Innovation Project Students as co-creators of higher order academic skills provision Dr Steve Briggs Dr Maria Kukhareva

Session Overview 1.Rationale 2.Existing practice 3.Project plan Co-creation Project 2 Image source: ges/side_images/portrait -54.jpg ges/side_images/portrait -54.jpg Image source: Wizard/2013%20Courses/PG/Academic%20Writing%20Theory%20and%20Practi ce%20MA/academic_writing_theory_and_practice_ma2.jpg Wizard/2013%20Courses/PG/Academic%20Writing%20Theory%20and%20Practi ce%20MA/academic_writing_theory_and_practice_ma2.jpg

Rationale  Vygotstky’s (1978) Zone of Proximal Development: the role of challenge / ‘stretch’  whole ethos of education?  Kift and Nelson (2005, p.225): “dramatically changing patterns of student engagement and new learning environments” “students as globally portable employees with the knowledge”  Fry, Ketteridge and Marshall (2008, p.229): “Moral and contractual obligations… as well as a need to retain students” “Equal entitlement” for all ability and level of achievement Differentiation of learning opportunities / learning outcomes / by ability “Newly emerging issue for Higher Education” (practiced in compulsory education)  Assinder et al. (2007, p.2): “The most able students are not being stretched to achieve their full potential”  Freestone (2013): ‘Selected’ students did better… no results in the ‘mixed group Tensions: ‘Ability’ v ‘achievement’? Critique of ‘must/should/could’ Selectivity v inclusivity

L 7L 6L 5L4 What it means for Learning Development and PAD Historic focus of learning development Co-creation Project 4 A B C D 2013 CLE review of PAD strategy recommended more support for high achievers 2014 Differentiated opportunities to enhance current academic skills provision (Co-creation project; Course Enhancement; Higher Order SIG)

Existing Practice 2014: Course enhancement project with Yearly Years Education Higher Order academic skills pilot Critical analysis and synthesis workshop 12 final year students (dissertation phase) Approached by lecturer Overwhelmingly positive feedback Students said: (11/12 out of 12): relevant, useful, helped expand knowledge, transferable application… more sessions, from the start of the course, contextualised content “Very useful, thank you for organising this”… “I learnt to…identify elements in assignment to make sure each element of critical analysis is achieved”… “I now have more ways to check I have used critical analysis through elements of reasoning”… Co-creation Project 5 Image source: oupMeeting_631x409.jpg oupMeeting_631x409.jpg

Project Plan Innovation Project 6 Term 1 Focus groups Session design Term 2 Pilot sessions Evaluation and follow up Term 3 Academic Skills Teaching Toolkit expanded CPD launched Now Special Interest Group Identify high achievers

Opportunities to get involved 7 Summer 2015 Staff CPD sessions (via PTS) Now Special Interest Group Summer 2014 Identify student co-creators January 2015 Piloting of sessions with students Easter 2015 Evaluation of pilots September 2014 Academic Skills Teaching Toolkit

References Assinder, S., Baldwin, C., Cane, C., Chevins, P., Clark, K., Dawson, M., Deuchars, J., Freestone, N., Griffin, D., Hollingsworth, M., Hooper, H., Hughes, I., Brent Irvine, G., Keen, M., Lawlor, R., Levesley, A., Morris, N., Pocock, T., Testa, G. and Wood, B. (2007) Differentiated Learning (stretching the most able). A report of a forum for invited participants sponsored by the Centre for Bioscience, Higher Education Academy, June 2007 Freestone, N. (2013) Differentiated Learning. Proceedings of the HEA STEM Learning and Teaching Conference, University of Birmingham, April 2013 Fry, H., Ketteridge, S. and Marshall, S. (2008) A Handbook for Teaching and Learning in Higher Education, Routledge Kift, S. and Nelson, K. (2005) Higher Education in a changing world; Research and development in higher education, Proceedings of the 28 th HERDSA Annual Conference, Sydney, 3-6 July 2005 Vygotsky, L. (1978) Mind in society: The development of higher psychological processes. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press

Questions? Co-creation Project 9 Dr Steve Briggs Dr Maria Kukhareva