According to the education development survey, Xamk encourages students to take responsibility for their studies
Xamk students evaluate their education in an annual education development survey. According to the survey results, Xamk encourages students to take responsibility for their own studies. Students also have good opportunities for completing studies online and for combining studies and working. Students’ open feedback comments on study guidance and counselling were particularly positive. The information collected through the education development survey is used to develop the education, study counselling and students’ self-steering, the learning environment, and the work atmosphere.
Results for the bachelor’s degree studies
The number of respondents totaled 739, and there has been no major change in the results compared to the last year.
Students found it easier than before to complete their studies while working. The result for the statement “I have been able to study alongside my work” was better than last year. The alternative “Very well” was chosen in 32 percent of the responses, which indicates a 6-percent rise from the previous year.
Students had received better support in making their personal study plans (PSP) than before. The rating “Very well” was chosen in 35 percent of the responses to the statement “I get support in making my personal study plan (PSP)”. This was a 9-percent rise compared to the previous year.
According to the survey, entrepreneurial attitudes and entrepreneurship could be better incorporated in the studies and relationships with the world of work intensified. Also international activities should receive more attention in the education.
The statement “Entrepreneurial skills and the importance of having an entrepreneurial attitude are emphasized in the studies” received most ratings with “Very poorly”. That was the case in 8 percent of the responses with an increase from the previous year, when it was 5 percent. There were lot of differences between degree programmes.
The result was also lower for the statement “I get support in my international goals and activities” compared to the last year. The most typical response was alternative “I don’t know”, which was chosen in 22 percent of the cases. Also this point showed a lot of variation between degree programmes.
A further point with decline from the previous year’s result was the statement: “The studies offer close relations with the world of work”. The alternative “I don’t know” was chosen in 19 percent of the cases and more often than last year. There was again a lot of variation between degree programmes. Students’ comments in open feedback called for closer relations with the world of work.
Picture: Decline in the survey result for the statement “The studies offer close relations with the world of work” from the previous year
The following bachelor’s degree programmes received the best total means in the survey:
- Wellbeing management, Mikkeli
- Information Technology, Mikkeli, English language degree programme
- Geronomy, Kouvola
- Game Programming, Kotka
- Podiatry, Savonlinna
- Business Information Technology, Mikkeli
- Civic Activities and Youth Work, Kouvola
Also last year the results for the degree programmes of Business Information Technology and Information Technology were among the best ones.
How would you develop the learning environment and working atmosphere in your studies? Students’ open feedback replies to this question typically related to communication of information, assignment instructions and stronger emphasis on the cooperation with the world of work. In addition, the coronavirus was mentioned. Student replies showed the it was the factor that had most weakened the study atmosphere and caused challenges in grouping and for studies. Also more support for interaction and for grouping in remote learning was mentioned.
How would you develop study guidance and counselling? Students’ open feedback comments on this question were mostly thanks for good and well-working study guidance and counselling. Further comments related to personal study plan (PSP) discussions, increasing the number of regular guidance meetings throughout the studies, more information and support in choosing studies, making decisions between different options and opportunities of customizing personal scheduling of studies.
How would you develop your studies (content, teaching methods, requirements, scheduling)? In case of this question students’ open feedback comments mostly related to online learning, schedules and increasing cooperation with the world of work. In addition, the replies highlighted opportunities for studying while working and completing studies faster.
Results for the master’s degree studies
The number of respondents for the survey on master’s degree studies totaled 195, and results were more positive than for the bachelor’s degree studies. However, the results had slightly decreased compared to the previous year.
The flexibility of studies is emphasized in the master’s degree studies. It is possible to complete the degree as online studies and alongside work. Students found that they are treated equally and encouraged to take responsibility for their studies. The student replies to all these statements had the best median, which was five.
Students had neutral views on getting support for incorporating international elements in their studies. The same goes to their comments on their studies emphasizing entrepreneurial skills and the importance of entrepreneurial attitude.
As in the surveys of previous years, most “Cannot say” answers came up for the statements “I get support in my international goals and activities” and “The language and communication studies included in the degree programme support the development of professional competence”. The statements with most decrease compared to the previous year related to the communication of information and study atmosphere, but they were still at a good level. The same applies to the statements relating to study guidance and counselling, where the results for all the statements had declined, but still showed a good level.
The statement “I have received sufficient information on the recognition of prior learning (RLP)” was the point with most “Very poorly” answers, in 9 percent of the responses. There was also a lot of variation between degree programmes.
The following master’s degree programmes received the best total means in the survey:
- Cybersecurity, Kotka
- Logistics, Kouvola
- Project and Sales Management, Kotka, Mikkeli
- Tourism and Service Business, Mikkeli
- Multidisciplinary Promotion of Functional Capacity, Savonlinna
- Leadership and Development of Youth Education, Mikkeli
The degree programmes of Project and Sales Management, Tourism and Service Business, Multidisciplinary Promotion of Functional Capacity and Leadership and Development of Youth Education were also last year’ best degree programmes in this survey.
The survey includes three questions where students give open feedback and the following summarizes the most relevant results:
How would you develop the learning environment and working atmosphere in your studies? Students’ replies to this question showed that the coronavirus had had a significant influence. Some students found that remote studies and the learning environment had worked well, but others missed interaction and a return to contact teaching. The most typical comments related to the clear assignment instructions, scheduling, content, and receiving enough information when the course begins.
How would you develop study guidance and counselling? Students replied this question by saying that they had received enough study guidance and counselling and found this to work well. There were also suggestions for more regular guidance meetings or sessions.
How would you develop your studies (content, teaching methods, requirements, scheduling)? Students’ open feedback replies to this question were typically suggestions for developing the course contents, especially in terms of more advanced learning and acquiring more in-depth competence. The responses also showed that some found remote studies to work well, and some that there has been too much variation in the quality level of the studies or too little interactivity. Also scheduling was mentioned often. There were both thanks for good scheduling and comments on challenges in scheduling together with development suggestions.
More information is provided by Marjaana Kivelä Quality Manager.