The end of spring is one of the most challenging periods for students: the beginning of the exam and assessment session becomes a mirror reflecting how much has truly been learned throughout the semester. When results are disappointing, many students ask themselves: if I did everything required, what else was missing? What contributes most to the final grade and, later on, to a successful career?
According to the Vice-Rector for Studies at Vilnius Gediminas Technical University, the answers lie not only in study methods and the amount of time devoted to learning, but also in the student’s engagement in the study process. The impact of class attendance on academic performance is far greater than commonly believed.
How effective is independent learning?
Although society — especially young people — often assumes that university studies occupy all of a student’s time, reality is quite the opposite. VILNIUS TECH Vice-Rector for Studies, Professor Dr. Živilė Sederevičiūtė-Pačiauskienė, notes that the established balance of learning often surprises students, as time spent in university classrooms is merely the tip of the iceberg.
“Contact hours at the university should make up only 30–35% of the total study time, while independent learning accounts for nearly 70%. This means that study programs and the educational process are designed so that most of the learning time and outcomes depend on the effort students put in outside lectures. However, there is a paradox here: those remaining 30% of hours spent at the university form the foundation without which independent learning becomes ineffective or is reduced merely to memorizing and reproducing knowledge — and knowledge alone is only one part of higher education outcomes,” says the professor.
VILNIUS TECH Vice-Rector for Studies, Professor Dr. Živilė Sederevičiūtė-Pačiauskienė
In addition to knowledge, universities develop analytical and creative competencies, responsibility, leadership, communication, decision-making and negotiation skills, as well as the ability to work in both local and international teams.
Without direct interaction with lecturers and peers, students often remain trapped within the framework of reproductive learning — simply reading material and repeating it back without learning how to argue professionally, solve problems, search for solutions, or ultimately “sell” what they know or have created.
“Strong students may do this very well. However, if they can successfully pass exams having prepared entirely on their own, this indicates that the course itself is insufficiently designed and does not include tasks that develop students’ social and communication skills,” the professor adds.
A shift toward problem-based learning
According to her, more and more engineering universities around the world are transitioning to a problem-based learning (PBL) model that requires strong student engagement and critical thinking. At the beginning of the semester, students receive a task or problem from a lecturer or business representative and are expected to create a solution or prototype.
“Using existing or independently acquired competencies, students create, make mistakes, and — most importantly — realize what they do not know and what they still lack in order to apply their abilities in the workplace. In such cases, students no longer view lectures as simply new information, but as potential answers to the questions they already have or will soon encounter, because they have a clear goal: completing the task. Attendance therefore takes on a completely different meaning.
When speaking only about theoretical material that students claim they can read independently, we see that complex concepts learned without professional explanation often lead to cognitive distortions and misunderstandings. Yet until students attempt to apply this knowledge in real tasks — not laboratory exercises where instructions are carefully described step by step — they do not realize they have learned it incorrectly. A university is not merely a ‘reading room for study materials’; it is a workshop for critical thinking. Studies are no longer, and can no longer be, just about absorbing and applying information,” states Prof. Dr. Ž. Sederevičiūtė-Pačiauskienė.
What cannot be learned alone?
Scientific research shows that certain essential competencies — such as the ability to analyze and solve complex problems in real time, justify decisions, work in teams, and reflect critically — are developed only in a social environment, meaning through participation in lectures and practical sessions. These are mandatory learning outcomes included in nearly all study programs.
“When studying independently at home, students usually do not move beyond the boundaries where they feel safe and capable. Real progress occurs when stepping outside the comfort zone, through dialogue and discussion. Questions from peers and explanations from lecturers help reveal aspects that an independently studying individual simply does not notice,” says the professor.
Studies by international educational researchers confirm a direct correlation between attendance and academic achievement — as the number of absences increases, the average grade decreases by at least one point.
Regular attendance, on the other hand, has an “equalizing” effect. In 2022, Ramzan Nazim Khan found that students who graduated from school with lower grades often achieve excellent university results if their attendance is high, while exceptionally talented students admitted with top grades but rarely attending lectures demonstrate significantly poorer academic performance. Research conducted by VILNIUS TECH student Lukas Lukaševičius together with his thesis supervisor Associate Professor Dr. Tomas Rekašius, involving 12 study programs across five academic fields at the university, also showed that admission scores do not determine academic success at university. On the contrary, the first semester and first year of studies have the greatest influence on successful graduation. This is the period when engagement in studies must be at its highest.
“Nowadays students often combine studies with work, but study methods focused on practical application of knowledge and prototype development force them to prioritize their studies. Yet even in traditional teaching models, attendance affects final results and also acts as a preventive measure against procrastination and delaying tasks,” adds Prof. Dr. Ž. Sederevičiūtė-Pačiauskienė.
VILNIUS TECH Vice-Rector for Studies, Professor Dr. Živilė Sederevičiūtė-Pačiauskienė
One of the largest meta-analyses in education, conducted in 2014 and covering 225 studies and more than 29,000 students, revealed the clear benefits of active learning methods — discussions, group work, and problem-solving activities in the classroom. These methods reduce the risk of failure by as much as 55%.
“Methods based on discussion and collaborative problem-solving not only halve the risk of failure but also ensure much better knowledge retention than passive reading at home,” the Vice-Rector adds. “Universities implementing problem-based learning methods report that achievements previously reached only by fourth-year students are now being achieved already by second-year students.”
Social connections prevent students from dropping out
Although lecture attendance and involvement in university activities are important throughout all years of study, they are especially significant for first-year students. This is a critical factor for successful integration: the opportunity to build social connections and feel part of a new community helps prevent students from dropping out, particularly during the first year, when the dropout risk at universities worldwide is the highest.
“Students who feel included have greater self-confidence and achieve better academic results. Social interaction with classmates and a connection with the institution create a sense of security that is especially important when facing complex engineering subjects,” notes the VILNIUS TECH Vice-Rector for Studies.
While society often debates whether lecture attendance is truly necessary, Prof. Dr. Ž. Sederevičiūtė-Pačiauskienė emphasizes that at an engineering university, student responsibility and engagement in the study process are essential. This is part of the university’s commitment to society to prepare highly qualified professionals.
“Engineering studies require consistent participation. Although theory is accessible with a single click in the digital age, the ability to think like a professional, solve crises, take responsibility, and maintain professional discipline is born only through live dialogue between lecturer and student,” says the Vice-Rector for Studies.
