Poor feedback subjects resort to clearing

Several departments at Warwick entered clearing this year and it has been suggested that there is a correlation between those entering clearing and the departments most criticised over their academic feedback to students.

In May, [the _Boar_ reported on students’ exasperation with a lack of academic feedback](https://theboar.org/news/2012/may/22/university-needs-get-their-act-together-over-feedb/). The Students’ Union’s (SU) education officer at the time, Sean Ruston, claimed: “The University needs to get their act together” over feedback.

At this time, the SU ran the Hungry for Feedback campaign, which aimed to raise awareness amongst students and staff as well as putting pressure upon the University to make a change for the better.

It has been suggested that the worst offending departments have since struggled to fill places and consequently entered clearing this year.

Amongst others, some of the departments to enter clearing were Psychology, Biology and related sciences (as part of the School of Life Sciences) and Engineering.

In the 2011 National Student Survey (NSS), these departments also scored well below average with regards to student satisfaction with feedback.

When asked if feedback on their work had been prompt, 12 percent of Biology and related sciences students, 45 percent of Psychology students and 36 percent of Mechanically-based Engineering students agreed.

Asked if feedback on their work had helped to clarify things they did not understand: 28 percent of students studying ‘Biology and related sciences’, 22 percent of Psychology students and 49 percent of Mechanically-based Engineering students agreed.

John McCarthy, head of the School of Life Sciences, said: “The new School of Life Sciences regards feedback as a critically important part of its teaching activities and has instigated a number of measures in the recent past to enhance the student experience in this respect.”

Mr McCarthy commented that generally a lower number of students were seeking entry to universities, and attributed this to the department’s presence in the clearing system.

He added that the department was maintaining its high standards. He said: “Students entering the School of Life Sciences through clearing and adjustment were only admitted with AAB or equivalent grades.”

Ioana Rotaru, current president of the Psychology Society, told the _Boar_: “If you look at most university league tables and see how Psychology at Warwick fares, almost every single one of them, if not all, will state that the feedback we are being given on our assignments is far below average.”

Ms Rotaru also held some praise for the department, saying: “Despite this massive flaw that the department presents, there are amazing qualities that have attracted hundreds of us to apply to Warwick and Psychology at Warwick in particular.”

Dr Martin Skinner, director of undergraduate studies for the Department of Psychology, conceded that there were several reasons why Psychology did not reach its target on the basis of automatic acceptances this year.

“We increased the level of our standard offer this year and there was a general decrease in applications across the HE sector, attributable to the fees increase”, he explained:

“A third possible reason is that our NSS ratings were lower this year than last year and this has had an impact on the department’s outward appearance in league tables.”

However Dr Skinner was optimistic that the Department would improve: “The department continues to consider how it can improve all aspects of feedback across the course, as it does all aspects of our students’ learning experience. We trust that these efforts will be reflected in the 2012 NSS results which will shortly be published.”

Regarding the potential link, the SU’s education officer James Entwistle commented to the Boar: “In my view, academic quality and standards, especially on feedback, will and has had a visible impact on uptake of university courses, not just in Warwick but across the sector.”

Mr Entwistle added: “I think it’s fair to accept that not every applicant to Warwick studied the National Student Survey data before they applied, but that data feeds into our league table position, which students definitely notice.”

“We at the Students’ Union hope the University take this seriously, and really work hard at ensuring that the quality of our feedback, contact time and study space improves so that we really are the world-class institution Warwick presents itself as.”