Our Student Feedback Report 2016-2020 is now available!

Student feedback report analyses the experiences of students that have taken part in UniPID Virtual Studies courses during 2016-2020. The results that emerge from the evaluation suggest that most of the students have found the courses useful and fruitful.

UniPID Virtual Studies consists of a selection of courses organized by UniPID member universities, covering a wide range of topics related to global responsibility, sustainable development, and development research. All courses are held in English and worth of 5 ECTS. The courses are free of charge for students from UniPID member universities and organized through an online learning environment. Additionally, UniPID offers a possibility for a 25-credit module titled Sustainability in Development for students who want to incorporate a it into their degree. As part of the quality management of the Virtual Studies, UniPID evaluates the feedback from students who have taken part in UniPID Virtual Studies courses. In this new feedback report, the focus is on the feedback from 2016-2020. During the five-year period, 460 students from 42 courses responded to the feedback form.

According to the evaluation, students have a positive general experience with the Virtual Studies programme. Students strongly agree that their understanding of global development and sustainability increases when compared with their prior knowledge before taking the course. One of the most favorite learning experiences for students is group discussion and/or group interactivity, especially as UniPID courses often provide the opportunity to hear insights from students from around the globe. Additionally, frequently mentioned factors contributing to students’ positive experience include the flexibility of online learning and the variety of different learning methods.

While most of the students’ feedback was positive, they also provided constructive critique and feedback on how to develop further the courses. Many students were hoping for more feedback on their assignments as well as more interaction and discussion between the course participants. In the future it is important to pay attention to online pedagogy and teaching tactics on online platforms. UniPID is willing to cooperate with the teachers in order to improve the course experiences for the students. The feedback from the students is highly appreciated in order to find the best practices for online pedagogy. That is why we also encourage students who have not yet filled in the student feedback form to please do so (find the form here).

Students' feedback indicate that online learning can be rich and effective, especially when interaction during the course is being supported and encouraged. The pandemic has pushed education to transit more towards online learning and it is more likely to continue. While online learning has gained more popularity, it has also been recognized that students and teachers miss on-site sessions, too. When developing the online learning, it is important to listen to the feedback both from the students as well as from the teachers in order to find ways of online learning that are motivating, effective and support the course objectives. As a general rule, interaction and group discussions are likely to maintain the motivation and completion rate of the courses higher.

You can read the full feedback report here.

Any questions related to the student feedback report, please contact our Education Support Specialist Meeri Tiensuu (if.iknisleh@uusneit.ireem).

Photo credits: John Tyson, 2021 on Unsplash.