Student feedback in education process

At VAMK, we have several channels through which we gather and receive feedback on how we have managed in our task to educate our students into future professionals. These channels are feedback received in connection with student guidance, VAMK questionnaires, co-operation with VAMOK and the statistics and surveys gathered by the Ministry of Education.

TEXT | Tarja Kettunen
Permalink http://urn.fi/URN:NBN:fi-fe2020110489243
Students at VAMK.

Student guidance

Information and briefing

During the first months at the start of the studies, the student receives a substantial amount of information through Study Portal, fact sheets and student infos; these help the student to get started. The student learns where and how to find information, whom to turn to when s/he needs more detailed advice and information.

Group guidance

At the start of the studies, the tutor teacher tutor invites each student to a starting discussion to ensure a good start for the studies. In addition to this, students are invited to an appraisal discussion where the teacher and the student discuss the progress of the studies, eventual student exchange, summer jobs and practical training, advanced professional studies and career plans.  The last appraisal discussion will take place when the student is completing studies during the final year.

Guidance during the phases of studies

When teaching, the teacher is in continuous interaction with the students, and this interaction is the most important form of feedback. All UAS degrees include practical training and a thesis; these also include feedback discussions with the student.

Student counsellors give special help

In rough spots during the studies, students get support from student counsellors. If the studies are halting or the student’s plans change, the students can think it over together with the student counsellor how to move on.

VAMK questionnaires

Spark new course feedback system

This autumn, a new course feedback system, Peppi -integratable Spark, will be introduced. The advantage of the new system is that all services and views offered by the system are gathered into one place according to the needs of the user. The new system enables, in addition to the final feedback, continuous feedback and gathering of intermediate feedback as well as counter-feedback from the teacher to the students. The teacher’s feedback is shown to the student who gave the feedback. First to be introduced are the final feedback and teacher’s counter-feedback

TUTKA-surveys

Every year, we conduct TUTKA1, TUTKA2 ja TUTKA3 surveys, the questions of which are targeted to students of each year. Tutor teachers give counter-feedback of the results to the group they tutor. The results are also discussed in meetings of the degree programmes and Management Team.

Feedy

Feedy serves as a channel for continuous feedback through which both external parties and those within the VAMK community can give feedback or improvement ideas or make security and safety related reports. Feedy feedbacks are redirected to the person responsible for the issue in questions. By leaving contact information, the feedback giver will get personal answer to her/his feedback.

Co-operation with VAMOK

Co-operation with the student body VAMOK  is versatile and close. VAMOK trains tutors to help with the familiarisation of new students, participates in arranging events and appoints student representatives to work groups and various bodies. VAMOK also takes part in the quality work by activating students to join the discussion and bring up students’ perspective to enhance VAMK’s operation. A contract is signed with VAMOK every year on tasks allocated to them, and in return, VAMK subsidises VAMOK’s activities.

Statistics and surveys gathered by the Ministry

The surveys conducted by the Ministry of Education and Culture give us information on how the graduands from VAMK evaluate the education they received and what the level of quality of the education is in the students’ opinion when compared to the answers given  by students in other universities of applied sciences.

AVOP

Graduant Feedback Questionnaire measures how content the students are with the education they have received right after the graduations. The results of VAMK’s students have an effect on our basic funding through the core funding model. The results can be found at Vipunen, Education Statistics provided by the Finnish National Agency for Education.

Career monitoring survey

The career monitoring survey to be conducted this autumn will open on 15 October for those who have taken a Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in 2015. The career monitoring survey aims to determine where the graduates have found employment, how the degree taken has met the needs of the working life and what the career path of a UAS graduate is like. 3% of our basic funding is based on the career monitoring survey. The results of this survey can be viewed here.

References
  • Student Union Vamok. https://vamok.fi/en/frontpage/

  • Ministry of Education and Culture. 17.1.2019. https://minedu.fi/en/-/korkeakouluille-uusi-rahoitusmalli

  • Education statistics Finland. Vipunen. https://vipunen.fi/en-gb/university-of-applied-sciences-(uas)-education

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