Developing RUN-EU Pedagogy Together with Students and Teachers
Collecting feedback on students’ learning experiences and discussing them is a key part of pedagogical development and quality assurance at RUN European University (RUN-EU). HAMK’s senior lecturer Sara Rönkkönen describes in this article how common pedagogical principles are built at the RUN-EU and how they support the well-being of both students and teachers.
RUN-EU Pedagogical Principles – Focusing on Student and Teacher Well-Being
At the core of the RUN-EU’s pedagogy is the support and enhancement of students’ quality learning and the well-being of both students and teachers across all learning opportunities. To support teachers, a Pedagogical Guide has been created, compiling and defining the essential research-based concepts of pedagogical principles and providing tips for planning and implementing coherent, learner-centric teaching. The Pedagogical Guide also serves as a foundation for discussions with teachers when planning the learning opportunities and implementating the Learner Experience Survey.
Explore RUN-EU’s Pedagogical Guide on the website.
RUN-EU Learner Experience Survey Helps to Examine Student Experiences
The RUN-EU Learner Experience Survey has been developed in its current form at HAMK in collaboration with Dutch (NHL Stenden), Belgian (Howest), and Portuguese (IPCA) partner higher education institutions. It examines, for example, students’ study-related experiences, mobility, and EU values during the learning opportunities. A central part of the survey is the LearnWell section that is based on research-based statements, measuring students’ experiences of learning processes, the learning environment, and student well-being.
The process used at RUN-EU has its foundations in the pedagogical and guidance-based LearnWell process developed at HAMK.
Short Advanced Programme (SAP) is a typical example of a RUN-EU short learning opportunity during which students respond to the Learner Experience Survey. Typically, the survey is conducted during the final meeting of the learning opportunity’s attendance week and facilitated by a Future and Advanced Pedagogy Skills Academy (FAPSA) member of the respective RUN-EU higher education institution in collaboration with the teachers. Responding to the survey is voluntary and anonymous.
HAMK is responsible for pedagogical development at RUN European University. FAPSA is a group tasked with developing RUN-EU’s pedagogical principles. Central FAPSA consists of members from all of the eight RUN-EU universities, and in addition each RUN-EU university has their own Institutional FAPSA.
LearnWell Summary as a Starting Point for Discussions Between Students and Teachers
The LearnWell section of the RUN-EU Learner Experience Survey generates a dynamic, real-time summary report at the group level, based on the responses from participants (e.g., SAP participants).
HAMK researchers have written descriptive texts about the dimensions measuring learning processes, learning environment experiences, and student well-being, as well as reflection questions about how the measured aspects can be influenced from both student and teacher perspectives. These reflection questions serve as conversation starters and support joint reflection.
At its best, independent and collective reflection on the learning experience supports the agency and well-being of both the student and the teacher.
This approach to examining group-level student experiences together represents an open, dialogic, and learning-supportive feedback culture that is at the heart of the RUN-EU’s pedagogy. At its best, independent and collective reflection on the learning experience supports the agency and well-being of both the student and the teacher. The process used at RUN-EU has its foundations in the pedagogical and guidance-based LearnWell process developed at HAMK.
Learner Experience Survey as Part of RUN-EU’s Quality Work and Pedagogical Development Support
The learner experience survey, in its current scope and integrating the needs of partner universities, has been employed at the RUN-EU since the beginning of 2025. So far, over 250 students have responded to the survey during the first months of the year. Members of partner universities’ FAPSA have actively contributed to developing the survey process, which is considered highly scalable. The automatic LearnWell feedback summary has proven to be effective. User experiences are shared regularly during FAPSA members’ monthly meetings, and the process is continuously developed based on member feedback.
The data collected through the survey is a key part of RUN-EU’s quality work and will be utilised to support pedagogical development. Reporting is currently being developed to respond to the needs of different partner universities.
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