Using the student voice in curriculum transformation

What is the student voice? Outside the curriculum Student surveys and evaluations Student associations Inside the curriculum Assessment activities that allow students to reflect on, or give their opinions on what they are learning Valued and recognised

Student voice reveals…. Mismatch between staff and student expectations Student misconceptions Gaps in students’ knowledge Staff assumptions Staff failure to reveal tacit knowledge

This information can inform curriculum design Two examples TREASURE Use of reflective journals to understand student thinking in research projects Highlights misconceptions and unrealistic expectations about research PeerWise Students design, answer and comment on multiple choice questions Highlights misunderstanding of course content and significance of course content This information can inform curriculum design

TREASURE Teaching Research: Evaluation and Assessment Strategies for Undergraduate Research Experiences OLT-funded project to examine the effect of incorporating reflective practice into URE assessment Aim: to make UREs more meaningful by making explicit the broader benefits of UREs Help students reflect on the nature and processes of research during their URE Help students reflect on their learning during their URE Providing an opportunity for supervisors to better understand what their student are thinking/learning

TREASURE: Helping students learn from UREs Making learning visible by asking students to reflect on their research experience Developed a bank of prompt questions that ask about what students are doing, why they are doing it, problems faced, what they are learning, links to other learning Written responses throughout the URE Expanding the definition of learning beyond the focus on results/products Learning about the process of research Developing generic skills

How has TREASURE contributed to curriculum transformation? Expanded use of questions for an intensive course, health and medicine courses, internships, online masters courses in science and arts Evidence-based curriculum change

Students not prepared for research by normal coursework TREASURE findings Student misconceptions about research Research is a linear process Research doesn’t require creativity Scientists work alone Staff take their own understanding of research for granted so do not explicitly teach it Students not prepared for research by normal coursework

Curriculum change: new course Students read “The Double Helix” SHOCK!!! Scientists talk to each other Scientists go out for coffee or drinks Science is competitive Scientists steal others’ results Scientists are human!!!

Changing perceptions of research It has challenged my perception of the scientific process though, as we tend to believe that the scientific process is logical and straightforward which it doesn't appear to be in this book. It often seems that scientists are overly methodical and plan out every step of their lives, so it was reassuring to read that Watson, like myself, was often unsure about what he was going to do next. It was actually quite uplifting because I perceived the laboratory research field of science as quite restrictive and dull, however this book shows the freedom of thought and experiment that these scientists had to research what they found important.

Not all students change their views The process of sharing results, pursuing research and analysing information also seemed biased, informal, and unregulated. However, this can be attributed to the fact that the research community was much smaller in the 1950’s ….. the individuals in the book may not reflect the scientific community as a whole. Since the number of people in the field of research has increased today, it’s likely that the scientific process has become more standardised and refined. The messiness of research is a hard lesson to learn!

The student voice in curriculum transformation Mismatch between staff and student expectations Student misconceptions Gaps in students’ knowledge Staff assumptions Staff failure to reveal tacit knowledge Curriculum change Course level (PeerWise) Program level (TREASURE)

PeerWise https://peerwise.cs.auckland.ac.nz/

Potential benefits of PeerWise Feedback to teaching staff Incorrect question highly rated Trivial question highly rated Expectations about exam questions Development of students’ assessment literacy and engagement Question-framing Evaluation of questions Problem-solving, creativity and humour

Identifying misconceptions What a great question! This made me check up the differences between Prokaryotes and Eukaryotes so helps remind me of the differences. Thankyou for the clever question!  V.good question, with a lot of stuff to think about. nicely done!  Creative question that made me think! I like the idea behind your question and it brings together a lot of important concepts but isn't RNA polymerase II only found in eukaryotes?   

Developing assessment literacy Awesome question! I love the fact that it's a hypothetical question, which means you have to really think about the answer rather than be able to look it up. I really liked how this question involved a bit of puzzling together. This question is more about memorising the facts presented in the lectures, rather than getting us to think about the content and apply problem solving skills.

The student voice in curriculum transformation Need to build opportunities into the curriculum and reward students Student question, comment or reflection Identification of misunderstanding Remediation within course or at program level Evaluation (assessment or reflection) TREASURE PeerWise

Conclusion Using the student voice can help bridge the expert/novice divide and uncover our assumptions about students and learning More effective curriculum design The student voice must be valued Activities integrated into assessment for marks or other credit

Acknowledgments ANU: Susan Howitt, Anna Wilson (now Stirling, UK) and Denise Higgins UTas: Adele Holloway and Anne-Marie Williams Supported by grants from the OLT