Group Admins
Description
Session Description
Students actively engaging with and taking control of their learning may be key to academic success (Kandiko and Mawer, 2013), securing employment and achieving career goals (CBI, 2009). The three mini projects reported in this paper focus on student engagement with two aspects of learning. The first mini project looks at engagement with e-feedback by improving students’ e-feedback literacy. The other two projects look at how online learning content designed using student voices and perspectives may encourage students to engage with an e-portfolio. Students from the peer-assisted learning scheme are recruited to build online learning units to guide learners to gain work experience relevant to their chosen career pathways. Multimedia and video technology is used to capture problems faced by learners, present advice, and look at opportunities available to them.
This project taps into the successes of an established peer-assisted learning scheme at Middlesex University. Currently students from the scheme support students in different learning settings, guiding and coaching students to help improve their learning experience. This project looks at harnessing student voices and student perspectives to create learning units. One of the aims of the project is to discover alternative approaches to engaging students with e-feedback and e-portfolios. Student partners are asked to propose project plans to tackle engagement issues, then implement and evaluate them.
Students and staff partners present the findings of three current mini projects that engage students in collaborative design of online learning materials. Students’ existing digital skills are used to produce digital artefacts with the aim of engaging learners. All the projects are co-designed with students, and learning content is delivered by students from the peer-assisted learning scheme to students on undergraduate programmes.
The presentation highlights:
• logistics of coordinating this partnership
• support/development required by students leading the mini projects
• three mini projects:
o using technology to improve student engagement with e-feedback
o guiding a policing career pathway using multimedia
o shaping career pathways using video and multimedia
• co-designers’ experience focusing on successes and challenges faced (Bovill et al, 2016)
• initial evaluation of mini projects focusing on good practice and possible improvements
The session plan:
Background to partnerships 5 minutes
3 mini project presentations (includes student experience,
evaluation of this approach by students – 5 mins per project) 15 minutes
Discussion 5 minutes
Co-presenters:
Asanka Dayananda, Senior Academic Developer, Centre for Academic Practice Enhancement (CAPE), a.dayananda@mdx.ac.uk
Betty Sinyinza, Learning Technologist, Centre for Academic Practice Enhancement (CAPE), b.sinyinza@mdx.ac.uk
Simbo Ajayi, Peer-assisted Learner Manager, Library and Student Services, s.ajayi@mdx.ac.uk
Student partners leading the three projects featured in this presentation will be invited to co-present at the conference.
Session content: evaluation and reflection
The session is based on a current project. The mini projects are evaluated by the students leading them. Evaluations will include staff and student feedback for any artefacts and learning materials produced. The findings of the evaluations will be shared by students in the session. The overall project is jointly evaluated by academic and student partners; the evaluations will capture both staff and student experience of participating in the project. Co-designers’ experience focusing on successes and challenges faced as well as good practice and possible improvements will be shared during the session.
References
Confederation of British Industry (CBI), with Universities UK (2009) Future Fit: Preparing graduates for the world of work.
Bovill, C., Cook-Sather, A., Felten, P., Millard, L. and Moore-Cherry, N. (2016) Addressing potential challenges in co-creating learning and teaching: Overcoming resistance, navigating institutional norms and ensuring inclusivity in student–staff partnerships. Higher Education, 71(2), pp.195-208.
Kandiko, C. B. and Mawer, M. (2013) Student expectations and perceptions of higher education. Available at: https://www.kcl.ac.uk/study/learningteaching/kli/People/Research/DL/QAAReport.pdf (Accessed: 18th May 2018).
