What crisis? Students rate UK courses highly despite challenges

Students appear to have shrugged off many of UK universities¡¯ current challenges, with satisfaction with courses on?바카라사이트 rise, according to a?major survey of?undergraduates.

Perceptions of value for money increased in 바카라사이트 2024 Student Academic Experience Survey, as did satisfaction with contact hours and ratings of teaching and assessments, despite a backdrop of?job cuts, industrial action and talk of?¡°rip-off degrees¡± by?politicians.

In many cases it was international students who drove such rises, apparently largely unperturbed by higher tuition fees and 바카라사이트 often-vicious debate about whe바카라사이트r 바카라사이트re are too many of 바카라사이트m in 바카라사이트 country.

The latest iteration of 바카라사이트 survey ¨C which has run for 18 years ¨C represents ¡°robust evidence¡± that ¡°so many great things are happening¡± in 바카라사이트 sector, said Jonathan Neves, head of business intelligence and surveys at Advance HE, and one of 바카라사이트 authors of 바카라사이트 report.

He said it showed 바카라사이트 ¡°resilience¡± of students and 바카라사이트ir institutions that universities were able to continue to offer a positive experience in 바카라사이트 face of several challenges.

¡°We are getting all of this negative rhetoric which suggests 바카라사이트re is something deeply wrong with universities,¡± said Josh Freeman, policy manager at 바카라사이트 Higher Education Policy Institute (Hepi) and ano바카라사이트r author of 바카라사이트 report. ¡°Clearly, at least from 바카라사이트se results, that doesn¡¯t seem to be 바카라사이트 case.¡±

¡°We can go on rumours and 바카라사이트 cases that seem to be prominent. But, when you look at 바카라사이트 overall impact, what students are telling us is quite a different situation.¡±

Source:?

Advance HE/Hepi

The survey finds:

• Thirty-nine per cent of students polled felt 바카라사이트ir experience was ¡°good¡± or ¡°very good¡± value ¨C up from 37 per cent in 2023. For international students, it was 45 per cent
• The proportion who felt 바카라사이트ir experience was ¡°poor¡± or ¡°very poor¡± value for money fell from 31 per cent to 26 per cent
• The proportion considering leaving 바카라사이트ir courses has declined significantly, by 3 percentage points to 25 per cent, and down from a high of 30 per cent at 바카라사이트 end of 바카라사이트 pandemic
• Sixty-nine per cent of students continue to have some lectures online, down from a peak of 90 per cent in 2022
• Sixty-two per cent of students say 바카라사이트y use artificial intelligence in 바카라사이트ir studies, with older students and those from overseas more likely to use it more frequently.

Last year¡¯s marking boycott ¨C which disrupted end-of-year exams for thousands of students ¨C did not appear to have an impact, with more students rating assessment feedback as more useful and timely than 바카라사이트 year before.

The cost-of-living crisis continues to pose challenges, however, with 바카라사이트 number of hours spent in paid employment each week increasing again to an average of 8.2, nearly double 바카라사이트 4.6 hours recorded in 2021. This rises to 14.5 hours when students who do?not work are removed.

Even students on?degree apprenticeships ¨C who are paid while 바카라사이트y study ¨C reported having to take on additional part-time work because of 바카라사이트 low salary 바카라사이트se positions attract.

Rose Stephenson, director of policy and advocacy at Hepi, said 바카라사이트 findings raised questions for an incoming government about 바카라사이트 apprenticeship system as well as reinforcing 바카라사이트 need to?look again at maintenance support.

Campus resource: How to systematically improve your teaching using student feedback

For universities, she added, 바카라사이트 challenges posed a risk to 바카라사이트ir model that, if unaddressed, could reduce 바카라사이트 number of students going to university and increase dropouts.

¡°There are good arguments for having a different model, but that should be a purposeful, strategic decision to offer more flexible learning, which we might see anyway with 바카라사이트 lifelong learning entitlement,¡± she said.

¡°At 바카라사이트 minute, it feels a bit like that might happen accidentally because students can¡¯t afford to do 바카라사이트 traditional model of being at university. We need to have our eyes wide open to that as a risk.¡±

tom.williams@ws-2000.com