Numbers: What We've Learned About Student Skills and University Faculty Workloads / ITech content

Contents:

• Students' digital skills
• How they teach at universities
• Teachers' workload

Digital Skills of Students

The HSE University has published a statistical collection, "Education Indicators: 2023." This collection presents a variety of data on educational institutions, students, and teaching staff. Particular attention is paid to students' digital skills, assessed based on the results of an annual Rosstat survey conducted in all regions of the Russian Federation. The digital skills assessment is based on the Eurostat Digital Skills Indicator 2.0 (DSI) methodology, providing up-to-date and reliable information on students' readiness for the modern demands of the digital economy. Research shows that students, although they belong to a generation that grew up with gadgets, still need to improve their basic digital work skills. Importantly, most are unlikely to search for suitable courses independently, as they lack the necessary skills. Training providers can effectively communicate course information to students through social media, where they feel comfortable. 85-88% of college and university students are present in these digital spaces.

How They Teach in Universities

Partnership Network of Universities "University National Initiative for Education Quality" (UNIKO) conducted a comprehensive study covering the Russian higher education system. At the end of 2022, the network included 53 universities. Surveys conducted from October to December 2022 included over 3,000 graduates from 220 universities in eight federal districts of Russia, as well as over 5,000 faculty members from 60 universities. The study's final report reveals a gap between today's students' expectations and the actual educational experiences they receive. This research highlights important aspects of educational quality and helps better understand student needs in the modern context. Traditional teaching methods continue to dominate modern universities, leading to insufficient student engagement. Faculty often adhere to outdated approaches, failing to utilize active learning and innovative assessment methods. Meanwhile, surveys show that students expect higher education to develop soft skills and self-management skills. However, without a transition to more modern and interactive educational methods, achieving these goals will be extremely difficult.

The report's authors emphasize the need to rethink approaches to instructional design at universities and among faculty. It is essential to adapt to modern teaching methods to improve the quality of the educational process and meet the demands of the times. The use of innovative approaches will improve the effectiveness of learning and better prepare students for the challenges of the modern world.

Teacher Workload

The new issue of the HSE Monitoring the Economics of Education examines the teaching practices of university and research organization staff, in particular, their workload and activity structure. The study covers data from several previous years and shows that faculty workloads have increased significantly since 2019. This is due to both the increasing number of courses they teach and the growing number of student assignments, including term papers and theses, per faculty member. As a result, referring back to the UNIKO study, it can be assumed that faculty members simply don't have the time to master new teaching approaches. Furthermore, the UNIKO study findings highlight an alarming situation: 47% of faculty members report severe fatigue, and over 40% regularly experience depression and hopelessness, which occurs more than several times a week. These data highlight the need to address mental health and burnout in education.

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