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Higher education

Talk to other parents whose children are preparing for university on our Higher Education forum.

Original poster

DD wants a RG Uni that does F2F teaching - which will?

298 replies

mugglewump · 11/08/2021 17:46

My DD is in the process of choosing which universities to apply for and wants Russell Group. After hearing Manchester say that blended learning will continue indefinitely, she has decided that F2F learning is (unsurprisingly) important to her. She is interested in Leeds, Sheffield, Newcastle, Nottingham, Bristol, Kings, Cardiff and Southampton and would like to know which of these have declared an intention to return to face to face learning for 2022. If you have a DD or DS at any of these and know the uni's intention in terms of course delivery, can you share it please? She wants to study geography. TIA.

OP posts:
SkinnyMirror · 17/08/2021 11:07

@Etulosba

I know that timetables have been delayed at many universities- I only got mine yesterday

That’s good going. We don’t normally get ours until the start of October anyway.

I usually have it all sorted by July! I have a lot of mature students who need to know so they can plan their studies around work.
SkinnyMirror · 17/08/2021 11:09

Thank you. Not sure what SU is - student union?
Sorry, yes it's the Students Union. They will be able to help if she wants to make a complaint of just raise it as an issue .

She has a break down of lectures, labs and tutorials and it’s a mix. She is disappointed that the small tutorials are online. Not sure how many are international. She’s not away of any so she doesn’t think that is the key factor. She expected the lectures to be.

I can see why she is disappointed. I hope she still manages to have a positive experience.

Etulosba · 17/08/2021 11:40

I usually have it all sorted by July!

The number of mature students we have is negligible. That said, it really should be done earlier, but never is. It is a big job as it involves coordinating the needs of all departments.

It is more difficult than usual this year because it isn’t possible to just do the same as last year and the year before that.

VanCleefArpels · 17/08/2021 13:12

Bear in mind that some universities canvassed students and found a considerable support for online LECTURES on the basis that they can be watched at leisure and repeatedly if required. And let’s face it many many students never actually went to all their lectures in pre Covid time and many universities recorded them and put them on learning portals for accessibility reasons anyway. The better learning tool is the small group seminars which will be carrying on in person depending on government guidelines which none of us can predict

Newgirls · 17/08/2021 14:57

Thanks skinny will suggest

somewhereovertherain · 18/08/2021 07:28

Nottingham and Glasgow not returning to full f2f teaching.

They all seem to be screwing the kids over. Taking as many students as they can, charging more and offering less.

F2F should be offered for all that want it with lectures being recorded and steamed live for those that can’t attend.

makingmyway10 · 18/08/2021 07:43

My DDs RG Uni has not made a decision yet. Although it is looking likely lectures will be online until Christmas. Her course is a professional practical one (vet med) so she did have seminars and tutorials in person last year, as well as placements but all lectures and exams were online. She is really hoping that her second year will be better with clubs and societies running and social events back on. It was a strange first year in halls!

makingmyway10 · 18/08/2021 07:53

Sorry that should have said practicals in person and tutorials online.

Bryonyshcmyony · 18/08/2021 08:38

Bear in mind that some universities canvassed students and found a considerable support for online LECTURES on the basis that they can be watched at leisure and repeatedly if required. And let’s face it many many students never actually went to all their lectures in pre Covid time and many universities recorded them and put them on learning portals for accessibility reasons anyway

They should offer lectures in person AND online fgs! They did before, why change?

Newgirls · 18/08/2021 08:43

Also - they asked students many months ago when we were peak pandemic. Not about THIS term when many have had vaccines (and have been out to bars, work, cinemas, clubs etc!). They should ask the new students for a start!

Bryonyshcmyony · 18/08/2021 08:45

It's easier and cheaper for the unis to do online. It's a bit of a scam tbh. I wish dd2 didn't want to go.

Etulosba · 18/08/2021 08:51

They should offer lectures in person AND online fgs! They did before, why change?

I expect that they offered f2f lectures and recordings of those lectures online. That isn’t the same thing as a lecture specifically designed to be delivered online.

Why change? Because the students want it. Because by placing lectures online, space is freed up in the timetable to deliver more f2f seminars, labs, and tutorials than was possible before.

Bryonyshcmyony · 18/08/2021 08:56

Why change? Because the students want it

They absolutely do not.

And they are not offering more tutorials and seminars either!

SkinnyMirror · 18/08/2021 09:46

They should offer lectures in person AND online fgs! They did before, why change?

Should we never adapt and change? Should he go back to doing things a certain way even if we know that doing it a different way is more effective?
There have been lots of lessons learnt over the last 18 months and it would remiss of us not to evaluate and continue to make changes.

It seems like everyone expects every other sector to adapt but not HE.

SkinnyMirror · 18/08/2021 09:46

@Bryonyshcmyony

It's easier and cheaper for the unis to do online. It's a bit of a scam tbh. I wish dd2 didn't want to go.
Not true.
SkinnyMirror · 18/08/2021 09:48

@Bryonyshcmyony

Why change? Because the students want it

They absolutely do not.

And they are not offering more tutorials and seminars either!

some students do want it though. Mine certainly do..... students on my course have been asking for online for years!! Covid allowed me to do this quicker because we invested in the IT infrastructure.
TyneView · 18/08/2021 11:14

@Bryonyshcmyony

Lectures were recorded anyway at dds uni for that reason and for those who can't be arsed to go.

Dd learns far more at RL lectures and talking to peers afterwards.

Same here a DS attended a Russell group uni - most lectures were on line, he watched to suit himself (when he woke, his hangover had gone and he could be bothered) I can remember saying to him that he could have actually just lived at home and only commuted occasionally (but that would have stopped his social life!)
Etulosba · 18/08/2021 11:42

It's easier and cheaper for the unis to do online. It's a bit of a scam tbh.

That is a myth. Creating and delivering effective online content requires more effort/time from staff. It costs more, or it would if staff actually got paid extra for doing more work.

Etulosba · 18/08/2021 11:55

Same here a DS attended a Russell group uni - most lectures were on line, he watched to suit himself (when he woke, his hangover had gone and he could be bothered)
I can remember saying to him that he could have actually just lived at home and only commuted occasionally (but that would have stopped his social life!)

I’m surprised that the teaching on his course consisted solely of lectures.

I run a 15 credit module. Equivalent to 150 hours of student engagement. There are five one hour lectures and 45 hours of labs and tutorials etc. The lectures account for just over 3% of the total module hours.

Lectures aren’t the be-all and end-all of university teaching.

Xenia · 18/08/2021 13:25

Those offering stuff online should allow as many students as want to go into lecture theatres when the lesson is being streamed live and watch it in the lecture theatre with their friends (rather than being isolated in tiny student rooms). That way students can chat to each other and meet and get out of their rooms whilst those lecturers scared of covid can hide away in their houses.

SkinnyMirror · 18/08/2021 13:32

Those offering stuff online should allow as many students as want to go into lecture theatres when the lesson is being streamed live and watch it in the lecture theatre with their friends (rather than being isolated in tiny student rooms). That way students can chat to each other and meet and get out of their rooms whilst those lecturers scared of covid can hide away in their houses.

While that might work for lectures with no interaction expected from the students ( providing you have the technology) it wouldn't be a very effective teaching method where student interaction is required. Not to mention what would actually happen - i guarantee a large number of students would decide last minute to watch at home leaving me in an empty lecture theatre.

It really is better not to try and deliver on campus and online at the same time. We won't even do this for meetings because it doesn't work. It's either hosted online or on campus

SkinnyMirror · 18/08/2021 13:42

plus, nobody should be isolated in their rooms. We're no longer in lockdown so there will be on campus activities and some on campus teaching.
It just might look a little different from before Covid but that isn't always a bad thing!

Bryonyshcmyony · 18/08/2021 13:54

@Xenia

Those offering stuff online should allow as many students as want to go into lecture theatres when the lesson is being streamed live and watch it in the lecture theatre with their friends (rather than being isolated in tiny student rooms). That way students can chat to each other and meet and get out of their rooms whilst those lecturers scared of covid can hide away in their houses.
Good idea!
SkinnyMirror · 18/08/2021 14:08

Good idea!

it's really not!! It would result in a terrible student experience

Bryonyshcmyony · 18/08/2021 14:09

@SkinnyMirror

Good idea!

it's really not!! It would result in a terrible student experience

Why on earth would it? If it's online you can watch it later

Amazing how many so called uni lecturers post on here absolutely convinced students actively want to study in their rooms 100 % of the time