International Conference on Enhancement and Innovation in Higher Education Crowne Plaza Hotel, Glasgow 9-11 June 2015 Welcome

Dr Jane Guiller Graduate Internships in Learning Development: Creating online interactive resources for articulating students Learning Development Centre Team School of Health and Life Sciences Glasgow Caledonian University

Outline Learning Development at GCU Background: Enhancing Digital Literacies Engagement through Partnership Internships Evaluation Challenges and recommendations

Learning Development at GCU School of Health and Life Sciences

Background Enhancing Digital Literacies HEA Digital Literacies in the Disciplines Project ( ) Students-as-producers: course content and OERs Xerte Online Toolkits

Key messages Development of students’ digital literacies can be facilitated through innovative assessment, which positions students as active content creators. Xerte is a useful tool to enable students and staff to create interactive learning materials. Academic and support staff can form partnerships with students to enhance and transform their experience.

Engagement through Partnership “…collaborative, reciprocal process through which all participants have the opportunity to contribute equally, although not necessarily in the same ways, to curricular or pedagogical conceptualization, decision-making, implementation, investigation or analysis.” (Cook-Sather, Bovill & Felten, 2014, pp. 6-7)

Internships A Students-as-Partners Approach Rethinking internships through a partnership model Embedding the key qualities of meaningful partnerships (Bird & Koirala, 2002) Questions Can internships be partnerships? What is the value of this approach for all stakeholders? What does a reconceptualised internship look like?

Evaluation The Resources Think aloud method (Ericsson and Simon, 1993; Lewis, 1982) ‘I like the interactiveness, I think that aspect is really good.’ ‘the information here I think is good because it’s not too in-depth and not too scary, that’s the worst part when you come in [to university], you get too much, too quick and it just sets you off and you just panic.’

Evaluation The Intern Experience “I think I will be more confident when I am in employment…because I have a better set of skills. And I feel more ready for an actual work environment as well”. “….I have the ability. This just shows that I have the ability and I’m willing to learn whatever tasks that I need to, to meet the demands of a role and I think that really helps.”

Evaluation David’s Intern Experience

Challenges

Internships as Partnerships Can internships be partnerships? Co-creation and co-development of resources Opportunities to contribute equally Shared learning and expertise ? Shared power

Recommendations (1)Provide a clear remit for interns and a clear project for them to work on in collaboration with staff, e.g. co-designing/delivering interventions and materials. (2)Give time to devote to finding ways of working and for partnerships to develop. (3)Be flexible, open, willing to take risks and learn from mistakes.