1. Encouraging student engagement in learning: piloting measures of learning gain
Dr. Karin Crawford
University of Lincoln
lincoln.ac.uk/EDEU
@LincolnEDEU

2. Outline of this case study
Context
The Lincoln-Huddersfield Learning Gain Project
The University of Lincoln
How student engagement in learning within and beyond the curriculum impacts on learning gain
Approaches to engaging students to maximise learning gain
The challenges of measuring student engagement and learning gain
Presentation focuses on the University of Lincoln case study (as requested) and explores learning gain in the context of meaningful student engagement
Set off with three slides to set the context – giving information about the learning gain project at Lincoln, and how it aligns with the culture, ethos and approaches to student engagement at Lincoln.
Then looks at ways in which student engagement may impact on student wider learning (learning gain) –
HEFCE define learning gain as ‘the difference in student performance between two stages of their studies’ (Hoareau McGrath 2015: xi) – that learning is influenced by the student’s whole experience at University – and in keeping with this, we define the term student engagement, holistically – being both within the curriculum, ‘in learning itself’ (through for example personal tutoring) and beyond the curriculum (in the wider University, in enhancing learning and teaching and so forth).
Then ways that we, at Lincoln, have and are developing student engagement,
Finally, considers the challenges of measuring and evidencing this impact.
This presentation draws heavily on evidence from an HEA funded project undertaken at Lincoln (‘Pedagogies of Partnership’ What Works?’) and the evaluation of the initial SasP project – both referenced on the last slide.

3. The Lincoln-Huddersfield Learning Gain Project
HEFCE funded, three-year, longitudinal, mixed methods study – commenced November piloting measures of learning gain across the period of undergraduate study;
Sample of seven discipline-specific student groups at Lincoln (Psychology, Business, Pharmacy, History, Fine and Performing Arts, Engineering and Computer Science) and a mixed discipline group at Huddersfield;
Sample groups include pre-formed tutor groups, whole cohort groups and one specific mixed group of students;
Collaboration is a key feature; students; academics; managers; professional services; Student Union; employers.
One of 13 projects - HEFCE funded, three-year, longitudinal study – Led by the University of Lincoln working in partnership with the University of Huddersfield;
Only started in November 2015 – so the project is in its very early stages – work in progress!
Piloting measures of learning gain across the period of undergraduate study;
Sample of six discipline-specific student groups at Lincoln (Psychology, Business, Pharmacy, History, Fine and Performing Arts, Engineering and Computer Science) and a mixed discipline group at Huddersfield; FOCUS OF THIS PRESENTATION IS ON LINCOLN AS A CASE STUDY
Sample groups include pre-formed tutor groups, whole cohort groups and one specific mixed group of students; Last one is Huddersfield
Collaboration is a key feature; students; academics; managers; professional services; Student Union; employers.
Students are equal partners in all aspects of the project, on working groups etc.; Academics and managers from all the disciplines involved; professional services particularly careers and employability services in both Universities; strong partnership with SU, heavily involved; and employers.

4. Learning gain project tools and data sources
Student self-assessment skills audit
Situational Judgement Test
Additional data sources, recognising the wider concept of learning gain
Exploring the impact of engagement in learning in and beyond the curriculum.
Supporting students to gain insight into their skills development and link this with their ability to market themselves and their experiences to graduate employers.
Measures to be piloted are:
A skills audit, based on a self-assessed diagnostic. Self-analyse their effectiveness in a number of employability skills/graduate attributes areas. Skills include ….
and have been developed in partnership with Huddersfield and Lincoln careers and employability service informed by employer needs;
A situational judgement test which measures competences in relation to both critical reflection and problem solving. This test is a form of psychological aptitude test which will, not only provide a measure of how students approach situations they might encounter in the workplace, but will also provide developmental, formative feedback
Additional data sources - With recognition that the concept of learning gain goes beyond discipline knowledge to encompass wider personal, psychological and social development (McGrath et al, 2015), the project in Lincoln will also collect data relating to student engagement activities beyond their programme of study. This data will in part be drawn from the Students Union Management System (SUMS), which tracks student participation in a range of sporting, clubs, representation, engagement and volunteering activities.
Additionally, Lincoln will collate University held progression, retention and academic achievement data to assist analysis of whether any inference can be drawn between these areas, student engagement and ultimate fitness for entering employment.
Supporting students to gain insight into their skills development and link this with their ability to market themselves and their experiences to graduate employers

5. Student engagement at the University of Lincoln
Learning Gain pilot project is underpinned by, aligns and interacts with the ethos and practices of student-staff partnerships at Lincoln; students as equal partners
Institution-wide change, long-term strategic approach
Primary focus is empowering staff to engage students and empowering students to engage
Engagement at Lincoln and pedagogies of partnership relate to student-staff and student-student learning partnerships;
Set within the context and history of ‘Student as Producer’ and a new strategic plan which emphasises importance of partnerships, engagement and graduate success.
The project aligns and interacts with student engagement at Lincoln – Student at Producer – (acknowledge Mike Neary)
UoL has reputation for student/staff partnerships – students engaging as equal partners – both within the curriculum (for example in research engaged learning and teaching, and beyond the curriculum).
Lincoln has undergone institutional-wide change, long-term strategic approach
The primary focus is empowering staff to engage students, and students to engage
Engagement at Lincoln and pedagogies of partnership relate not only to student-staff relationships, but also to student-student learning partnerships; most starkly evident through developed peer learning schemes, but also embedded in culture of learning teaching and assessment in the curriculum
Important to note the context and history: Student as Producer

6. How does engaged student learning impact on learning gain?
Learning is not a one-way process; working collaboratively to discover or critique knowledge produces helpful educational and wider learning outcomes for students;
Impact occurs in different ways, at different points in the HE journey
meaningful student engagement can impact on students’ development of skills and attributes that will support their futures beyond graduation.
Increasing confidence,
Valuing and understanding of social contribution and responsibility
Building a sense of identity, belonging and community
Networking, communication and relationship building
Furthering ‘learning to learn’ skills
Engaged student learning, within and beyond the curriculum, is a crucial factor in strengthening learning gain
LEFT HAND BOX – some comments on impact
recognising that learning is not a one-way process and that working collaboratively to discover or critique knowledge produces helpful educational outcomes for students
Impact occurs in different ways, at different points in the HE journey
Importantly whilst due to the complexity of teaching in higher education, its is not possible to make direct correlations between the implementation of and engagement in pedagogies of partnership and impact on student learning gain, but there is evidence from our research that meaningful student engagement can impact on students’ development of skills and attributes that will support their futures beyond graduation.
RIGHT HAND BOX – some examples from our research of the types of skills and learning gained
‘learning to learn’ skills and underpinning these, a sense of growing personal confidence.
Contribution and responsibility
Identity – belonging and community - can influence a student’s sense of identity, with a clear sense that this develops over time

7. Our approach to engaging students and maximising learning gain
Enabling and empowering students to be active partners across all aspects of the development of their learning experience
Creating opportunities to share learning and outputs widely
Collaborative research within and beyond the curriculum
Creative use of technology to provide effective spaces for engagement and collaboration
Encouraging and supporting learning across disciplines
Some thoughts about the approaches we have developed to foster student engagement, partnership working and learning gain
Enabling and empowering students to be active partners across all aspects of the development of their learning experience, recognising learning as taking place throughout the whole student experience (within and beyond the curriculum)
Creating opportunities to share learning and outputs widely
Collaborative research within and beyond the curriculum
Creative use of technology to provide effective spaces for engagement and collaboration
Encouraging and supporting learning across disciplines
Underpinned by a robust personal tutoring process (see next slide)

8. Personal tutoring process at Lincoln
General Academic and Pastoral Support
Responding to academic implications of student concerns; signposting as necessary.
Study Skills
Helping students identify study skills needs and signposting to appropriate support.
Assessment and Feedback
Supporting students to reflect holistically on outcomes of assessed work to improve future performance.
Careers and Employability
Encouraging students to consider career ambitions; signposting to guidance and support.
Engaging beyond the programme
Guiding students to engage with opportunities beyond their programme; developing transferable skills and social networks.
A robust personal tutoring process underpins our approach
Personal tutoring forms the central process for support, monitoring and evaluation of learning gain at Lincoln
Supportive, formative exchange between students and tutors
Reflecting on learning - review discussions
The content of tutorial sessions is guided by these five pillars – see inclusion of careers and employability
We have implemented new processes to ensure every taught student enjoys good quality tutoring through their time with us, whereby:
Tutor groups and personal tutors are allocated prior to arrival
Personal Tutors make first contact ahead of the start of term so that students understand how central personal tutoring is to studying at Lincoln;
Students first meet their Personal Tutor and the rest of their tutor group early in the first week (Welcome Week for September intakes);
Personal Tutors hold at least one individual meeting and two tutorial group meetings in term one and term two of each academic year;
Tutorial group meetings are formally timetabled and considered a mandatory element of the programme.

9. Some examples of student engagement beyond the curriculum at Lincoln
A few examples of student engagement opportunities;
Student recruiters
Student reviewers
Staff/student insight scheme
Building and further embedding this work through;
All subject committees (including co-chairing)
Curriculum co-design through curriculum steering groups
Joint reviews of teaching practice
Peer assisted study and mentoring projects
Further attention to first year experience and transitions
These are just some of the innovative student engagement opportunities – within robust and effective partnership with SU. These are ‘beyond the curriculum’ – they are about being part of the wider project of the University and students developing a wide range of skills and attributes through that engagement in enhancing the learning experience.
Building on this now and progressing to further embed student engagement activities and opportunities.
Short recruiting video
More video clips available at

10. The challenge of measuring student engagement and learning gain
Acknowledging ‘the difficulties of evaluating how excellence in teaching actually affects student learning’ (Gunn and Fisk 2013:9)
Lincoln-Huddersfield Learning gain project –
Encourages students to be more aware of, identify and provide evidence of their on-going skills development
Alongside test results, students will gather evidence of learning gain through a student-held e-portfolio
Thus we are furthering our understanding of the impact of encouraging student engagement in all aspects of their HE experience.
The challenge of measuring and evidencing student engagement and learning gain
Acknowledging ‘the difficulties of evaluating how excellence in teaching actually affects student learning” (Gunn and Fisk 2013, p. 9);
Learning gain project –
Encouraging students to be more aware of, identify and provide evidence of their on-going skills development. [Involves reflection on students’ own understanding of their development of key employability skills.]
Building upon the current practices, alongside test results, students will gather evidence of learning gain through the development of a student-held e-portfolio [Lincoln Award (a free-standing and non-credit-bearing achievement framework designed to support, enhance and recognise extra-curricular activity) and the MEplus award at Huddersfield]
Thus the project will explore how the evidence might be developed as a part-measure and vehicle for the identification and collection of evidence of skills development which can then be cross-matched against more formal tests.
This learning gain project (and the other twelve projects) opportunity to further explore these challenges, putting new data alongside existing data – to further our understanding of the positive impact of having students engaged in all aspects of their HE experience.

11. Contact details: Dr. Karin Crawford: kcrawford@lincoln. ac
Contact details: Dr. Karin Crawford: Learning Gain Project Manager Dr. Stephen Haddelsey Telephone:
lincoln.ac.uk/EDEU
@LincolnEDEU

12. References
Crawford, K., Horsley, R., Hagyard, H. and Derricott, D. (2015) Pedagogies of Partnership: What Works? York: Higher Education Academy
Gunn, V. and Fisk, A. (2013) Considering Teaching Excellence in Higher Education: [Internet]. York: Higher Education Academy. Available from: cknowledgements.pdf [25 August 2015].
Neary, M., Saunders, G., Hagyard, A. and Derricott, D. (2014) Student as producer: research-engaged teaching, an institutional approach. Project Report. HEA.