The past week has been a real super week in terms of advocacy and quality management. Behind are the principal’s student feedback discussions. Within each school, students from each degree programmes have collected feedback on the themes provided. Feedback is reviewed during hearings where the principal and senior management are present with the students to review the feedback.
The function of student feedback discussions is to get an overview of how things are in education from the students’ point of view. Which things seem to be succeeding and where action and development are required. Students bring out valuable grassroots knowledge and the feedback usually reflects internal successes and areas for development in the field of education.
The events emphasize the importance of giving feedback. No matter how small it may seem to yourself, it’s worth highlighting. If grassroots things that need development don’t show up to the right people, they can grow into chronic problems. Giving feedback is the way to take part in developing teaching and education, as the nature of the quality system involves continuous learning: information and our own knowledge are limited but evolve during the “plan, do, check, act” cycle. The development of quality is never complete and is not intended to strive for perfection, which is logically impossible. There is no end point in the cycle so quality must always be developed, and good so.
Student feedback discussions 2020
Member of HAMKO’s board Lauri, who participated in the student feedback discussions as student union’s representative, reflects on the given feedback with the exceptional circumstances of the past year:
“Given the current situation, distance learning received more positive feedback than one might have thought in the spring. The quality of distance learning has improved over the year, and more and more are likely to begin to adapt to this type of teaching. However, the feedback also showed how some are starting to get frustrated, and many are longing to go back to campuses for contact teaching.”
“Learning in modules is generally perceived as a good practice. The modules periodify studies, as well as create good entities by including courses in a specific subject area. Some mentioned the modules as a critique of the occasional urgency, and the accumulation of tasks at the end of the module. Students were asked to better share their tasks within the module.” Lauri states about the construction of studies in the modules.
“Student counselors got a lot of positive feedbacks, as many students feel that they can get professional help from them. Students have received a lot of help, and on a quick schedule. Some groups hoped that study counselors would appear a little more through spontaneous communication. The guidance provided by the teachers received mixed feedback. Some teachers help students a lot and ask how studies are going, outside of classroom, too.”
Finally, Lauri states: “I urge and remind students to give feedback directly to teachers as well.”
PS. NB! Student, if you have participated in the principal’s student hearings, you can pick up a quality coverall from HAMKO’s office!