Quality Assessment of Degree Programmes at the University of Lapland: Student-centeredness, Research-Oriented and Arctic Perspective as Strengths

The quality assessment covered 24 degree programmes and 12 separate master’s programmes at the University of Lapland. The assessment model was developed within the university by applying the principles of developmental assessment. The evaluation examined the management of degree programmes, the utilisation of student feedback, smooth study paths and internationalisation. The evaluation material consisted of self-evaluations of degree programmes, reports of the faculties’ evaluation panels, international peer review and student interviews. In addition, key feedback reports and career monitoring data were analysed. Based on the student interviews, a comprehensive result report was prepared in the evaluation, which was used as peer material for the evaluation reports produced by the faculties.

The evaluation was carried out by faculty-specific evaluation panels led by the Vice Deans for Education. Each evaluation panel also included a professor, a member of the faculty, a student representative and two international members representing the faculty’s fields.

Piia Björn, Vice Rector for Education at the University of Lapland, considers the development of the quality of undergraduate education to be important for the entire university and the university community.

“Well-functioning undergraduate education is a key part of our university’s high-quality operations and our journey towards becoming a top university. We want to offer education where students have the best possible conditions for learning and growing into experts in their own field. Correspondingly, it is important that our experts also have the necessary resources and expertise for teaching and guidance,” Björn says.

Research-based approach and student-centered teaching as strengths

According to the results of the quality assessment, the faculties of the University of Lapland have strong pedagogical expertise and student-centered teaching, in which research guides learning in a versatile way. The Arctic perspective strengthens the multidisciplinary nature of teaching and research and the combination of local and international cooperation.

The faculties’ strengths include research-based teaching, flexible study paths and a wide range of English-language offerings that support internationalisation. Innovative spearheads are research on the elderly, as well as sustainability and science in northern environments. In addition, project-based learning, digitalisation and themes related to climate change offer opportunities for the development of teaching. As a whole, the educational profile of the University of Lapland reflects a high-quality, future-oriented learning environment that is firmly integrated into research.

Areas of development include attractiveness, study paths and research integration

According to the quality assessment, the key development needs are related to increasing the attractiveness of degree programmes, streamlining study paths and making more systematic use of student guidance and feedback. The connection between research and teaching should also be increased and made more visible. In addition, strengthening internationality, supporting a sense of community, especially in distance learning, and the pedagogical utilisation of digitalisation and artificial intelligence emerged as development targets in the evaluation.

The results of the evaluation will be used in the development of degree programmes at the University of Lapland and in the preparation of new curricula. At the same time, a regular evaluation model will be introduced, in which the degree programmes of the University of Lapland will be evaluated in connection with the curriculum reforms. The role of student feedback in the development work will also be strengthened.

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