Is Environmental Sciences teaching delivery working for students?
By Student Voice Analytics
delivery of teachingenvironmental sciencesMostly, but uneven across modes and formats. In the National Student Survey (NSS), the delivery of teaching category attracts 60.2% Positive comments, while environmental sciences sits nearer the middle at 52.9% Positive. Differences by study mode matter: full-time students report an index of +27.3 versus +7.2 for part-time learners, and remote learning trends negative at −7.4. The delivery category covers how content is structured, paced and communicated across UK programmes, and the environmental sciences subject code sits within the Common Aggregate Hierarchy used across the sector; those insights shape the practical adjustments outlined below.
What delivery issues do Environmental Sciences students report?
Environmental sciences students face challenges related to the delivery of their courses, heightened during the transition to online teaching following the COVID-19 pandemic. The shift exposes technical constraints and requires staff to recalibrate pedagogy, but it also opens a route to improved practice through student feedback. Using student voice, gathered through surveys and text analysis, programme teams analyse how effectively modules meet learning objectives. Some students feel that online formats disrupt learning, particularly where practical elements are crucial; others appreciate flexibility and accessibility. This mixed feedback points to a blended model with consistent materials, structured pacing and a strong knowledge base. Student feedback highlights communication and dependable support when lecturers are unavailable as priorities. Addressing these involves improving technical delivery, equipping teaching staff, and running quick pulse checks by mode and age so teams act where the tone dips.
How does reduced face-to-face interaction affect learning?
A significant concern is the scarcity of direct face-to-face interactions with teachers, which often reduce in later years. This absence can detach students from the academic community, impacting learning outcomes and motivation. In a subject that requires hands-on learning and problem-solving, in-person tutorials and labs enable immediate dialogue. Technology should augment rather than replace mentoring: schedule small-group tutorials, facilitate peer learning, and maintain continuity of contact across years.
How should we time workshops to improve learning and assessment?
Students report stress when workshops sit too close to deadlines, leaving insufficient time to apply new knowledge before assessments. Tight scheduling can cover content quickly but often rushes complex learning. Begin workshops earlier in the term, sequence them before assessment briefs, and signpost application steps after each session. Use concise worked examples and short formative checks to consolidate understanding. This pacing respects different learning speeds and improves assessment performance.
How can we sustain support when lecturers are absent?
A lack of cover during staff absence leaves students uncertain about complex topics introduced in lectures. Continuity matters. Provide structured cover via stand-in educators and teaching assistants, release recordings and annotated slides promptly, and organise a single digital hub for materials and FAQs. Encourage peer study groups with light facilitation so students maintain momentum without adding undue workload.
Where can programmes add hands-on experience?
Students perceive a shortage of practical opportunities. In a discipline where fieldwork and direct interaction with the environment are fundamental, virtual simulations help but do not develop observational skills alone. Facilitate small-group field trips, local projects and placements, supported by digital tools to plan, document and analyse field data. Engaging students early with practical tasks enhances learning and better prepares them for real environmental challenges.
How can we make assessment expectations unambiguous?
Students ask for enhanced clarity around assessment expectations. Outline objectives and marking criteria at the start of term and align them to learning outcomes. Publish annotated exemplars, use checklist-style rubrics, and calibrate marking across teams. Set a visible feedback service level agreement and map assessment timelines across modules to smooth workload peaks. Regular Q&A and micro-exemplars demystify expectations and reduce anxiety.
What makes lectures more interactive and effective?
Interactive lectures raise engagement and comprehension by turning complex systems into solvable problems. Use live Q&A, short collaborative tasks and quick polls to surface misconceptions and adjust pace. In large classes, standardise slide structure, build pacing breaks and include low-stakes practice. Preparation takes time, so share micro-exemplars of effective sessions to spread habits across the team.
What makes online learning difficult for this cohort?
Transitioning to online learning brings challenges. Students find it hard to maintain concentration during lengthy, asynchronous lectures, frequently extending over two hours. Live, synchronous elements sustain interaction, yet the tone around remote learning trends negative (−7.4). Chunk content, provide concise summaries and worked examples for catch-up, and make assessment briefings accessible asynchronously. Use polls, discussion forums and breakout rooms judiciously so interaction supports rather than distracts from learning.
How do internal university dynamics influence teaching quality?
Internal politics and resource allocation affect class sizes, field provision and staff time, shaping the educational experience. Protect teaching quality with a light-touch delivery rubric covering structure, clarity, pacing and interaction, and run brief peer observations. Use transparent frameworks to ring-fence teaching resources and ensure parity across cohorts and departments.
Why do students want blended learning with real-world application?
Students prefer a blended model that combines theory with real-world applications. Partner with local environmental organisations, invite industry speakers and structure projects so students apply concepts in practice. Standardise pre-trip briefings, publish travel and kit expectations early, and collect on-site feedback to refine future activities. This approach consolidates knowledge and enhances employability.
What gets in the way of effective self-study?
Balancing self-study with structured schedules can leave students directionless. Introduce periodic benchmarks with short formative tasks, and provide explicit “what to do next” signposting at the end of each session. Hybrid support, combining in-person drop-ins with online materials, preserves flexibility while preventing gaps in understanding.
When do students need additional support sessions?
Students benefit from mid-term support sessions that target known pressure points and complex topics. Co-design timing and content with students, advertise early, and align to module outcomes and assessment briefs. Manage workload by rotating leads across the team and sharing materials so support remains sustainable.
How Student Voice Analytics helps you
Student Voice Analytics turns open-text feedback into priorities you can act on for delivery of teaching and environmental sciences. It tracks topics and sentiment over time, with drill-downs from provider to school and cohort, and like-for-like comparisons by subject coding, mode and age. You can segment by site or year to target where interventions move sentiment most, demonstrate parity for part-time learners, and evidence improvements in areas such as online delivery, timetabling and assessment clarity. Concise summaries and export-ready outputs help programme teams and academic boards make timely, proportionate changes.
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