In terms of curriculum content, tuition, learning environments, contacts with the world of work, thesis writing guidance and student satisfaction, the Xamk degree programmes in information technology rank first in Finland among all university of applied sciences degree programmes. The result is based on the 2019 AVOP Graduand Feedback Questionnaire which is answered by all students of universities of applied sciences upon graduation.
According to the AVOP survey, the students graduating from Xamk, irrespective of the degree programme, are above the national average in how satisfied they were with the general contents of studies. Also, when nationally compared, the available learning environments seem to be a relative asset at Xamk.
In a national comparison, the IT degree programmes and the available learning environments proved to be distinguished strengths in the operation of Xamk. The IT curriculum is comprised of the degree programmes in information technology and business information technology. In number of students, the bachelor’s degree in information technology is the most popular degree in Finland, with 17 universities of applied sciences offering the required curriculum. The degree programme curriculum at Xamk received 8% higher scores in the survey feedback than the national average.
When all degree programmes offered by Finnish universities of applied sciences were compared, the Xamk IT curricula ranked number one in terms of curriculum content, tuition, learning environments, contacts with the world of work, thesis writing guidance and student satisfaction.
– The indicators used in the survey are extremely important, and I’m very pleased to see that we not only met the quality standards but even received better feedback on tuition, learning environments and support services than the universities of applied sciences operating in bigger cities, says Mirja Toikka, the Senior Executive Vice President of Xamk.
The category of contacts with the world of work, as a rule, scored the lowest points in the survey, also among Xamk graduates. However, Xamk ranked first in this category together with Kajaani University of Applied Sciences, well ahead of the other universities of applied sciences in the country.
– We are constantly developing the ways we can help students become connected with the world of work. We have partners out there, organisations and companies, and the latest opening we’ve created together is to systematically prearrange contact opportunities between a specific degree programme student group and a designated organisation or company. It should also be noted that Xamk scored above the average in regards to employer contact and entrepreneurship counselling, Toikka points out.
When compared to the previous survey, with an almost 2% rise the general improvement in the 2019 AVOP results was significantly higher for Xamk than for the universities of applied sciences on average. Of all Xamk graduands, 99% answered the survey, while the national figure was slightly lower at 96%, with a total number of 23,411 respondents.
What is AVOP?
AVOP – Graduand feedback questionnaire asks graduating students to evaluate and provide feedback on their education. All graduating degree students from universities of applied sciences are requested to fill out the questionnaire. The AVOP survey is carried out annually, and the results are presented on Vipunen Portal. The survey consists of 13 categories, totalling 98 questions.
The findings are used locally by institutions to improve their institutional processes and practices and nationally to inform performance-based monitoring and funding. The questionnaire was developed in close cooperation with the Rectors’ Conference of Finnish Universities of Applied Sciences (ARENE), the Union of Students in Finnish Universities of Applied Sciences (SAMOK), Foundation for Research on Studying and Education (OTUS) and the Ministry for Education and Culture. The responsibility for development and implementation of the questionnaire lies with Arene.
More information:
South-Eastern Finland University of Applied Sciences Xamk
Mirja Toikka, Senior Executive Vice President
044 702 8372, mirja.toikka (at) xamk.fi
The results of the 2019 AVOP survey are available in English on Vipunen Portal