Business Administration, Sustainability Reporting, Control and Communication, Second Cycle, HT25, FE429A

Antal respondenter: 34
Antal svar: 4
Svarsfrekvens: 11,76 %

Overall Assessment of the Course

Student feedback (although limited in number) indicates that the course was perceived as interesting and engaging, and certain sessions - particularly the case-based lecture- were highlighted as valuable learning experiences. However, students expressed concerns regarding alignment between seminars, lectures and the final exam. Specifically, some felt that seminar topics did not sufficiently prepare them for the exam’s conceptual emphasis and that the course components at times appeared disconnected or inconsistent in depth and structure.

The course team acknowledges these concerns. The course syllabus had been changed the previous year by another teacher and these constraints created limitations in redesigning activities (particularly seminars) to ensure a smoother progression from seminars to exam preparation. Despite this, all assessed content was drawn from material included in the mini-lectures, course book, and lectures. This means that everything asked on in the exam had been covered either through online material or during class time and it is not possible to cover every topic in the exam each time. 

Comments Regarding Feedback to Students

Students noted limited clarity around how seminar activities contributed to exam readiness. Some indicated that the feedback mechanisms in seminars did not sufficiently reinforce core concepts or make explicit how seminar work built toward the assessment. 

The instructors recognise the need for clearer connections between seminar tasks and expected learning outcomes; not only the final exam itself. Seminar 1 focused on the communication chapter of the book (Chapter 10) to illustrate the different ways sustainability reporting can be conducted (e.g. branding, social media). This was also important for the exam questions, particularly the case studies for novel solutions on communication strategies (beyond the report itself) to be put forward (one case was a medium sized company, not mandated to report in the traditional way, but many students failed to realise this). 

For next year, nevertheless, the plan is to include additional structured analytical components during the seminars which will again be increased to three; relating to each component of the course in different ways.  This will also allow students to receive more targeted formative feedback.

Summary of Free-Text Answers

One student felt that that the seminar articles and assignments did not translate well to exam preparation, we (teachers) perceive this not to be the case as the other types of informal communication, alongside metrics as cybernetic controls and such like could be used as examples for the case study questions. 

Yet, we realise that some lessons were heavily concept-focused grounded in the main book, while others were more exploratory (e.g., watching commercials) which led to uncertainty about exam relevance. We have different types of teachers on the course and each teacher is aware of what was to be covered during the lecture; although the teaching style is different. To ensure better relevance next year, the course coordinator needs to remind teachers what should be covered during their allotted time (especially in relation to the content of the course book) and seminar (in terms of the course guide).  

There was also the view that the exam contained too many questions relative to the allotted time, and that recommended word limits were difficult to meet while still producing well-argued responses. Next year, we plan for an exam with less credits (4.5Hp) in order to ensure time to reflect. 

A few students felt they were asked to address the same topic more than once. This was actually not entirely the case. The first questions regarded definitions and examples in general, the case studies were specific contexts to apply course topics; not repeat answers from before. In fact, some students did not think about the cases in their responses and merely gave general descriptions/solutions. This should be made clearer next year regarding the case as an analytical component, not merely to test knowledge on definitions.  

Despite these critiques, one highlighted the lecture with a case session on materiality as effective and a strong learning experience. We will continue with this work next year and others found the overall subject matter interesting.

Any Events That May Have Affected the Course’s Success

The primary factor affecting course structure and coherence was that the instructors were assigned the course at short notice and were required to maintain the previous year’s syllabus and exam format that were locked; even if not ideal. These constraints likely contributed to student perceptions of fragmentation across seminars, lectures and assessments and especially the lengthy final exam worth 6.5 credits. We seek to develop this course to make it better for future years. 

Comments Regarding the Examination Results

While the exam drew directly from course materials - including online mini-lectures, the course book, and live lectures - students reported that the number of questions and the time available created difficulties. The course team notes that not all course content can be assessed in a single exam; however, the feedback regarding workload and balance is taken seriously. Plans for next year include reducing the total number of exam points to 4.5 credits, which will allow for fewer questions and more space for analytical responses. Additionally, the introduction of another seminar aims to better prepare students for applied parts of the exam.

Other Notes

Looking ahead, the course team is already implementing changes based on this year’s feedback:

Reduced exam points to ensure more realistic time demands
Additional seminar (3 Hps for seminars) to strengthen alignment between practical components and exam content
Increased integration between seminars, lectures, and assessment criteria; including reminding teachers that this course is founded upon a key textbook. 
More explicit signposting in lectures and seminars regarding how activities relate to exam expectations from all teachers. 
Overall, these changes aim to improve coherence, support student learning more effectively, and address the specific concerns raised in the evaluation.

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