Do electrical engineering students prioritise hands-on learning?
Published Mar 28, 2024 · Updated Oct 12, 2025
type and breadth of course contentelectrical and electronic engineeringYes. Across the NSS (National Student Survey) category Type and breadth of course content, students report strong satisfaction with variety and scope, with 25,847 comments and 70.6% positive sentiment, reflected in an index of +39.8. In Electrical and Electronic Engineering, the tone is more mixed and practical needs are sharper: 1,935 comments show 51.2% positive overall, with students prioritising up-to-date labs, transparent assessment and predictable delivery so breadth is experienced in practice. The sections below interpret those sector patterns for EE and set out pragmatic actions.
Are lab time and facilities fit for purpose?
Insufficient dedicated lab space, especially at master’s entry, and outdated experiments constrain learning. Students report up-to-date materials and access to kit remain patchy, which limits how far they can test the breadth of the programme in practice. While students often rate general facilities positively, specialist EE labs need modernisation and guaranteed access. Providers should increase scheduled lab hours, ring‑fence open access times and introduce a quarterly refresh of experiments, tools and datasets so content stays current. These changes align outcomes with industry expectations and prepare graduates for applied roles.
Does the course structure enable coherent breadth without overload?
Students value the range of topics but question the workload in some 10‑credit modules and the links between modules. Publish a one‑page breadth map that shows how core and options build across years and where students can personalise depth. Protect real choice by timetabling options to avoid clashes and by guaranteeing viable option pathways for each cohort. Run an annual duplication and gap audit, with week‑4 and week‑9 pulse checks to capture missing or repeated topics. Provide equivalent asynchronous materials and signposting so part‑time and commuting students can access the same breadth.
How should project work and assessment recognise innovation and collaboration?
Students enjoy project modules yet feel ambitious work and the realities of group projects are not rewarded consistently. Make assessment clarity the first priority: publish annotated exemplars, checklist‑style rubrics and indicative grade profiles, and state how marking criteria map to learning outcomes. Calibrate markers to reduce variance between modules and agree a realistic feedback service level so students know when and how they will receive comments. Diversify assessment briefs across individual skills and larger team projects that simulate real engineering challenges, and use structured feedback tools to provide targeted developmental guidance.
What teaching and learning mix builds applied competence?
Reduce repetition and go deeper in priority areas, with formal MATLAB training and other software skills embedded. Stabilise delivery by using a single source of truth for timetabling and changes, and set expectations for any remote elements so format and interaction are predictable. Increase lab sessions, classroom simulation and project‑based learning that mirrors real engineering tasks. This mix emphasises application while building the theoretical base students need.
What targeted support helps students navigate breadth and progression?
Students ask for clearer guidance on module choice and for support that recognises discipline‑specific challenges, alongside action on gender imbalance. Make the Personal Tutor model visible and consistent across cohorts, and signpost careers support and wider facilities at key points in the academic year. Provide discipline‑specific workshops on emerging technologies and industry software, and organise modules to support smooth progression between topics. Regular analysis of student comments helps teams adjust provision quickly.
How can programmes connect breadth to the workplace?
Students want stronger exposure to industry practices and practical coding. Increase placements and industry‑led projects; where available, these experiences are praised and directly improve employability. Build interdisciplinary collaboration so students understand how EE skills apply across settings, and make applied tasks a visible part of assessment briefs. These links accelerate transition from study to work.
What are students asking providers to change next?
Students call for more hands‑on learning, contemporary syllabuses, software credentials and direct industry exposure. Prioritise additional lab sessions and industry‑related projects, refresh readings, datasets and tools each term, and use short pulse checks to surface missing or repeated content. Share a brief weekly update on what changed and why so students see action on their feedback.
What should providers change now?
Blend a strong applied spine with coherent breadth, modern labs and transparent assessment. Make content currency routine, protect genuine module choice and stabilise delivery operations. By acting on feedback with visible changes, programmes raise satisfaction and readiness for graduate roles.
How Student Voice Analytics helps you
Student Voice Analytics tracks movement in type and breadth of course content over time and by cohort, with like‑for‑like comparisons for electrical and electronic engineering. Teams can drill from institution to school and programme, generate concise briefs for Boards of Study, APRs and student‑staff committees, and evidence whether changes improve assessment clarity, delivery and support. Export‑ready summaries and representative comments help programme teams prioritise labs, module pathways and assessment design without trawling thousands of responses.
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