Last week, we went out to the faculties to meet you students, distribute delicious croissants and endless cups of coffee and, above all, hear your thoughts on your attendance at lectures.

We brought some questions with us that we were curious to get answers to. Without you students, the Union is nothing and therefore it is extra important to get input from you as much as we can! We want to thank you for all the answers and participation.

A total of 341 students participated. Well done!

The result

In the last month, have you considered reducing your attendance at one or more lectures?

Yes – 49 %
No – 51 %

Which learning mode do you prefer in lectures?

Physical lectures/seminars – 70.7% (241)
Online/recorded lectures – 7.3% (25)
A combination of physical and digital – 32% (109)

How satisfied are you with the current course content and teaching methods?

Very satisfied – 12.9% (44)
Fairly satisfied – 20.2% (69)
Neutral – 31.1% (106)
Quite dissatisfied – 29.6% (101)
Very dissatisfied – 6.2% (21)

How satisfied are you with the interaction and student engagement in your class?

Very satisfied – 9.7% (33)
Fairly satisfied – 26.7% (91)
Neutral – 33.4% (114)
Somewhat dissatisfied – 22.9% (78)
Very dissatisfied – 7.3% (25)

How manageable is the workload of your courses?

Always manageable – 24% (82)
Mostly manageable – 46.3% (158)
Manageable sometimes / sometimes overwhelming – 26.4% (90)
Often unmanageable – 3.2% (11)

Do you have access to the resources and support services required for your studies?

I have access to all necessary resources – 64.8% (221)
I have access to some resources, but not all – 30.8% (105)
I do not have access to the resources I need – 4.4% (15)

What are the reasons why you reduce your attendance from lectures?

Course content is not relevant to my career goals – 28.8% (96)
Teaching methods are ineffective – 35.8% (122)
I feel distracted by my classmates and/or the instructor – 10.9% (37)
Personal circumstances affect my ability to participate in class – 35.5% (121)
Other – 12% (41)

Other answers:

  • Course content is relevant but not always necessary to be in classes
  • Have no one to sit with
  • Learn better by reading sometimes
  • Time pressure
  • Scheduling that makes participation difficult.

Do you have any suggestions on how Malmö University can improve student attendance and engagement?

  • Better space to study in the school buildings
  • More practical learning. Seminars and discussions
  • Engaged teachers! They make everything!
  • Write that teaching is compulsory
  • Listening more to students’ suggestions
  • Inviting more guest lecturers that are educated within the specific subjects
  • I think all teachers should post their teaching material after the lesson so everyone can access it.
  • Variety in learning is good. Sometimes discussing, sometimes being on site or at home. I actually prefer to be on site, but even I think it’s nice to meet over Zoom sometimes.
  • Maybe course based negotiation with the professor on the attendance. The high tuition fees are creating injustice within the university.
  • More deep learning instead of treating topics on the surface. There is often too little content on too many topics.
  • Make better use of student feedback!
  • Take on board the changes that students submit in the evaluations.
  • More workshops

This is a summary of the responses we received from you students and we promise that we at the Union will do what we can.