Using a research instrument for developing quality at the university

Abstract

Abstract The University of Helsinki, along with the other European universities, is facing challenges for enhancing the quality of teaching and developing quality assurance systems with comparable criteria. To tackle these aims the university started to develop a student feedback system with a solid theoretical feedback and valuable practical implications. The present study describes the process of developing a research instrument and a questionnaire as a part of a research project The Students’ Approaches to Learning and their Experiences of the Teaching-Learning Environment(s) (LEARN) at the university. The work carried out at the University of Helsinki clearly demonstrates the value of using the LEARN questionnaire: at the same time it is a valid research instrument and a practical tool for enhancing the quality of students’ learning. Different faculties at the University of Helsinki have used the instrument for research purposes, in their quality work and in student counselling. Furthermore, the software that enables the systematic use of the instrument has been developed and it will be used across the University of Helsinki. Keywords: student learningteaching-learning environmentquality assurancestudent feedbackhigher education Acknowledgement We are grateful to Erika Löfström for commenting the earlier versions of this article and for Henna Asikainen for her comments and effort to conduct the focus group interviews. We would also like to thank Mirja Ruohoniemi, Viivi Virtanen, Hanna-Maija Ketola and Anne Haarala-Muhonen for their comments on how the instrument has been used in practice in different faculties.