Teaching and Learning
All* the University’s courses are designed around in-person study based on our sites. This comprises lectures, seminars and practical classes where you develop your knowledge and skills with your peers.
3rd in the UK for Lecturers and Teaching Quality
3rd in the UK for Lecturers and Teaching Quality in the 2023 Whatuni Student Choice Awards, the leading higher education awards based solely on student voice.
Silver Status in the Teaching Excellence Framework
The University of Chester has maintained its silver status in the Teaching Excellence Framework (TEF) – a key benchmark for evaluating teaching and learning quality in Higher Education.
Community is a big part of university, so our teaching approaches support and promote social learning for our students - a vital cornerstone of our Citizen Student Strategy.
Our innovations and investment enhance student learning using digital technologies. The use of technology for teaching is tailored to each subject area, giving you the best opportunities to both develop and showcase your learning. Just a couple of examples are the use of virtual reality to learn about medieval objects in history and our simulation suite to teach patient care in health sciences; these digital technologies really add another dimension to learning for our students.
Most of our courses also include online learning activities, which are developed by academics as an essential, additional element of your course. In 2021, the University was awarded the Whatuni Student Choice Award for Excellence in Digital Innovation, showcasing our dedication to providing a genuinely valuable online learning experience – so make sure you engage with these online activities; you can complete them where and when suits you. In addition to this, in-person classes may be recorded by teaching staff and made available later, meaning you can review the content as part of your independent study time, whenever you need it.
*Except those designed for fully online delivery and study
Assessment
Our assessment practices are largely digitally enabled – from submission of your work to receiving feedback. We only use on-site time constrained examinations in a few instances where they are appropriate to test your understanding, or because they are required as part of the accreditation of a course by a professional, statutory or regulatory body.
Develop Academic Skills
In addition to support provided in sessions led by academics, the Academic Skills team are there for any additional support you may need to hone your academic writing, reading and maths or statistics skills through one-to-one and group support, online and on our sites.
Our libraries are your gateway to knowledge and learning, but what you see on our library shelves is just the tip of the iceberg. Online you can access a vast digital collection of over 800,000 e-books, 65,000 full text journals, plus film, multimedia and other learning resources. To aid your introduction to University study, we are also committed to providing you with continuous access to e-textbooks you may need during your first year of study, working closely with our academic departments to offer this where possible. Our friendly librarians are there to provide online and in-person guidance to help you find and use the learning resources you need throughout your course of studies.
Enhance Your Employability
Alongside our courses, our Careers and Employability team are here to help you take your next steps towards your future goals. Through a flexible mix of in-person and online support and activity, the Careers and Employability team will be on hand to help you from the moment you arrive and will support you long after you graduate, providing an inclusive and impartial service tailored to your personal goals and aspirations, with a variety of employability-enhancing experiences through the curriculum, employer contact, and advice and guidance.
Be Fully Supported
Our students can access professional support in-person, online and via a 24/7 helpline, to help with a wide range of personal needs and situations. From wellbeing, mental health and disability support to financial and legal assistance, we provide the help you need to allow you to focus on your studies.
We are committed to offering the best blend of in-person and online learning experiences across all our subjects and courses. We use research evidence about learning and best practice in higher education teaching to develop our annual department teaching plans. These teaching plans are also developed with input from our students on how they best engage with their learning through the different methods of teaching delivery we offer.