Introductions Bethan Payne bethan.payne@nus.org.uk Higher Education Consultant

In the next 15 minutes… We will cover: Developments in student engagement Different types of student engagement and the evidence base The emergence of ‘students as partners’

Background Although the practices around student engagement may be long-standing in some cases, student engagement as a policy priority is relatively recent. Student representation is no longer something to be simply tolerated, marginalised or confined to the students’ union. We are now moving beyond a narrow focus on the validity of various systems of student engagement and instead describing the concepts that might underpin them. Student engagement is not happening inside a policy vacuum. It is a flexible enough concept to be appropriated by a wide range of interests. It is often stated that student engagement is a ‘good’ thing. What are we basing this on? We are now moving beyond a narrow focus on the validity of various systems of student representation and instead describing concepts linked to student identities and the potential of individuals to influence their environment.

Evidence-based student engagement Three types of engagement: In students’ own learning Rooted in identity In structures and processes A literature review conducted by the Higher Education Academy in 2010 summarised the research into student engagement practices and their effect on outcomes. Much of the literature on engagement comes from America and Australia, where surveys such as the NSSE make comparisons between, for example, hours committed to study and eventual degree outcomes easier to compare than in the UK where we do not standardly survey these things. The review grouped the existing literature into three themes. By far the most evidence was available to support the notion of students’ engagement with their own learning, active participation and so on. Some was available around student identities, so how students see themselves, their backgrounds and the effect these things have on how likely they are to engage (in the first sense) and how much they get out of this engagement. The final theme is student engagement in structures and processes, which looks at student representation but primarily as a leadership role, a place on a committee rather than as an agent for change. The literature has much less on this, and the authors of the report note that specifically students’ engagement with curriculum design and change is notably absent. Trowler, V. (2010) Student Engagement Literature Review. York: The Higher Education Academy

Engagement in learning Engagement in this sense has been proven to improve outcomes Performance Persistence Satisfaction Much work in this area has led to improvements in teaching and learning practices The research has shown that there are strong correlations between engagement in the sense of students taking an active role in their own learning, and favourable outcomes in areas such as performance, persistence and satisfaction. This means that students who are more strongly engaged with their course will get better marks, will try harder and say they are more satisfied with the course. All of this is excellent evidence that universities are taking on board to improve teaching and learning practices, particularly in the US.

Seven effective practices student-staff contact active learning prompt feedback time on task high expectations respect for diverse learning styles co-operation among students So for example, these seven principles of effective teaching in undergraduate education are widely respected across America because the evidence base behind them proves that they improve outcomes that the colleges find helpful. It probably won’t surprise anyone in this room that these principles lead to better learning, but having the evidence base behind them has really given colleges an incentive to drive forward changes in this area. Chickering and Gamson (1987) "Seven principles for good practice in undergraduate education" American Association of Higher Education Bulletin vol.39 no.7 pp.3-7

The role of identity All students benefit from engagement, but those who are least academically prepared benefit more than those who are most prepared. Developing an identity as a student and a sense of belonging to the university community are prerequisites to successful engagement. The research has shown that all students, traditional and less so, men and women, BME and white, part-time and full time benefit from engagement in their learning in the sense we’ve been talking about. However, some benefit more than others, particularly those who are least academically prepared to succeed at college, where a noticeable “value added” score can be seen in the areas of performance, persistence and satisfaction. This means that actively engaging with their learning is of particular value to non-traditional students, and as well as the success outcomes measured here student engagement also has an effect on the retention of these students. The evidence does, however, show that there are groups within student communities that are harder to get to engage in this way, and these are the groups you might expect (part-time, mature, gender minorities, ethnic minorities). Some of this is down to the unique circumstances that these groups of students are in, such as the time pressures on a student parent or the time away from learning that a mature student has had. But the research also shows that the students’ own sense of belonging and their own identity as a student are crucial prerequisites to engagement. If students, for one reason or another, do not feel that they “belong” at the university or on the course they study, they are less likely to engage and therefore less likely to succeed and enjoy their time at university. Pascarella, E.T. and Terenzini, P.T. (2005) How College Affects Students: A Third Decade of Research (Vol. 2). San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.

Evidence vs Values There is little evidence to support NUS’ conception of student engagement: Co-ownership of entire institution Equal partnership Joint responsibility for delivering solutions We are values-based: Democracy, collectivism, change agents Redressing power imbalances Community not consumerism Read the slide. I think you would largely agree with the values that we have stated, but it is more difficult to push an argument based on values rather than evidence.

The emergence of ‘students as partners’ Lots of concepts have clustered around student engagement. Co-creators, co-producers, active participants, students as collaborators, students as agents for change… The concept of ‘partnership’ has gained significant currency.

The emergence of ‘students as partners’ The 2010 NUS/HEA Student Engagement Toolkit framed partnership as the goal of student engagement. The QAA published the new Student Engagement Chapter of the UK Quality Code. Lots of organisations and institutions are talking about and taking action on student engagement and/or partnership. NUS has published ‘A Manifesto for Partnership’

What is partnership A rejection of consumerism and a re-imaging of apprenticeship. A partnership approach will in most cases involve work between an institution and its students’ union to determine an institutional understanding. But, we can sketch out some broad parameters… Partnership needs to be an active choice. Rejection of consumerism: Regardless of whether students agree with the values and characteristics of the funding model in which they sit, they may adopt behaviours we associate with consumerism unless we offer a new and compelling way of thinking about learning. Rethinking apprenticeship: Some argue that students can never be ‘equal partners’ because they do not have the necessary ‘expertise’ to engage with academic staff on an equal basis. ‘Equality’ is as much about respecting each other’s views as it is about having similar levels of knowledge. Students provide a very clear sense of what is in the student interest. This takes leadership- the ability to assess where the student interest lies and argue for it and the ability to listen to various constituencies to ensure their concerns are understood and that they are informing the debate.

What is partnership The sum total of student engagement activity does not equal partnership. Activities emerge from the beliefs and intentions that underpin an partnership approach. At its roots, partnership is about investing students with the power to co-create not just knowledge or learning, but the institution itself e.g. widening access, community engagement, sport, capital investment.

What is partnership Genuine and meaningful dispersal of power so that students are enabled to contribute to educational change. Shared responsibility- for identifying the problem or opportunity for improvement, for devising a solution and for co-delivering of that solution. Students and staff at all levels working together to achieve agreed goals. Dispute that occurs in good faith on both sides.

Manchester Met Union – have delivered a staff development workshop on ways to introduce partnership into curriculum Sheffield and Oxford Brookes– are looking into role that academic societies play in departments. Loughborough – today are having a student leaders conference discussing the concept of “you said, we did” and the nature of involving those with the problem in the solution

Durham Wanted to protect what they had Recognised that lots of partnership was already happening “Partnership Amnesty”

Liverpool Hope Union Sponsored course reps & lecturers to have a coffee Suggested list if things to talk about – what motivates you about the course etc., not position assuming something wrong Ljmu – civic change – partnership projects with funding to solve problems in the community – ie parking. Everybody gets an employability mentor.

Liverpool John Moores Civic change Partnership projects for students to work with local community to solve local problems– ie parking. Everybody gets an employability mentor.

Thank you bethan.payne@nus.org.uk