1. Developing and Enhancing Partnerships for Learning How can increased student engagement promote student success? Becka Colley Dean of Students National Teaching Fellow

2. Overview What makes students stay/leave? How can collaborative and peer learning enhance the student experience? What effect does peer interaction have on the student experience?

3. To get you thinking… What do PARTNERSHIPS mean to you? Discuss with person next to you 2 mins! Acrostic…

4. P A R T N E R S H I P S

5. Partnerships P eople A ctivities R eflection T ransition N urture E nthusiasm R espect S upport H elp I ndividuals P eer S taff

6. Students 2.0? Who/what are modern students? A vision of students today(Wesch, 2007) Engaging Students at Bradford (Currant, 2009) What issues do they face? What challenges does this pose for us? How do we respond to differences from the ‘norm’?

7. Stating the Obvious But… …Higher Education is changing: “The university system is in need of ‘radical change’ to provide a better deal for taxpayers and students” (Willetts, 10 June 2010) How is the sector going to respond? What will we do differently? Can partnerships support this process?

8. The Impact of ‘massification’ Over last 20 years Higher education has undergone radical and unprecedented change (Education Act, 1992; Dearing Report, 1997; Roberts Report, 2003; Leitch Report, 2006; Browne, 2010; CSR, 2010) Learners are entering with different expectations and assumptions about their experiences The student body has become dramatically more heterogeneous and has fragmented in some cases

9. What will happen to HE?

10. Go Back to Basics?? (no real change…)

11. Become Futuristic??

12. Universities 2.0? Diversity of entry routes Issues of dealing with developing autonomy Earning whilst learning Disengaged learners seeking qualification Pressures on the system and individuals Changing processes within an inflexible system Tradition and history

13. “£9000 a year fees will be the exception not the rule.”

14. In the context of… “Certain tutors appear arrogant and unwilling to listen to student's views. Tutors are often unable to make lectures interesting and/or teach the subject matter in a way that clearly communicates the information and is stimulating. £3,000+ per year definitely not worth it.” [quote from NSS]

15. How long to see the impact and effects? How long before even more change?? What does this mean for student engagement?

16. Outcome = Mixed (imho…) Those that can, will and those that can’t, will (struggle…) What does this mean for Staff Students Institutions Society You???

17. How do students think they learn best? “I prefer practical learning as I like to do things and get bored when just listening to someone talking. I do quite well when working in a group as well as it gives me more ideas and opinions” “Through repetition. I like to study independently initially but then to consolidate the learning I like to discuss it and have feedback on it. I have a low attention span and so find a lot of reading and quiet time very hard work. I like to interact with people and so the discussion and debate of ideas appeals to me greatly” “I learn best from doing things or thinking through a problem with other people or by writing something down, drawing it. I don't learn much by just reading something”

18. The Traditional Curriculum… University of X provides per module: Lectures x 2 hours x 12 Seminars x 1 hour x 6 Group tutorials x 1 hour x 3 Group work (with assessed presentation) 100+ hours of independent study (aka the library) per module Assessed by coursework and 3 hour exam

19. And if they’re really lucky they get…

21. And the students say… “I do not get enough contact time. I am paying over £3000 a year and this semester I will have no lectures. This is not value for money!” “We are paying a lot of money to gain a degree only to be let down time and time again!” “More lecturers for the money I'm paying” “Too much self-directed studies, not enough help from staff, not sufficient lecture hours, too much money paid for not enough hours.” “The tuition fees are really expensive and they don't give us enough lecture time and I don't know what we are actually paying for.”

22. Why Do Students Leave University? Because they are not engaged Not engaged academically “I am not clever enough” “The course is not what I thought it would be” Not engaged socially “I feel lonely” “I am homesick” “The other students are not friendly”

23. Why Come to University? Balance of power between intrinsic and extrinsic motivation Why have they decided to come to University at all? What do they expect… of University itself? to do once they leave?

24. Why Are You Here? Because “I have nothing else to do” Because “my parents/siblings told me to come” Because “I don’t want to get a job” Because “I want to study the subject” What impact will this have on engagement? How do we support a different learning experience?

25. Why Have I Stayed?

26. Issues of Belonging Why do they leave? Why do they stay? Lack of social life and community activity and involvement I have no social life here Very limited activities to simply relax and socialize. (also financial, pressure of work, course related issues) My fellow students have helped me a lot. They have been very supportive and are always helpful. Support of class mates The people on my course and in my group have helped me throughout the course of the year The support of other students

27. Ten Ways to Change Undergraduate Education Make Research-Based Learning the Standard Construct an Inquiry-Based Freshman Year Build on the Freshman Foundation Remove Barriers to Interdisciplinary Education Link Communication Skills and Course Work Use Information Technology Creatively Culminate with a Capstone Experience Educate Graduate Students as Apprentice Teachers Change Faculty Reward Systems Cultivate a Sense of Community The Boyer Commission on Educating Undergraduates in the Research University: REINVENTING UNDERGRADUATE EDUCATION Boyer, 1999

28. Going back to the beginning… What do PARTNERSHIPS mean to you? Who are these partnerships with? Are the partnerships about taking/relinquishing elements of control? How do we ensure proactivity? Personalisation? Engagement?

29. It’s All About Expectations… Expectation management is key Support Integration Transition issues Success Awareness Personalisation within a complicated and fragmented system

30. Universities need to become less fragmented but not turn into a unstimulating vanilla experience or a corporate collective…

31. Partnerships for Success Knowing someone was there who understood all this really helped Supportive staff made me feel welcome It was good not to be alone Meeting other people and sharing ideas was excellent

32. Organisational system HE system Academic system Social system Student relations Student engagement & belonging Professional services system Dispositions & capacities May & Thomas, 2010

33. Intervention level: Core principles

34. What Can We Do? Identify student expectations of University Make explicit institutional requirements Demystify the complex, codified structures Provide holistic induction/transition experiences Supportive assessment process Provide early formative assessment Engage with curriculum to inspire learners Define curriculum engagement Academic and Social integration

35. How do programmes become ‘grounded and nourished’? What does your institution do to welcome students & support with transition? How do you provide social interactions with teachers/staff and other students? How do you embed course advice and support services? Where does peer assisted learning feature in this?

36. Any Questions?!

37. <Thank you!/>