Our goal is to give our students the best educational experience, especially in terms of teaching, learning environment, and academic and personal support.
We spoke to students and lecturers across all our courses to get their take on the learning experience at the University.
By April Baniqued. Published 02 August 2024.
How do small class sizes affect student experience?
Criminology student: Emily Steele
The small classes have been so helpful in building relationships with my lecturers, which makes it much easier to ask questions in the sessions and come to them when I need help.
The small classes also mean that the content and structure of the lectures and workshops are more flexible as we could spend longer on things that we were all struggling with or go over readings that we found hard.
Law student: Persefoni Ioannou
Small class sizes contributed to the feeling of a more relaxed teaching environment, which encouraged productive interactions and interpersonal relations with professors and peers.
Policing student: Saimah Peragar
Having smaller classes has allowed me to learn on a more personal level. I am more aware of what I need to work on and have the ability to share my ideas to the rest of the class, which would be difficult in larger classes.
Psychology student: Hanizah Binti Shahul Hamid
During group discussion activities, we are able to hear from all groups involved as the class can be split up realistically into six groups of five people, or three groups of 10 for more complicated discussions.
In terms of class management as well, the smaller class size makes bringing the room back into focus a lot easier compared to having a larger class.
How have lecturers with industry experience enhanced learning?
Business lecturer: Michael Bedward
Experts bring a wealth of knowledge and real-world experience to the classroom. They can provide deeper insights into the subject matter, share current industry trends and offer practical examples that make the theoretical concepts more relatable and understandable.
My past industry experience as a manager in Media, Telecommunications and Business Support has significantly enhanced the learning experience for my students by bridging the gap between theory and practice. This practical perspective makes the learning process more dynamic and engaging.
Computer Science student: Arthur Vartan Zahorodnykov
To be prepared for the world of employment, it is crucial to not only receive academic knowledge but also practical expertise. Having lecturers who had practical work experience in the field is so invaluable as they are able to teach about typical employment pitfalls or in-field struggles.
All members of teaching staff (Dr Paul Sant, Dr Oluwole Ajala, Dr Michele Bottone, and Benedict Charles-Adodo) have been very enthusiastic in the subject and demonstrated solid expertise in the field. In particular, it has been great to discuss most recent news concerning technology development.
Computer Science lecturer: Dr Paul Sant
We want our students to go out and enter the world of work fully prepared with skills that they can put into practice – having staff with that insight ensures this.
Students can link what they learn in the classroom to real-world scenarios that they are likely to be exposed to once they enter/return to employment.
Criminology student: Emily Steele
Personal stories from where they have done research themselves, met people or been to court make the classes so interesting and makes it easier to understand different concepts as they can give examples and explain things in different ways.
They can also help you in the future with different connections and opportunities that otherwise wouldn’t be available or you wouldn’t ordinarily know about.
Criminology lecturer: Melayna Lamb
I think being taught by someone who is at the cutting edge of the field helps students to become critical and independent thinkers. Rather than being taught out of a textbook, an expert will be able to show you how they go about constructing their own arguments, how they research and demonstrate to students how to do this for themselves.
Policing student: Saimah Peragar
Having someone who is experienced has allowed a deeper understanding beyond taught material. Factors such as 'storytelling' has helped me when approaching an exam. My learning compared to other students is very different. As a visual learner, having scenarios and whiteboard learning has allowed me to remember and understand content material better.
Policing lecturer: Jennifer Schmidt-Petersen
It is crucial to have a range of experience across the teaching team, especially for an interdisciplinary course like policing. In my policing career I saw new police recruits being thrown into dangerous situations without intuitive and practical knowledge. This not only damages public trust in policing, but also promotes the development of bad practices and poor decision-making. I regularly provide examples of real-life situations to help them successfully navigate similar situations in future.
How has the University ensured a high-quality of teaching?
Business lecturer: Michael Bedward
The University of Law has maintained a high quality of teaching through a combination of rigorous academic standards, continuous professional development and a strong focus on student outcomes.
The University regularly reviews and updates its curriculum to ensure it remains relevant and aligned with industry needs. This ensures that students are equipped with the knowledge and skills required in the modern workplace.
Computer Science lecturer: Dr Paul Sant
By looking at the way in which students learn on an individual basis and allowing them to contextualise the information in a way they understand (so offering several different formats for resources that take this into account) is key to ensuring a high quality of learning.
Research informed teaching and case studies is a further example of how we ensure our students get the most from what they learn.
Criminology lecturer: Melayna Lamb
We have a lot of training and staff development in terms of teaching - it's something the institution takes very seriously. We observe each others’ teaching regularly so there's a steady stream of feedback on your teaching from peers and senior colleagues.
Policing lecturer: Lauren Moss
The University of Law supports the recruitment of academic staff with lived experience of career fields relating to the courses on offer at the University. Many members of staff also carry out independent research and consistently engage in personal development themselves, to the benefit of their students and their learning experience.
How would you describe the overall student support?
Business student: Sasha Prince
The overall support is very good. There are always limitations with online learning, but the lecturers are reliable with responding to emails and setting up meetings.
Business lecturer: Michael Bedward
The faculty and support staff work collaboratively to create an inclusive and supportive learning environment. This is reflected in the comprehensive range of services available to students, including academic coaching, career services, mental health support, and various student workshops.
Criminology student: Emily Steele
The lecturers are so friendly and it always feels like they are doing everything they can to help you and genuinely want you to do the best you can.
I think what is also great is that they understand what it’s like to be a student outside of the academic setting, with all the stresses and struggles of trying to balance everything.
Criminology lecturer: Melayna Lamb
I always emphasise to students that they can arrange a one-on-one meeting with me, to discuss an essay plan, to discuss essay feedback or anything related to the course they feel unsure about. I think some students feel that they are alone if they struggle with the course so I always remind them that if something is not clear to them, then that's probably the case for others too. No question is too small or too basic, and I always encourage my students to come forward with any questions they may have. This is how we all progress as a group and it's always good to remember how vital asking questions is.
I also remind them of the huge amount of support available to them in the form of student services, online study skills materials and so on - these resources are a great addition to asking lecturers for help.
Law student: Persefoni Ioannou
Academic coach, Stephen Corbishley, has supported my journey from the beginning till the end. His willingness to resolve any query during the classes with all necessary details and professionalism, as well as his unbelievable responsiveness to emails at times of pressure – even if it was out of office hours – have been very comforting for me.
Stephen has also ensured that all his classes were interesting, engaging and interactive, enquiring about students’ thoughts of the topics or even encouraging us to have frequent short breaks; all the above had really made his classes enjoyable!
Law lecturer: Stephen Corbishley
The University staff really do care about their students and there is fantastic support if someone encounters challenges. I consistently encourage students to contact me directly if they are finding their studies difficult which allows us to have a one-to-one Teams meeting which again can get them back on track.
Academic struggles are often likely to surround study/life balance or an unrelated home issue.
Law lecturer: Rachel Collins
The lecturers at the University are all approachable. As an academic coach, I want my students to be able to approach me with any issues that they have and know that they will be supported. This might be by discussing planning their studies and time, or signposting and referring to other services such as wellbeing or the disability and inclusivity service.
Policing student: Saimah Peragar
At the beginning of first year, I was having a lot of trouble sleeping, resulting in being late to my early lectures. I spoke to Dene, my academic coach, and she helped me in overcoming my insomnia. It meant a lot to me that she had a caring and helpful approach to my situation.
Policing lecturer: Lauren Moss
A student’s academic coach can also refer the student to a whole range of additional non-academic support services, such as wellbeing, study skills and housing support, should they need this during their education journey. The staff members on these teams are an asset to the University and provide a ‘wrap around’ support network with lecturers to give students the best chance of success on their course of choice.
Policing lecturer: Jennifer Schmidt-Petersen
It is important to provide a safe environment where students can ask questions and make mistakes so that they can further develop their knowledge. I believe that it is essential that we as teachers have a good and honest relationship with each of our students as this is instrumental in making learning fun.
We also believe that it is important for students to take ownership of their own learning and I regularly provide feedback and signpost students to the library and study skills once we have identified a core skill that they need to improve upon to not fall behind on the course (e.g. correctly referencing in Harvard format).
Why did you choose to study with us?
Business student: Sasha Prince
I chose to study at The University of Law because of recommendations from alumni. The course is in line with my career ambition, and it offers me the convenience to study from home and at my own pace.
Criminology student: Emily Steele
I really liked the community aspect of a smaller university where you can get to know your lecturers and have a more personal learning experience as opposed to huge lecture halls where they sometimes don’t even know your name.
Computer Science student: Arthur Vartan Zahorodnykov
I chose to study with The University of Law due to the flexibility of studying, conversion nature of the degree and good value for money. With the right guidance and structured goal-oriented independent learning, students can obtain high academic and practical knowledge.
Law student: Persefoni Ioannou
My previous experience as a student at The University of Law convinced me that choosing to undertake another course with this University will be worth it, in terms of the quality of teaching, the course structure and the organisation of the University.
Additionally, the fact that the teaching staff comprises of professionals who are experts in their fields has played a pivotal role in choosing to undertake this course with The University of Law, as this is something which elevates students’ learning experience as well as students’ reflections for their potential careers.
Psychology student: Hanizah Binti Shahul Hamid
One of the reasons I chose The University of Law was because it offered MSc Psychology (conversion) during the Autumn intake, which lined up with my personal timeline of applying for a Masters Programme.
Secondly, I liked the idea of being on campus in Leeds as it’s a smaller city. A number of former colleagues who had studied in Leeds recommended it highly as a destination for postgraduate studies, as it has all the charm and interesting architecture one would expect in the UK but also a quieter, slower pace of life suited for mature students.
Lastly, I was intrigued by the support to help graduates to ease the process of obtaining a job after our studies. The CV support, job hunt platform and networking opportunities organised by the Employability/Careers team have been very informative and useful for me to curate my CV to standard. Members from the Employability and Careers team have been so accommodating in giving advice to help better my prospects of being employed in a role that links more directly with my postgraduate qualification.
Learn more about our quality of teaching and find out why we were ranked 7th across universities in England for teaching in the NSS 2024.
