Insights into academic feasibility at the KIT: a mixed-methods exploration of the department of mechanical engineering

Abstract

[EN] As part of their accreditation procedure, universities have to ensure academic feasibility of their study courses. Against that backdrop, student’s workload and study conditions are focused as indicators of quality. However, this prioritization of formal criteria is defined by the module handbooks rather than by the students themselves. Therefore, a mixed-methods-analysis at the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT) was conducted to shed light on these issues: How can individual expectations and requirements of students towards the academic learning settings be incorporated into quality assessment? Which opportunities of individual development for students exist in the academic setting and do they differ with regard to different departments at the KIT? The data of surveys completed by 324 students of the department of mechanical engineering and 242 students of the department of economics and management at the KIT are the basis of our analysis. The empirical analysis via chi-square-test and Mann-Whitney-U-Test indicates significant distinctions between students of both departments at the KIT concerning their experiences with research and inquiry and their motives for enrolling to university courses. Further analyses via interviews are planned to reveal the complex chains of reasons for this research results such as considerations of course characteristics and cultural condition.