Them & Us Student and staff perspectives in the 21st century Process Them & Us Student and staff perspectives in the 21st century Scoping the Project Staff: Try to remember what it was like when you were a student. Research on who is already doing work of this kind? What are the issues affecting both parties? Generated Gannt chart and brief, including process, content and time management strategy. Aims and Rational   There have been 4 main aims: To receive feedback from the students about their own learning experience and share that with lecturers. To promote GEES Subject Centre work to the student body. To lead the way in involving students in decision making. To enable the GEES Subject Centre to improve its services by assessing its own impact on the student learning experience. The Subject Centre believed the best method for doing this would to recruit a student, full time, to produce a publication focusing on the student learning experience. By crossing the divide between student and staff, we soon realised that there was as much that students needed to realise about staff as vice versa. This publication, therefore, is designed to fill a niche in the existing available literature, as it is uniquely aimed at staff and students simultaneously and has been written by staff and students. We hope that at the very least it is an interesting read for both parties, although not necessarily for the same reasons. But to fulfil our aims, we hope that by reading about others’ experiences, advice and information, students will be supported in making the most out of their learning experience. Staff in turn will gain an insight into what it is like to be a 21st century student and have a source of qualitative student feedback on many aspects of teaching. Lastly, this project will highlight how important communication between the two groups is and provide ideas as to how it can be enhanced. Editor’s letter Dear Reader, I am, or at least was, a stereotypical student—I moved to a new city, Plymouth, to study Environmental Science after taking a gap year travelling, lived in halls in my 1st year and then moved to a cheap and slightly scabby looking flat for my 2nd and 3rd. Admittedly I spent many evenings and weekends with a pint in one hand and a ‘rollie’ in the other, although that declined as my course progressed and my loan ran out, forcing me to get a job in a local bar. I graduated with a 2:1 and fortunately discovered the GEES Subject Centre. Since being here I have discovered a whole side of higher education and academics that, while I was part of the system, I hardly knew existed. This project aims to encourage the next generation of students to find out for themselves what higher education is all about and give staff an idea of the areas that students may not fully grasp. So to that end I have gathered articles from staff and students to describe what it’s like to be them and how they have overcome common issues. There are also snippets of advice written by staff and students scattered throughout. I would like to take this opportunity to thank everyone who has had a hand in the making of this publication, your hard work and co-operation has been invaluable. Sian Evans GEES graduate June 2007 Generating Interest and Awareness Open call for contributions for publication. Draw up promotional literature for JISCmail, website and existing departmental contacts. Invitation to join discussion group. Promotional email and poster. Invitation for Plymouth-based student focus group. Focus Group Organise room, catering, arrange mutually convenient time. 5 students from GEES disciplines in host institution, Plymouth. This generated feedback, ideas and confirmed demand. Prepare material, carry out session, type up and disseminate notes. Discussion group 1 day, 15 delegates from 6 institutions Discussed topics such as feedback, guidance and support, youth culture and foundation knowledge. Organise room, catering, accommodation and transport, liaise with delegates, plan day, prepare materials, type up and disseminate notes. Staff: Explain the Higher Education system; remember it’s very different to compulsory or Further Education e.g. what’s your remit, what do you expect of the students? Generated articles as well as new ideas for other articles. Staff: Show students you’re human; take time to interact with them informally. Publication Approach potential authors I whose work I wanted to include. A selection of material to disseminate to staff and students. Includes stories, opinion articles and research. The future The benefits to the community are yet to be fully realised as the publication has only just been launched, however we hope that it will: Inspire lecturers and students to get to know each other both informally on an individual level and also encourage departments to put in place formal strategies to improve communication, make working together commonplace. Show staff and students what it is like in the 21st Century for the other half. Highlight disparities between staff and student perceptions. The benefits to the Subject Centre will be that our work is promoted to staff who we had previously not worked with. Students will also be made aware of a) how their lecturers work, b) ways they can be involved with the Centre and c) how we can help staff. They may even promote our work to their lecturers! We hope that others will take ideas from this project and be able transfer them to their own situations. We believe that the project, either in its entirety or individual elements of it, can be transferred within a department, institution or, as we have done, cross institutionally. Select articles from open call. Liaise with authors. Edit and format articles. Challenges Initially, appreciating the staff point of view and by the end remembering accurately what it was like as a student! Participation by staff and students. Doing everything for the first time. Balancing: dual perspectives and dual audiences i.e. accessible but not ‘dumbed down’ Producing a cohesive publication from an open call for articles. Contacting students as our existing work has almost solely been with staff. Compile graphics and consult with designer and printers. Website Edit and format articles. Extended compilation of material, links to related projects and resources. Liaise with C&IT manager.