Contact: Bowen Pan For immediate release
Email. bowen@unifriend.co.nz
Students able to peer-review courses for the first time at RateMyCourses.co.nz
Recently launched website allows students to publicly review courses they've taken from all NZ Universities
Tertiary students have found, for the first time in New Zealand, a new way to voice feedback concerning their courses in the recently-launched website www.ratemycourses.co.nz. The website has been flooded with reviews of courses from around the country, ranging from highly positive reviews of popular courses to consistently negative ratings for courses students have learned to avoid.
Company CEO (and fulltime student) Bowen Pan slates the website's success to growing student feelings of alienation with how courses are managed and teaching staff of inferior quality. "We started the website in part to give students a greater degree of choice," he said. "Many students sign up to courses only knowing what's written in a small description blurb in a prospectus, without knowing anything about how it's being assessed, who's teaching it, or what past students have had to say about it. Ratemycourses allows students to supply and receive feedback on all of that. The great thing about it is we've automatically included every course from every University in the country, so all opinions are welcome."
Ratemycourses.co.nz is part of the larger, award-winning (Spark $40K Runner up 2006) uniFriend.co.nz website, which offers several different services free to tertiary students. Along with ratemycourses.co.nz, there's also a Classifieds section, where students can buy and sell textbooks and other things, such as tutoring services, or hunt for cheap student accommodation; an Events section, where upcoming campus events can be advertised for free; a Groups section, where different student groups can claim an online space for group members; and a general forum, where tertiary students from around New Zealand can swap ideas or advice.
"The website is completely student-owned and operated, so we really think we've got a good grasp of what's been missing so far from the New Zealand tertiary landscape. And with the people signing up and reviewing courses every day, I feel pretty vindicated in saying that."
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If you'd like more information about www.ratemycourses.co.nz or www.uniFriend.co.nz, or to schedule an interview with Bowen Pan, please contact him on bowen@unifriend.co.nz.
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Just what students wanted!! I don't have to blindly go by the university calendar now. Pats on the back on the guys who dream this up :)
Posted by: Steve | August 16, 2007 at 10:23 AM
Thank you , It’s the best list I’ve seen. it must have taken you ages to find them all, rely appreciate your efforts
Posted by: House Share | February 09, 2010 at 02:16 AM