Theme: Teaching
We've been listening to Students, and we shared this listening at the assembly…
“There is little time between learning and assessments… students don’t have time during Freshers week….”
“Teacher bias needs to end… lecturers don’t give proper feedback… assignment briefs need to be clearer.”
“Students felt poorly supported when moving from undergraduate to postgraduate… induction too generic.”
“Some lecturers don’t like Asian students. We get marked lower and the feedback is awful.”
“Lecturers don’t challenge inappropriate comments. Cultural sensitivity is basically ignored.”
“Lecture delivery is often too fast, especially when introducing new terminology, making it difficult to follow.”
“Slides lack key information, meaning students must combine PowerPoints with additional reading to understand essential content.”
“Students request lecture content to be released in advance, as previously agreed.”
At the assembly, we heard powerful stories from students about the challenges they faced with:
Student 1 – Postgraduate School of Psychology
Lack of induction for postgraduate students, especially those new to the University of Lancashire. Additionally, they experience unclear instructions for assessments, with conflicting information being presented in different sources. This has caused them to feel unsure about their work and ability to engage with the course and left them questioning their academic confidence. They also worry about neurodivergent students, who may require additional clarity in assessment briefs.
Student 2 – Law and Policing Student
This student is struggling with the competitive nature of the course, and financial hardship makes them feel like they are struggling to keep up with their peers. The course and students in the course establish high expectations for opportunities and performance. They feel unfairly treated due to the atmosphere in the course cohort.
Student 3 - School of Business
They are experiencing a lack of support with technical issues, and students are being referred to other departments without really getting help. Lecturers do not seem to know how to manage technology related to recordings, which are important for students to study. The university does not provide straightforward information on assignments and teaching, which is extremely inconsiderate, generally, but specifically for disabled and neurodivergent students. More feedback on coursework would be helpful to help students with progression.
Student 4 – International Student
As a transfer student, they came to the University of Lancashire to gain international experience. However, they felt a significant drop in teaching quality. Due to this, they feel like their attendance was not necessary, as lectures often consisted of watching videos they could have watched in their own time at home.
We can see from this insight that students are experiencing issues with:
• Limited time between teaching and assessments, particularly during transition periods
• Unclear assessment briefs and inconsistent guidance
• Variable quality of teaching and lecture delivery
• Lack of timely, constructive feedback on coursework
• Insufficient induction and support for postgraduate and transitioning students
• Concerns about bias, cultural insensitivity, and inclusive practice in teaching
• Limited access to learning materials in advance, including lecture slides and recordings
(These examples come directly from student stories and listening sessions. They are shared as insight to inform how you might vote on the future priorities of the Union. Following this vote, we will bring together those students interested in progressing work and taking action on the priorities to decide the issues and next steps.)