Canterbury uni students' grades improve after quake

Canterbury University students who helped clean up after the region's earthquakes have seen their grades improve. Photo / Mark Mitchell

Canterbury University students' grades have improved despite the disruptive earthquakes that have rocked the city since September last year.

New research from the university's psychology department has found students' grade point averages in the first semester this year were slightly improved on the first semester last year.

Researcher Professor Simon Kemp said that was encouraging.

"While it is important to remember that some students may have been very negatively affected by the earthquakes in semester one, overall students performed well," he said.

The research took account of the compassionate consideration offered to all students following the June quake by comparing the results of multiple-choice psychology tests in 2011 and 2010.

Marks over the two years were very similar, even though many students this year also reported feeling anxious and stressed after the earthquake.

Canterbury University vice-chancellor Rod Carr said he was encouraged and reassured by the results.

Individual departments had seen improved academic performance following the quakes, such as the physics department, which - compared with previous years - reported 20 per cent higher exam results in a class of almost 600 predominantly intermediate-level students.

Dr Carr said the fact that students overall had performed very well in the first semester was a testament to their resilience, and the commitment and professionalism of staff in maintaining teaching quality.

"This research clearly demonstrates that for the great majority of our students, the learning outcomes that they are achieving at UC have not been negatively impacted as a result of the earthquakes. In fact, the academic performance of some of our students has improved," Dr Carr said.