Transforming learning and student engagement through students as partners Colin Bryson and Fae Rinaldo- Langridge ALDHE Conference 2015

Why strong engagement matters  Engagement is a concept which encompasses the perceptions, expectations and experience of being a student and the construction of being a student in HE (Bryson and Hand, 2007).  Engagement underpins learning and is the glue that binds it together – both located in being and becoming. (Fromm, 1977)  Strong engagement is required then for transformative learning (Johansson and Felten, 2014) – self authorship (Baxter-Magolda. 2006); and realising potential …..the true purpose of HE ALDHE Conference 2015

What are the catalysts for strong engagement? The super-engaged on Combined at Newcastle Characteristics – active, multi-involvement inside and outside the curriculum, inside and outside the degree i.e. students who take on involvement and leadership roles, ambassadors, change agents, disseminators presented at conferences, published…. AND All have become partners….. So what’s partnership about? ALDHE Conference 2015

The virtues of partnership A counter-movement to transactionalism and consumption Principles of respect, repricocity and responsibility (Cook- Sather et al 2014) Epitomises positive values in society Ethical Democratic Enables Higher Education to a make a more profound contribution to society Education should be exemplary but also dynamic, be progressive, ‘open’ and ‘public’ ALDHE Conference 2015

Partnership Practices – Model A Healey, Flint and Harrington (2014) A typology of SaP roles e.g. Consultant to staff Co-designing Co-researching Change-agent Focussed on SoTL, curriculum, QA, subject based Characterised by individual students working with closely with staff Where does representation sit????? ALDHE Conference 2015

Benefits of partnership (Cook-Sather, Bovill and Felten, 2014) Enhances (for both students AND staff) Engagement (motivation, in the learning process itself, sense of responsibility, recognition) Metacognitive awareness and identity Actual teaching and classroom experiences ALDHE Conference 2015

But currently under-researched – thus our study What’s actually happening inside and through the process of partnership? What is the nature of being a partner for the student? Understanding why/how/if the benefits are realised Are all students ready and willing to be partners - what influences that? ALDHE Conference 2015

Feeling like a partner….a proposal The individual student must perceive: That their participation and contribution is valued and valuable; A sense of co-ownership, inclusion, and equalising of power relations between students and staff; A sense of democracy, with an emphasis on participative democracy; Membership of a community related to learning and educational context And this needs to be realised in practice – a virtuous circle ALDHE Conference 2015

Our study - longitudinal Interviews of 14 students – representative (stage, demography, involvement etc) – at start and end of the academic year Observation of partnership activities Surveys over six years of engagement strategy - mining for relevant data ALDHE Conference 2015

Introduced many schemes to build a community, e.g:  CHS: the social agenda  Peer mentoring: social integration  PASS: academic integration  The SSC: uniquely arranged to empower students, engine room for new ideas, gives all students a voice Super-engaged grasped these opportunities, became partners by co-designing & co-governing the CH degree Latest NSS 100% - implies students now feel a sense of belonging But these partnership opportunities only directly benefits a proportion (c10%) and nearly always in later stages of the degree Holistic engagement strategy– led to Model A practices ALDHE Conference 2015

Attempt to create and embed a partnership ethos and culture FOR ALL STUDENTS Collective, group based Through the curriculum Get partnership going earlier in student life-cycle Within Modules – Year 1: c160 students on interdisciplinary module – in Year 2 and 3 – Graduate development module options (c25 students per year) - in Year 3 – independent studies module option (c40 students) - in Bringing in Model B ALDHE Conference 2015

Partnership within modules Doing as much as possible in partnership, includes co-deciding:  Shape and delivery (in part) of the module  The types of assessment and weighting  Deadlines  Criteria (and thus learning outcomes) Modules also feature ‘pedagogies of partnership’ to at least some extent ALDHE Conference 2015

Issues Students sign up for the module and not necessarily partnership Some don’t like partnership– it actually disengaged them – a sense of frustration as ‘too much risk’ and unwanted responsibility that did not chime with their aims More challenging for students at earlier degree stage Tension between democratic principles vs ethics; collective v individual Module feedback is interesting! ALDHE Conference 2015

Early findings Pre-disposition to partnership helps!  The more engaged in the first place  Identity, values and beliefs (ethical position)  Stage of intellectual development Partnership appears to be a threshold concept (Alison Cook-Sather) But lots of potential….will it be realised? ALDHE Conference 2015

To meet regularly to discuss SE. To involve and work with students in partnership An early goal was to develop a concept map and set of principles that underpin the promotion of SE To establish an annual conference drawing together leading edge work on SE - and to feed into publication through journals and books. (Next conference– Sept 2015, Nottingham) To gain funding to support these events and activities. To create a bank of useful resources for us to share. To facilitate communication between us (web, network etc) ALDHE Conference 2015

Any questions? ALDHE Conference 2015