Liverpool Hope University’s Department of Geography and Environmental Science is celebrating positive feedback from its students.
And tutors say they’re committed to maintaining high levels of student satisfaction amid teaching adjustments brought about about the Covid-19 pandemic.
In the most recent National Student Survey (NSS) the Department - which includes the subject areas of Tourism, Geography and Environmental Science - achieved extremely encouraging scores.
The NSS, managed by the Office for Students (OfS) and which quizzes almost half a million undergraduates about their time at university, saw the Department ranking high when it comes to ‘Learning Opportunities’, ‘Assessment and Feedback’ and ‘Learning Community’.
It also achieved a score of 94 per cent in terms of the ‘Learning Resources’ available to students.
Overall, Hope achieved scores higher than the OfS benchmark for ‘Overall Satisfaction’ among students, too.
And as a follow-up to those NSS scores, the Department of Geography and Environmental Science also recently conducted its own survey of students, seeking views on how teaching has been impacted by the global pandemic - as well as ways in which the Department may move forward once the public health situation improves.
Paul Rooney, Head of the Department, says the findings ‘support our claims that despite the pandemic we have maintained high levels of student satisfaction’.
Below are some of the student responses to the question ‘What have we done well as a department?’
‘The staff are helping a lot and they are very supportive’
‘The whole department has worked hard to provide the same level of teaching as if we were in the classroom’
‘Very supportive and positive attitude’
‘Everything is well organized and easily accessible’
‘Good communication’
‘I feel as though the department has acted in the best way possible under the
always been accessible when required’
‘I think the department has coped well with COVID. I feel engaged’
‘You have done a really good job with engaging students during online teaching.
‘Amazing’
‘There has been lots of engagement with students in lectures and felt I can always turn to lecturers with issues that arise’
‘You are doing great’
‘The amount of support that the department has offered has been second to none.
Whether it be with assignments or just asking how we are generally, all department staff have been understanding of the situation we are in as students’
‘I am happy with everything the department is doing’
Paul Rooney adds: “The current COVID pandemic poses many challenges for students and staff.
“However, the department is confident that it is maintaining high levels of student satisfaction and that it benefits from strong support from students regarding the teaching adjustments in response to COVID.
“All tutors in the department will continue to listen to students, to support them, and to offer the best available learning opportunities as together we navigate our way out of the public health crisis.”
** You can contact the Department directly by emailing geography@hope.ac.uk