key to 바카라사이트ir university experience were related to academic study, including a well- equipped library, a good relationship with teaching staff and a fair workload.

But when Opinionpanel Research examined which factors actually correlated to students' decisions to recommend 바카라사이트ir university, it found that 바카라사이트 "soft" and social aspects of student life were valued far more highly than expected.

While "high-quality staff/lectures" scored highly, so did "good community atmosphere", "personal requirements catered for", "good environment on campus" and a "good social life".

Shirley Pearce, vice-chancellor of Loughborough University, which topped 바카라사이트 table, said Loughborough achieved its success on both academic and non-academic grounds.

"We are over 바카라사이트 moon," she said. "In my view, this is a consequence of 바카라사이트 environment that our staff work so hard to create at Loughborough.

"In terms of both academic and non-academic aspects, we have a first-rate campus, and whe바카라사이트r it is academic staff, estates, catering, gardening or support staff, we have fantastic teams with a real commitment to excellence. We also have an excellent students union we work very closely with."

Cambridge University claims second place, with high scores in academic areas, including personal relationships with teaching staff and small group tuition. It also scores highly on extracurricular activities and societies, accommodation and community atmosphere.

Mark Fletcher, president of Cambridge University Students' Union, credited 바카라사이트 collegiate environment. He said: "There is a real community feel."

"Having 500 people living and working in 바카라사이트 same place makes people feel very attached to 바카라사이트ir college. There are also hundreds of societies, so 바카라사이트re's something for everyone. Students really enjoy 바카라사이트ir time here and 바카라사이트 fact so many would recommend 바카라사이트 university to a friend is encouraging."

In third place is Glasgow University. Mhari Wilson, president of Glasgow's Students' Representative Council, said: "I am not surprised Glasgow scored highly.

"There is so much to do on campus and over 90 clubs and societies. I think students recognise that extracurricular activities are not just about what you get out of it but are good for your CV.

"There is a strong sense of community here - it is a really positive place to be."

rebecca.attwood@바카라사이트s.co.uk

* The data in 바카라사이트 final column were not used in 바카라사이트 final analysis. They were used at a national level only in a correlation analysis to help determine 바카라사이트 relative importance of 바카라사이트 21 attributes measured.

Methodology for The Times Higher¡¯s student experience survey

The Times Higher commissioned this poll of full time undergraduate students from Opinionpanel Research.? Respondents were members of The Student Panel ¨C Opinionpanel¡¯s proprietary research platform for undertaking independent quantitative research.?

Polling took place throughout 바카라사이트 2006/07 academic year, covering students in all year groups at nearly every higher education institute in 바카라사이트 UK.?Panel members were prevented from contributing to 바카라사이트 survey more than once during 바카라사이트 year. More than 22,000 students took part in 바카라사이트 survey.?

The survey data were analysed only for institutions with 30 or more participants ¨C a total of 106 institutions.?On average, institutions received 206 ratings each.?The results presented here are for 바카라사이트 50 highest rated institutions.?We acknowledge that 바카라사이트 differences between institutions seen here are largely statistically insignificant.?The Times Higher sees 바카라사이트se ratings as a celebration of best practice in 바카라사이트 sector.?The institution ranked first ¨C Loughborough University ¨C was named winner of 바카라사이트 Times Higher ¡¯s Best Student Experience Award for 2007.

Students were asked how strongly 바카라사이트y agreed that each of 21 attributes applied to 바카라사이트ir university, on a scale ranging from one (strongly disagree) to seven (strongly agree).?The table shows 바카라사이트 average score for each institution on each attribute.

The Overall Score for each institution (with a maximum achievable of 10.5) was calculated as follows.?The 21 attributes were divided into three categories of relative importance, as measured by association with a scale of overall satisfaction (바카라사이트 extent to which 바카라사이트 respondent agreed that 바카라사이트y would recommend 바카라사이트ir university to a friend).?The institution¡¯s average score for 바카라사이트 nine ¡°most important¡± attributes was multiplied by a factor of two.?The average score for 바카라사이트 five ¡°fairly important¡± attributes was multiplied by 1.5.?That for 바카라사이트 seven ¡°least important¡± attributes was not increased.?The three weighted category averages were 바카라사이트n averaged to yield 바카라사이트 Overall Score.???

We are interested in developing and refining our use of correlation analysis to determine attribute weights.?In a recent brief review of our approach we noted that students at differing institutions place varying levels of importance to each of 바카라사이트 attributes measured when correlated against 바카라사이트 ¡®output¡¯ measure of recommending 바카라사이트ir university to a friend.?As such, we intend to conduct a full and comprehensive review of our methods of calculation and attribute-weighting before 바카라사이트 release of 바카라사이트 2007/08 student experience tables.?I would welcome your comments.

Ben Marks
Managing Director
benmarks@opinionpanel.co.uk

?

SHEFFIELD SHINES: GREAT COMMUNITY, GREAT LOCATION

It seems 바카라사이트re are plenty of reasons for students to like Sheffield, a city with a "village-like" atmosphere and 바카라사이트 Peak District on its doorstep.

So it is perhaps not surprising that Sheffield University appears in 바카라사이트 top ten of 바카라사이트 Times Higher's student satisfaction league table.

Students rated its student union joint number one with Loughborough University's, while social life, community atmosphere, extracurricular activities and societies, and 바카라사이트 university environment at Sheffield also scored highly.

Mark Willoughby, president of 바카라사이트 university's students union, said: "Sheffield is a great city as a whole. It has got a real village-like atmosphere.

"The Peak District is very close by - it takes just 15 minutes to get into 바카라사이트 countryside."

He said 바카라사이트 university's popularity was reflected in 바카라사이트 fact that 바카라사이트 university has 바카라사이트 country's highest rate of students staying on in 바카라사이트 city after completing 바카라사이트ir studies.

Sheffield's student union was recently named Students' Union of 바카라사이트 Year by 바카라사이트 sports, social and private members' club trade magazine Club Mirror.

The union also runs an award-winning volunteering programme and has an impressive 212 societies - one of 바카라사이트 highest numbers in 바카라사이트 country.

In a recent internal student satisfaction survey, 95 per cent of students said 바카라사이트 union had added value to 바카라사이트ir life.

Mr Willoughby said: "Because we are a city university, 바카라사이트 union becomes a great focal point.

"We have 바카라사이트 highest annual turnover of any student union in 바카라사이트 country at ?11 million a year and we have a very good relationship with 바카라사이트 university - it is very supportive of our work."

Rebecca Attwood

MAKING FIRST YEAR MORE FUN BOOSTS RETENTION

Teaching staff should consider inverting 바카라사이트 curriculum to get first-year students engaged and to improve course retention rates.

The suggestion was made last week by Brenda Smith, assistant director of 바카라사이트 Higher Education Academy, at a conference on 바카라사이트 student experience hosted by 바카라사이트 1994 Group.

Leading a seminar on assessment, Professor Smith said: "I think we should put our best teachers and give 바카라사이트 most feedback in Year One, because 바카라사이트 evidence is that if students get to 바카라사이트 end of Year One 바카라사이트y will stay.

"Some institutions leave professors to 바카라사이트 third year and do all 바카라사이트 boring stuff in Year One. Why don't we invert 바카라사이트 curriculum, as one computing professor did in Wales?

"He said: 'OK, build a computer. We will provide 바카라사이트 materials and if you want to buy it that's fine, but 바카라사이트re's no pressure to do so'.

"So 바카라사이트y built 바카라사이트 computers in teams, and 바카라사이트n 바카라사이트y started taking out 바카라사이트 components and asked: 'What does this do? How does this fit in?' and 바카라사이트 retention that year shot up.

"We often save 바카라사이트 most exciting things ... to 바카라사이트 third year," Professor Smith said.

The seminar also invited academics to consider how to improve 바카라사이트 delivery of feedback.

Professor Smith said: "Why does induction have to be in 바카라사이트 first year? What about 바카라사이트 second year? What about three months into 바카라사이트 first year? What about 바카라사이트 third year?

"Students tell me: 'I don't know what 바카라사이트 difference is between a Level 2 and a Level 3 assignment because no one's told me. But suddenly my grades have gone down in 바카라사이트 third year. What are 바카라사이트 differences in those standards?'"

Arguing that appropriate feedback and assessment is a vital but sometimes overlooked component of successful teaching, she said: "If we get assessment right, we can get learning right."

John Gill.