Co-constructing knowledge – facilitating graduateness? Theodora Papatheodorou, Christine Such and Paulette Luff

Key information English context - Notion of ‘graduateness’ - Institutional responses and systems for achieving ‘graduateness’ (e.g. Personal Development Planning) - The impact of curriculum review Our response - Changes to module planning & teaching - The underpinning principles of social constructivism for learning Our study & findings

The study Aim: - to investigate the impact of curriculum changes on student learning Sample: - 36 first year undergraduate students Methods of collecting data include: - completion of a progress checklist - pre and post reflections Analysis of data: - frequency count to identify pattern of change

Progress checklist Graduate skills Modules Managing informationUsing a range of mediaWork independently and with confidenceWork as a member of teamClear communicationSense of audience/readerProblem solving skillsFlexible and creative approachTransferability of skillsEthical mannerCoherent, literate and numerate outputsCritical and analytical thinkingAwareness of cultural, social and politicalcontextResearch awareness and skillsSubject expertise Learning and Knowledge Construction Observation for Learning and Research Early Childhood Pedagogy and Play The Developing Child Social and Emotional Foundations

Patterns of change Graduate skills Modules Managing informationUsing a range of mediaWork independently and with confidence Work as member of teamClear communicationSense of audience/readerProblem solving skillsFlexible and creative approachTransferability of skillsEthical mannerCoherent, literate and numerate outputs Critical and analytical thinkingAwareness of cultural, social and political context Research awareness and skillsSubject expertise Learning and Knowledge Construction (S1) ☻☺☺☺☺☻☻☺☻☺☻☻☻☻☻ Learning and Knowledge Construction (S2) ☺☺☺☺☺☻☻☺☻☺☻☻☻☻☻ Observation for Learning and Research (S1) ☻☺☺☺☺☻☺☺☻☺☻☻☻☺☻ Observation for Learning and Research (S2) ☻☻☺☺☻☻☻☺☻☺☻☻☻☻☻ Early Childhood Pedagogy and Play (S1) ☺☺☺☺☻☺☺☺☺☻☺☻☺☺

Findings – Evolving patterns Group work Flexible and creative approach Group work/flexible and creative approach and assessment Module content Module content and assessment Learning as a personal journey vs assessment of knowledge about the subject

Learning as a personal journey Each module undertaken has provided the opportunity for learning in different ways. So I have tried to include samples of work to reflect the way in which I have learned. Not just theories, but skills in each. I have been able to reflect on my development over my first year at university allowing me to see the knowledge I have gained.

My personal learning experiences have made me look at my past and consciously see where I have learned things. The assignments and work from the start of semester one is evidently different to the work I am now putting forward. This is due to the many exercises we have taken part in over the year which helped us as a student find our preferred way of learning.

Key issues 1.Working as a group was very important in all three modules in the first self-evaluation. This changed for the module Learning and Knowledge Construction in the second semester. Why? 2.Flexibility and creative approaches seem threatened by assessment. Why? 3.Content gives students the sense of certainty as it defines the boundaries of what they need to know (Observation and Play modules) 4.Utilising students own experience to identify and articulate key principles of the subject area 5.Inter-relationship between personal experience and content