transforming learning and student engagement through students as partners colin bryson and fae...

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


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 degreei.e. students who take on involvement and leadership roles, ambassadors, change agents, disseminators presented at conferences, published….ANDAll have become partners…..So what’s partnership about?


The virtues of partnershipA counter-movement to transactionalism and consumptionPrinciples 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’


Partnership Practices – Model AHealey, Flint and Harrington (2014)A typology of SaP roles e.g. Consultant to staff Co-designing Co-researching Change-agentFocussed on SoTL, curriculum, QA, subject basedCharacterised by individual students working with closely with staff Where does representation sit?????


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


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?


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 contextAnd this needs to be realised in practice – a virtuous circle


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


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


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 2014-15Year 2 and 3 – Graduate development module options (c25 students per year) - in 2013-15Year 3 – independent studies module option (c40 students) - in 2013-15

Bringing in Model B


Partnership within modules Doing as much as possible in partnership,

includes co-deciding:Shape and delivery (in part) of the moduleThe types of assessment and weightingDeadlinesCriteria (and thus learning outcomes)

Modules also feature ‘pedagogies of partnership’ to at least some extent


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?


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, email network etc)

http://raise-network.ning.com/


http://raise-network.ning.com/

Any questions?


transforming learning and student engagement through students as partners colin bryson and fae...

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