Manchester Students Need More Feedback

MANCHESTER STUDENTS are not satisfied with the level of feedback that they are getting on their course, a Student Direct survey has revealed.

Only thirteen percent are satisfied with the level of feedback that they receive from lectures and tutors.

While teacher comments are not up to scratch, only nine percent were dissatisfied with their course overall.

A recent national student survey revealed that 84 percent of students across the country are satisfied with teaching.

However, in Student Direct’s own survey we found that 32 percent of University of Manchester students were “quite satisfied” or “very satisfied” with teaching.

In the annual National Student Survey, the University of Manchester received one of the lowest satisfactions scores in the country with 3.78 out of a maximum score of 5.0.

Manchester Metropolitan University has an identical score, which has risen over previous years.

Despite their reputation, the national survey showed that other Russell Group universities do not have an edge over their former polytechnic rivals. A mixed top ten included both Oxford University and East Anglia University.

The National Student Survey also showed that Dentistry students at the University of Manchester are the least satisfied of any institution. Similarly, Manchester Metropolitan University Materials and Minerals Technology students are the least satisfied for their subject in the country.

Student Direct’s own survey found that the majority of students were content with their course overall, but many felt that there was a distinct lack of organisation regarding rooms and supervision.

Regarding the poor feedback on her course Aimee Smith, a Politics Philosophy and Economics second year student said: “It takes too long to get essays back, sometimes they are two weeks late.”

Another student, Kelly Atkin, a fourth year Spanish and French student commented on the teaching saying it was “too often geared simply towards preparing students for exams and the regurgitation of information.”

While the high overall satisfaction ratings have been received well by higher education officials, they are concerned with the poor levels of feedback.

Sally Hunt, general secretary of the University and College Union said: “The massive class sizes that we now have in our institutions make individual feedback much harder to deliver.”