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NTNU – THE FACULTY OF ARCHITECTURE AND FINE ART
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the grades of the project were decided i.e. the criteria were
not known during the course and after getting the grade.
Students commented that they do not get enough (or some-
times any) feedback on their learning process.
Self-reflection and peer assessment were used very little.
In the crits external censors were often used. In many
cases it works but there are also some problems such as
situations where students might even become the target of
‘mocking or humiliation’. External censors are not interested
in discussing the learning process itself.
Giving feedback to teachers and participating
in educational development
Students mostly felt that that there are some possibilities
to give feedback to the teachers and that teachers take it
seriously. However, the Committee formed the impression
that this is teacher-dependent and that the students voice is
not always heard. Some teachers are very welcoming to all
the suggestions for improvements, but not all the teachers
are easy to approach with such wishes.
Students were not systematically used as a resource for
educational development.
Spaces and the physical learning environment
Students were happy that they had studio facilities and that
they could work at the University. It is very useful to work
with other students and to have the possibility to discuss
with them. Some students had to move their location many
times and that created inconvenience as well as a feeling
that students were not appreciated. Students also men-
tioned that the air quality could be better. A wish for better
exhibition spaces was brought up.
RECOMMENDATIONS
Guidance
The Committee’s view is that it is important that students
have the opportunity to get guidance throughout their stud-
ies.
At the moment students need more advice on choosing their
courses at Masters level, since at present the curriculum
structure is fragmented. When the structure will be worked
on and communicated to students, this confusion can be
minimized. The load for guiding each individual student can
be lighter if choices can be discussed with a group of stu-
dents. That will help to allocate guidance resources to only
those students with a special need for support.
There are also other needs for guidance, eg.:
• to support students to reflect on their learning process,
and progress,
• the integration of courses and what has been learned
(e.g. through a portfolio and its analysis in learning
terms)
• to reflect on experiences of internship,
• career planning,
• practising communicating the competences that
students have achieved and what they still want/need
to learn
In the light of resourcing the guidance system, it is important
(a) to develop methods that will cover many different guid-
ance aspects and (b) to utilise self-reflection and discus-
sions with peers.
This kind of holistic and wide ranging guidance system will
not only support student progress, well-being and achieving
maximum benefits from their education, but also provide
a considerable amount of information to the teachers and
leaders in relation to, for example:
• student progress
• the identification of possible difficulties at an early stage
• Contexts of Enhancement (Land & Gordon 2013)
factors affecting student progress and emerging
difficulties
• the quality of teaching
• points for improvement (structures, methods,
communication, roles, etc)
• the development ideas
Student role
Students emphasized that the teachers and leaders appreci-
ate and listen to them. Nevertheless, the role of students as
active participants and change agents could be improved in
several ways e.g.:
• in supporting more students to engage in self-reflection
• to use more ‘peer power’. Students have expertise that
they could share with other students through peer
reflection/assessment, peer coaching, etc
• students could have a more active role as educational
developers – not only asking them for feedback about
the teaching but engaging them in providing ideas to
improve the School