AN ANNEX TO THE

ANNUAL EDUCATION
REVIEW

FACULTY REPORT

2018 MANAGEMENT SCHOOL

UNDERGRADUATE & POSTGRADUATE

TAUGHT STUDENTS
AER FACULTY REPORT

2018
MANAGEMENT SCHOOL

2 Key findings

3 Learning Opportunities
Employability, the curriculum, and quality placements or
internships

4 Leaning Environment
Virtual learning environments, physical learning and teaching
spaces, learning through social oportunities, and the partnership
culture with staff

5 Communication and Public Information

Communicating with students, course handbooks, accurate, up-to-
date information, and the ability to make informed module choices

5 Student Voice
Are students listened to? Is feedback being acted on?

6 Support and Barriers to Learning

Digital-ready spaces, student awareness of support, and learner
development

8 Assessing and Developing Students

Range of assessment methods; constructive, timely and helpful
feedback

9 Suggestions
PREFACE
The Students union has committed to undertaking an Annual Educational
Review. The process gathers student feedback, opinions, experiences and
priorities, and provides them to the institution in ways that we hope can inform
positive change and encourage best practice.

The review process enables us to provide specific information, to different areas

of the institution about the experiences of their students. We have also produced
a cross-faculty PGR specific report and the information from all of these reports
is drawn together in an overarching document called the Alternative Education
Review (AER).

The faculty reports serve as appendices to the AER and are able to contain more
detailed (and we hope useful) information to each Faculty. This faculty report offers
specific information about the experience of taught students studying at Lancaster
University Management School.

Full details of the methodology and data can be found in the overarching AER
document, but the vast majority of information contained here has come from
Academic Reps and the students they represent. Although we also draw on
National Student Survey and PTES data to illustrate some finding.

We hope the Faculty will work alongside Students’ and

Academic Representatives to consider the findings
within this report and develops plans to engage with the
recommendations. Person Saying This

AER FACULTY REPORT 2018 - MANAGEMENT SCHOOL | 1

KEY FINDINGS

EMPLOYABILITY SUPPORT LEARNING ENVIRONMENT

Students are happy with the level of Building work, noise levels, overcrowding
employability support, placement opportunities and inappropriate room allocations for
and internships made available to them. some courses is perceived as having a
negative impact on students. They value the
ACF students would like to see more practical management ‘Hub’ as a working space.
applications of theories they learn on the
course. Digital spaces are good if used correctly.
Students would like to staff to have a more
consistent approach to uploading and
STAFF & FEEDBACK ordering files on Moodle.
Academic staff are willing
to listen to student opinions
and make small changes.
Bigger changes can be more
challenging for departments
and reps would like staff to
be more open to receiving
constructive feedback and
adopt a partnership approach
in tackling issues that are
raised. It is not always clear
to students if/how previous
feedback has been acted on by
the department.

Students speak highly of

administrative staff and feel
that communication from the
department is usually clear and
useful. Some students would
like handbooks to remain more
accurate and be kept up-to-date
– specifically students would
like clearer communication
about module options.

SUPPORT ASSESSMENT & FEEDBACK

It is not always clear to students that learner
development support is available, accessible
or relevant to them.
The MASH centre, English language support,
and other initiatives could receive many more
students accessing the services if this was the
case.
The variety of assessment methods available
to LUMS students is appreciated although
some concerns are raised about inequitable
treatment linked to group work, where some
students do not ‘pull their weight’.
Students would like feedback to be more
specific and useful; employing the use of
essay rubrics or standardised comments that
can be tailored to specific students if required.

2 | LANCASTER UNIVERSITY STUDENTS’ UNION

 LEARNING
OPPORTUNITIES
Students feel that there is support from Generally, students feel that employability is
the LUMS Careers team and they would embedded into the curriculum. In addition to
know where to go to ask for support regular modules that have got a practical side
when applying for quality placements or to them; there are career-focused modules and
internships. lectures - MNGT150, ‘Marketing Me’, ECON105,
MNGT200 for BBA students - that enhance
employability skills.
It is felt that part one courses provides good
basis for later choices.
ACF students stated that there is too much
theory in the curriculum, and would wish to have
Students feel there is good range seen more practical applications of that theory.
of diversity offered by their courses.
Generally, there is a wide choice of ACF students also perceive that the course does
modules and within modules –there is a not necessarily prepare them for the challenges
broad range of topics covered. of current graduate/internship job market.

AS A RESULT OF MY COURSE, I BELIEVE THAT

I HAVE IMPROVED MY CAREER PROSPECTS

Advertising Marketing Business Marketing Accounting Economics

and Management Studies and
Marketing Finance
Data: NSS, 2017. Management School

AER FACULTY REPORT 2018 - MANAGEMENT SCHOOL | 3

 LEARNING
ENVIRONMENT
VIRTUAL LEARNING ENVIRONMENT
Moodle is appreciated as it gathers all the
resources in one place. However, the recurring
comment was that it is very much dependent
on lecturers’ effort and therefore inconsistent.
LIBRARY & LEARNING ZONE
Even though students are aware of new
spaces in the Library, it is still too crowded
and students have not noticed a difference in
reduced ‘hogging of spaces’.

Some lecturers grasp Moodle well and use it to Learning Zone is viewed by some as a space
make students’ lives easier. Others, however, for eating lunch and informal group meetings,
not only fail at logically organising their folders as the pods are not enclosed and therefore
but also do not upload files either on time or at lack privacy.
all. Therefore, the experience of using Moodle
is mixed.
Ability to access Moodle
from all devices has been
noted as an advantage.

SOCIAL
Students generally feel
that departments do
not actively support
learning through social
opportunities although
some do organise
Christmas balls or parties.

There are not many

activities that are endorsed
by departments. Socialising
happens through tutorials
and if academic societies
organise events.
Building works disturb students’ learning
SUPPORT
Students know they can seek support from PHYSICAL SPACES
the academics and they will be listened to but ACF, Marketing, OWT students reported
office hours are seen as restrictive. overcrowding issues with some modules.
There is a perceived ‘partnership culture’ Building works this year have caused
between Postgraduates students and lecturers. inconvenience to navigate around the campus,
but also disturbs students’ learning due to
Students spoke highly of their relationships with noise.
Course Coordinators.

4 | LANCASTER UNIVERSITY STUDENTS’ UNION

 COMMUNICATION &
PUBLIC INFORMATION
Communication between departments
and students is generally handled well.
Departments do well at informing the
students about any major changes.
Marketing students appreciate the direct
and clear communication from programme
coordinators.
Students would like to be better informed
about the choices they have to make and
options they have. There is quite a lot of
confusion while choosing minors and this
is not fully clear and students would like to
“
receive more information well in advance.
The feedback we received
was disregarded for our year
unfortunately, although the
department is looking into them
for future years and prospective
students.
Undergraduate student, 2nd year
BSc Marketing
ARE STUDENTS LISTENED TO?
Generally, students feel like lecturers and
staff are approachable and are interested in
students’ opinions, although sometimes appear
defensive if negative feedback is offered.
Reps perceive that some staff are unwilling to
consider making big changes but are open to
smaller ones.
Staff-student committees are a useful and
positive experience for most LUMS reps.
Students and Reps are not facilitated by
departments to easily contact each other.
“
FEEDBACK
There is perception that feedback
is slow to be acted upon and that
students in current cohorts cannot
benefit although change can be
introduced for the future cohort.
AER FACULTY REPORT 2018 - MANAGEMENT SCHOOL | 5
Some students said that handbooks are not
particularly useful as they’re often out-of-date
and not accurate. Some students overlook them
and do not even know about their existence.
Management Science students reported
challenges with their department not
communicating well early in the year. Those
students have different timetables every week
and there are many changes that happen
last minute and therefore lead to inability
to schedule the week ahead. This issue has
since been resolved and the students feel the
communication is now ‘perfect’.
”
STUDENT
VOICE
Reps would like to see anonymised end-of-
module feedback from previous years they
would be able to judge better whether there has
been any improvement on their course.
Students find it difficult to know what feedback
Reps have provided to the department of course
and what action will be taken in response.
Students understand and value the culture of
end of module feedback and hope that it taken
into account, but it is not always clear to them if
this is the case.
PGT student often feel frustrated that there is
no flexibility to allow changes to their course ‘in
year’ due to the short length of the course.
”
At best I was told that they
would “think about it”.
Undergraduate student, 4th year
BBA
SUPPORT AND BARRIERS
TO LEARNING
DIGITAL READY SPACES
Overall, students feel the University is
‘digital ready’.
Manuals or easy to access training should
be provided for Interactive whiteboards.
Wi-Fi fails at some places and times.
There are not enough power sockets in the
teaching and learning spaces (e.g. library and
lecture theatres).
Students would like pre-arrival information
about network coverage on campus. Poor
mobile signal has led to problems with phone
interviews.

LEARNER SUPPORT
Students are aware of support such as Academic Writing and MASH, however many do not attend
as they think they are not applicable to them or assume that they are not helpful.

Some students said it would be useful to have a central hub to access learner support or
development.

Some PGT students feel that their timetables do not allow them to access additional academic
help during normal working hours.

LUMS reps feel that organised peer mentoring or support could be used to help with leaner
development

I HAVE RECEIVED SUFICIENT ADVICE AND

GUIDANCE IN RELATION TO MY COURSE
100

90
% Agree

80

70

60

50

6 | LANCASTER UNIVERSITY STUDENTS’ UNION

 “ ”
I have been able to get the tutor to
move exams and to give extra lab
lessons on a module and drop some
things that were not so helpful.
Postgraduate taught student
MSc Human Resources

I AM AWARE HOW TO ACCESS THE SUPPORT

SERVICES AT MY INSTITUTION
an d

me &
ing

SI
e

cs

D
T

re
nc
Fin g an

fic

OW

TA
EN
ge ip
ce

nt

mi

nt
et

cie

Of

na rsh

Ce

CE
no
rk
tin

tS

PG

Ma ade
Ma

ip
un

Ec
n

rsh
me
co

Le

de
Ac

e
ga

a
Le
na
Ma

Data: PGTES, 2017. Responses from Lancaster University Management School students. The “support services”
stated refer to health, finance, careers, and accomodation.

AER FACULTY REPORT 2018 - MANAGEMENT SCHOOL | 7

 ASSESSING AND
DEVELOPTING STUDENTS
Generally, feedback, if given in a timely
manner, is considered useful to students.
LUMS students are largely happy with the
wide range of assessment methods.
Some students raised concerns that group
work assessment places unfair burden on
some students and offers unfair advantages
to others. It is difficult to monitor who
undertakes the workload or challenge
behaviour of peers who do not ‘pull their
weight’. Some students suggested that group
work should be weighted less to mitigate this
lack of parity.
Management & HR students reported that
they predominantly have essay and exams
and would appreciate more presentations
Marketing students said that the assessment
could be more mixed and increasing the
number of presentations in smaller groups
would be beneficial.
THE CRITERIA USED IN MARKING HAVE
BEEN CLEAR IN ADVANCE
8 | LANCASTER UNIVERSITY STUDENTS’ UNION
PGT student often feel no benefit from feedback
in terms of academic progression, because their
modules are often short and if they receive
feedback after several weeks, they do not find it
applicable.
Management Science students pointed out
inconsistency in marking – people with higher
mark had the same feedback with lower marks
and therefore confused students.
Management & HR students said that feedback
they receive too generic after each assessments
and therefore not particularly helpful to improve.
It is a common for students to experience ‘over
assessment’, especially those who are on
Postgraduate courses or double major courses.
ACF students reported receiving feedback about
exams. This was welcomed and would be valued
by students in other departments.
 SUGGESTIONS

LUMS STUDENTS WOULD LIKE TO SEE...

1. A standardised and more consistent approach to using Moodle accross the faculty

2. More study spaces allocated and better signposting to study zones

3. Clearer communication about the Space programme

AER FACULTY REPORT 2018 - MANAGEMENT SCHOOL | 9