NSE 2023: Student satisfaction decreases slightly

30 May 2023 14:49 | Communication

Students rated AUAS slightly lower on average in 2023 compared with 2022. The National Student Survey (NSE) was completed by some 16,000 AUAS students.

Overall satisfaction remained about the same in 2023 (3.53 compared with 3.54 in 2022, on a scale of 1 to 5). Student satisfaction decreased slightly on average for all the other topics of the NSE. The decrease in satisfaction was less than 0.1 for all the survey’s topics. Students were less satisfied this year with topics such as ‘Engagement and contact’, ‘Lecturers’, ‘Teaching content and design’, ‘Alignment with professional practice’ and ‘Testing and assessment’.

Executive Board chair Jopie Nooren said in response to the survey: ‘The Executive Board is disappointed with the results of the NSE 2023. Over the past year, our colleagues have worked hard and invested in providing high-quality teaching and guidance to our students. Unfortunately, this has not led to a higher average score. The NSE shows where there’s room for improvement. The degree programmes will work with their students to see what should be given priority.’

Student guidance

Students gave the topic of student guidance a score of 3.58 (on a scale of 1 to 5). National developments, such as concerns around student wellbeing and a shift towards blended learning mean that students have different needs in terms of guidance. Flexible learning also affects this because students have more choices to make during their studies. Some students would like more or different guidance, and the AUAS is investing in tailored student guidance to match the changing student needs.

Blended learning

The AUAS is continuing to develop blended learning by providing a considered, targeted and carefully designed mix of face-to-face and digital educational activities and learning materials. The experiences that students shared in the NSE on the topic of blended education were in line with this choice of learning method. The majority of students found the current mix of on-site teaching and online activities appropriate for achieving good study results.

Flexible degree programmes

Student satisfaction with the flexibility of our degree programmes is not yet at the desired level (3.18 on a scale of 1 to 5), but this has seen a slight increase every year since 2021. An increasing number of degree programmes are offering students choice in terms of the content, method, time and place of teaching, although organising this is not always easy and needs to be approached with care. The AUAS remains fully committed to this because more flexibility improves the chances of study success.

Diversity and inclusion

Many students indicated in the NSE that they felt safe being themselves at the AUAS. Students also gave a relatively high score for ‘equal treatment’ (3.73 on a scale of 1 to 5). The AUAS runs various initiatives such as TuneIn, language support and Student mentor+ to promote equal treatment for students and has taken steps to combat discrimination during internships.

See the full overview of the AUAS and its degree programmes on the Studiekeuze123 website.