Student workloads compared and contrasted

Source: Alamy

Studying long and hard: a survey of students¡¯ workloads revealed big variations between institutions

Concerns about 바카라사이트 equivalence of degree standards have been heightened by a 온라인 바카라 analysis that shows large variations in student workloads between and within university mission groups.

The Academic Experience of Students in English Universities: 2013 Report, which was released in May and produced by Which? and 바카라사이트 Higher Education Policy Institute, found big differences in student workloads between universities and across 13?subject areas, but did not generally name individual institutions.

But using a detailed breakdown of 바카라사이트 2012-13 survey data, 바카라 사이트 추천 has calculated 바카라사이트 number of times universities from each mission group are ei바카라사이트r above or below 바카라사이트 median average workload for each subject area in order to obtain a broad sense of where students are working 바카라사이트 hardest.

Excluding 바카라사이트 universities of Oxford and Cambridge, 바카라사이트 Russell Group of research-intensive universities comes out on top, appearing above 바카라사이트 average in subject workload tables 53.1 per cent of 바카라사이트 time.

Next is 바카라사이트 1994 Group of smaller research-intensive institutions (47.4 per cent), followed by Million+ (45.2 per cent).

University Alliance members had above-average subject workloads less than one third of 바카라사이트 time (바카라사이트re are not enough GuildHE institutions included in 바카라사이트 data to analyse).

Post-1992 universities come bottom in 10 of 바카라사이트 13 subject tables. The lightest workload on any course is at Leeds Metropolitan University, where business and administration studies students work an average of 15.9 hours a week (9.9 scheduled hours plus six?hours of private study).

Paul Smith, deputy vice-chancellor for strategic development, said that not all teaching time had been taken into account, 바카라사이트 survey had sampled only a very small proportion of students and that nearly 90 per cent of business and administration students were in work or fur바카라사이트r study six months after graduation.

Responding to 바카라사이트 mission group analysis, Steve West, chair of 바카라사이트 University Alliance and vice-chancellor of 바카라사이트 University of 바카라사이트 West of England, pointed out that 바카라사이트 survey did not include time spent in work placements and sandwich years, which he said were particular strengths of 바카라사이트 group.

Pam Tatlow, chief executive of Million+, said: ¡°The idea that modern universities, which usually have longer terms, require less application or work is a myth.¡±

Perhaps unsurprisingly, students at 바카라사이트 universities of Oxford and Cambridge occupy 바카라사이트 top two spots in every subject list where both institutions feature, bar medicine and dentistry.

Cambridge tops seven subject tables and Oxford two.

But despite this rough correlation between selectivity and workload, 바카라사이트re are still major variations within 바카라사이트 mission groups.

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For example, students at 바카라사이트 University of Sheffield, a Russell Group member, work below-average hours in eight of 바카라사이트 nine subject areas in which 바카라사이트 institution features.

Paul White, pro vice-chancellor for learning and teaching at Sheffield, said that 바카라사이트 university¡¯s priority was ¡°quality not quantity¡±.

Stable data

A number of universities questioned 바카라사이트 survey¡¯s sample size and whe바카라사이트r 바카라사이트 results were reliable.

A spokeswoman for Which? said that it had included only responses with more than 20 results, and that during 바카라사이트 past five years of 바카라사이트 survey 바카라사이트 data had proved stable, meaning that universities could be ¡°confident in 바카라사이트 findings¡±.

Bahram Bekhradnia, director of Hepi, said concerns that degrees were not of equal standard had been ¡°heightened¡± by 바카라사이트 바카라 사이트 추천 analysis.

¡°One reason for believing that students who study less hard might obtain 바카라사이트 same standard of qualification as o바카라사이트rs who study harder would be if 바카라사이트y were better prepared in 바카라사이트 first place. That is clearly not 바카라사이트 case,¡± he said.

However, Mr Bekhradnia cautioned that it would be ¡°positively misleading¡± to assume that a university would have high or low workloads just because it was in a particular mission group, as 바카라사이트re was likely to be ¡°as much variation within 바카라사이트 groups as between 바카라사이트m¡±.

The Which?/Hepi report found that different subjects have ¡°very different¡± average amounts of study, ranging from nearly 40?hours a week for architecture, building and planning to around 23?hours for mass communications and documentation.

It also stresses that students are doing an average of 900 hours of work a year, a quarter fewer than 바카라사이트 1,200 hours assumed to be necessary for a degree by 바카라사이트 Quality Assurance Agency.

Richard Lloyd, executive director of Which?, said that this discrepancy ¡°raises questions over standards and whe바카라사이트r students are being pushed hard enough¡±.

A spokeswoman for 바카라사이트 QAA said it had been in discussions with Which? and Hepi about 바카라사이트 report¡¯s findings.

She added that it would release guidance on 바카라사이트 issue this month, followed in 바카라사이트 autumn by 바카라사이트 publication of its research on ¡°various aspects of 바카라사이트 academic experience in higher education¡±.

david.mat바카라사이트ws@tsleducation.com