A bimonthly publication of AQU Catalunya

45

November 2009

AQU Catalunya has published the first study of a series of five from the 2007 grant awards for studies on different aspects of the high education system in Catalonia. This first publication, entitled Un model d'anàlisi de la qualitat de l'ensenyament des de la perspectiva dels estudiants a titulacions de quatre universitats catalanes (A model for analysing the quality of education, from the students’ perspective, of degrees at four Catalan universities), covers the work of Dr. Joan Rué, in conjunction with the IDES Group UAB-Autonomous Learning Network.

The work of Dr. Rué and his team, which seeks a better understanding of more effective teaching strategies in order to enhance and increase learning in students, stems from an interpretative model that informs teachers "about their own strategies" and orientates them in terms of "making important enhancements". In addition, the model is meant to "promote better learning conditions among students" and also inspire "quality assurance in degree programmes that are interested in developing this".

The results of the study go further in that the data obtained also show the way ahead and how to proceed. To sum up, the figures obtained show that students in the university classroom in Catalonia prefer classes that are "taught" and work that is "directed". In other words, they lead to the assumption that the present-day learning culture "is more focused on the teacher than on the student".

Rué and his team at the Autonomous University of Barcelona (UAB) conclude that even without any "significant sense of autonomy" it is still possible for a students to find "satisfaction in their studies". Nevertheless, he warns that this can only be in "a self-complacent way" and that "it does not presage ways and outcomes for real study and deep learning among students".

Studies on the student drop-out rate and the performance of students in their first year of study, vocational training and the labour market outcomes of recent graduates are to be published in the near future.