Monitoring Student Success Rate at the Undergraduate Study of the Faculty of Civil Engineering, Zagreb University

1. UNIVERSITY of ZAGREB ENGINEERING EDUCATION - THE BOLOGNA PROCESS “3 YEARS LATER” FACULTY of CIVIL ENGINEERING Monitoring Student Success Rateat the Undergraduate Studyof the Faculty of Civil Engineering, Zagreb University 1V. Dragcevic 1Vice-Dean for Teaching, Faculty of Civil Engineering, University of Zagreb Engineering Education – The Bologna Process “3 years later” November 8-10, 2007 Zagreb, Croatia

2. UNIVERSITY of ZAGREB ENGINEERING EDUCATION - THE BOLOGNA PROCESS “3 YEARS LATER” FACULTY of CIVIL ENGINEERING The Faculty of Civil Engineering in Zagreb in the Bologna process • Adjusted its curricula in accordance to the type, level and duration of study, the ECTS credit system and academic titles • At the proposal of the National Council for Higher Education, the minister of education issued the accreditation in June, 2005 • for the implementation of a three year undergraduate study(180 ECTS credits) • for two year graduate study in the fields of geotechnics, hydrotechnics, structures, construction management, materials, transportation engineering and theory of construction modelling (120 ECTS credits) • This year the accreditation was issued for postgraduate studies • doctoral studies which offer specialisation in 7 fields (180 ECTS credits) • specialised studies which offer specialisation in 6 fields (60 ECTS credits) • The reformed undergraduate instructionwas started, simultaneously with other faculties of Zagreb University, in academic year 2005/06.

3. UNIVERSITY of ZAGREB ENGINEERING EDUCATION - THE BOLOGNA PROCESS “3 YEARS LATER” FACULTY of CIVIL ENGINEERING Instruction organization • According to Statute of the Faculty (October, 2005) • Instruction lasts 44 working weeks: • 2 semesters with 15 teaching weeks each • 14 weeks for consultations, exam preparation and exams • three examination periods: winter, summer and autumn, each lasting 4 weeks • minimum 14 day interval between the re-taken exams for the same course • every examination period offers 4 examination dates for each course

4. UNIVERSITY of ZAGREB ENGINEERING EDUCATION - THE BOLOGNA PROCESS “3 YEARS LATER” FACULTY of CIVIL ENGINEERING Student Success Rate • The educational reform is a sensitive and complex pedagogical and didactic issue • The objective evaluation requires constant monitoring and analysis of teaching process from the very start • The student success rate monitoring system was introduced • it takes into account the specific features of the studies offered by the Faculty of Civil Engineering • Bodies: • Teaching Committee • Quality Guarantee Committee (established 2006) • Year Councils • Goals: • survey students and teachers • monitoring student success rate

5. UNIVERSITY of ZAGREB ENGINEERING EDUCATION - THE BOLOGNA PROCESS “3 YEARS LATER” FACULTY of CIVIL ENGINEERING The analysis of the university student survey • Three student surveys have been conducted (summer semester 2005/06, winter and summer semesters of school year 2006/07) • The Quality Guarantee Committee reported on the results of the one of 2005/06 school yearto the Faculty Council: • the survey was filled out by 30% of enrolled students (filling out surveys is optional for students) • for 8 members of teaching staff and 7 courses • 75,2% surveyed students stated that they have attended more than 70% of lectures, and only 6% attended less than 30% of lectures • at the beginning of instruction 53,3% expressed mild, 36% high and 10,7% low interest in the contents of the course • their dominant grade was good (3), which was expected

6. UNIVERSITY of ZAGREB ENGINEERING EDUCATION - THE BOLOGNA PROCESS “3 YEARS LATER” FACULTY of CIVIL ENGINEERING The analysis of the university student survey

7. UNIVERSITY of ZAGREB ENGINEERING EDUCATION - THE BOLOGNA PROCESS “3 YEARS LATER” FACULTY of CIVIL ENGINEERING The analysis of the university student survey The lowest grades for the quality of instruction! WHY? • Instruction of most courses should be conducted in smaller groups especially for design, construction and laboratory exercises • Impossible - the premises and the teaching staff are limited (teaching is conducted in all the teaching rooms, morning and afternoon, as well as on Saturdays) • Timetable - some students have longer brakes, study room at the faculty library is too small for all the students wishing to study during long breaks • Lecture and drawing rooms are not adequately equipped with computers for the number of students attending courses • Laboratory equipment is not on a sufficient level or the instruction is not of high quality due to large student groups The Faculty of Civil Engineering does not generally vary from the average gradesof the University of Zagreb that is from the general state of the University.

8. UNIVERSITY of ZAGREB ENGINEERING EDUCATION - THE BOLOGNA PROCESS “3 YEARS LATER” FACULTY of CIVIL ENGINEERING Monitoring student success rate For “clean” enrolment generation includes the following: • Student pass rate during semester • meeting signature requirements • pass rate in pre-exams during semester (part of exam exemption) • Pass rate into higher year of study – exams passed

9. UNIVERSITY of ZAGREB ENGINEERING EDUCATION - THE BOLOGNA PROCESS “3 YEARS LATER” FACULTY of CIVIL ENGINEERING Student pass rate during semester • The Faculty Council: • brought the Decree which prescribes the study system of undergraduate study • brings Execution Plan defining the requirements for courses at the beginning of every semester • For lecturers' signatures students have to: • attend and actively participate in minimum 75% of lectures • attend and actively participate in minimum 100% of exercises • pass pre-exams (25%) or written programs for exercises • pre-exams – 1-3 regular per course and min. one makeup pre-exam • For pass an exam segment student have to collect 60% on each pre-exams • Monitoring student success rate during semester includes the following: • Verification of student attendance • Analysis of pass rate in pre-exams

10. UNIVERSITY of ZAGREB ENGINEERING EDUCATION - THE BOLOGNA PROCESS “3 YEARS LATER” FACULTY of CIVIL ENGINEERING Verification of student attendance • LECTURES - in various manners (no electronic control system, occasional “blitz” checks with attendance lists or with cards signed by students, not check due to the lack of time) • EXERCISES - attendance is strictly controlled • PROBLEMS: • The significant increase in students attending lectures has been caused by the regulation (requires to attend lectureswhich they have previously failed) • For that reason some courses have a 50% more students • It resulted in instruction carried outin two shifts for all study years(on former undergraduate study only first year instruction was conducted in two shifts) • The space has remained the same as well as the number of teaching staff

11. UNIVERSITY of ZAGREB ENGINEERING EDUCATION - THE BOLOGNA PROCESS “3 YEARS LATER” FACULTY of CIVIL ENGINEERING Analysis of pass rate in pre-exams • PROBLEM: • Growing instruction obligations(grate number of pre-exams - winter semester, undergraduate study, 56 regular pre-exams and 28 makeup exams) • Not enough space and number of teaching staff

12. UNIVERSITY of ZAGREB ENGINEERING EDUCATION - THE BOLOGNA PROCESS “3 YEARS LATER” FACULTY of CIVIL ENGINEERING Measures to improve student pass rate during semester • New Bodies • First Year Council and Second Year Councilwere established • Third Year Council will be established • bodies consist of all the lecturers teaching students in respective study years and of one student representative for each course of a respective study year • they are counselling bodies to the Teaching Committee • Suggestions of these bodies, The Teaching Committee has proposed, and the Faculty Council authorised the guidelines for pre-exam as follows: • pre-exams are part of the timetable (not always possible) • more demanding pre-exams should not be taken within the same week • there shouldn't be more than two pre-exams during a week • pre-exams should not be taken in late afternoon • pre-exams can be taken on free Saturdays • two pre-exams should not be taken on the same day

13. UNIVERSITY of ZAGREB ENGINEERING EDUCATION - THE BOLOGNA PROCESS “3 YEARS LATER” FACULTY of CIVIL ENGINEERING Monitoring pass rate into higher year of study • Based on the data for the students enrolling in the first year in school year 2005/06 and 2006/07 • They have been divided into two categories: • Successful students – who have been awarded 60 ECTS credits in the first study year (120 ECTS credits in the second year) • Less successful students – who have been awarded less than 60 ECTS credits in the first study year (less than 120 ECTS credits in the second year) • For both groups the following has been taken into account: • Enrolment period • Rank in the entrance examination • Type of secondary school graduated from • Residence • Status (full-time student or paying student) • For less successful students the data has been collected about the courses they have failed.

14. UNIVERSITY of ZAGREB ENGINEERING EDUCATION - THE BOLOGNA PROCESS “3 YEARS LATER” FACULTY of CIVIL ENGINEERING Monitoring pass rate into higher year of study

15. UNIVERSITY of ZAGREB ENGINEERING EDUCATION - THE BOLOGNA PROCESS “3 YEARS LATER” FACULTY of CIVIL ENGINEERING Monitoring pass rate into higher year of study • generation enrolled in undergraduate study in school year 2005/06 • The pass rate into a second year of study with 60 ECTS credits was 29%, it grows to 45% if students who were awarded more than 55 ECTS credits (one exam not passed) are added • Compared to the pass rate in the former 4 year graduate study it is an improvement, the pass rate was between 30 and 35% • Pass rate into the third year of students with 120 ECTS credits is 17%, that is 26% if students with more than 110 ECTS credits are taken into account • For less successful students (not passed all the required courses by the start of the school year 2006/07) has noted the following: • a large majority of students have passed elective courses (94-98%) • winter semester courses have been passed by more than 70% of students • three courses of summer semester have not been passed by 50-67% of students • generation enrolled in undergraduate study in school year 2006/07 • The pass rate in the second year of study -similar results as mentioned before

16. UNIVERSITY of ZAGREB ENGINEERING EDUCATION - THE BOLOGNA PROCESS “3 YEARS LATER” FACULTY of CIVIL ENGINEERING Measures to maintain high quality of instructionand improve student pass rate into higher year of study • The Faculty Council: • has decreased the enrolment quota for the school year 2007/08, from usual 250 to 185 students, which was authorised by the University of Zagreb • was decided to enrol students by semester • A number of associates and students tutors have been hired and financed by the Faculty for the courses with lower than average pass rate

17. UNIVERSITY of ZAGREB ENGINEERING EDUCATION - THE BOLOGNA PROCESS “3 YEARS LATER” FACULTY of CIVIL ENGINEERING Conclusions • This year runs a four year undergraduate (old) study for the last time. • Next school year will start a new graduate study (significantly larger number of courses than before). • This will further deteriorate an already bad situation (space and teaching staff). • The new reform of the higher education and teaching procedure: • is a complex issue and objective evaluation requires systematic monitoring and analysis of the teaching procedure from the very beginning • its real advantages and disadvantages will be evident in distant future • a lot of effort has to be taken to recognise its drawbacks in order to avoid larger mistakes and improve and develop its advantages. • The Student Assembly on our Faculty has given positive feedback to the mentioned facts and the measures taken at our faculty. • The positive results are impossible to achieve without the cooperation of all the participants in the process and without the understanding, support and funding of the University of Zagreb and the Ministry of Science, Education and Sport.

18. UNIVERSITY of ZAGREB ENGINEERING EDUCATION - THE BOLOGNA PROCESS “3 YEARS LATER” FACULTY of CIVIL ENGINEERING Thanksfor your attention !