The European Teaching Rankings 2018 by Times Higher Education were released on 11 July, with Oxford at the top (global score of 83) followed by Cambridge (82.7) and Sorbonne (81.4).
The first Italian university in the ranking, placed 36th, is the University of Trento (with 75.2 points), leading the group of the 25 Italian universities included in the survey.
“Rankings should always be taken with a pinch of salt” said Paolo Collini, Rector of the University of Trento. “But I must admit that I am proud and gratified by this accomplishment. The Europe Teaching Rankings 2018 show that we are the first Italian university of the 240 European universities that were ranked. Students are always very demanding, and the fact that our University received such a positive evaluation means that we really are a community that is capable of providing quality teaching and services”.
The pilot ranking is based on student evaluations of teaching and the learning environment.
The survey parameters can be grouped in four areas which measure student engagement (Engagement), the adequacy of universities’ human resources and facilities (Resources), their ability to meet student expectations (Outcomes), and the inclusivity of the teaching and learning environment (Environment).
Half of universities’ overall scores are based on the results of a student engagement survey of more than 30,000 European university students conducted in 2018, which included questions on different aspects of teaching, the learning environment and the ability of universities to respond to student needs with appropriate education and training. The survey examined, in particular, whether teaching supports critical, open thinking to prepare students for the requirements of the labour market, whether classes challenge students and whether universities implement strategies to promote student interaction with faculty and staff and collaborative learning opportunities..
The other half of the score is calculated based on other quantitative parameters that measure the quality of universities’ resources in terms of teaching (student/teacher ratio) and scientific output (number of published papers and citations), student output (percentage of students who graduate within regulation time) and inclusivity (gender balance of staff and students).
For further information please visit THE World University Rankings