International Conference on Enhancement and Innovation in Higher Education Crowne Plaza Hotel, Glasgow 9-11 June 2015 Welcome

Students as Partners in Supporting Students’ Reflections and Actions on Assessment and Feedback Dr Lizann Bonnar School of Psychological Sciences and Health Dr Debbie Willison Department of Pure and Applied Chemistry University of Strathclyde, Glasgow

Outline Student-Staff Partnership Approach Personal Development Planning (PDP) Assessment and Feedback (A&F) Creating synergy between PDP and A&F Benefits Lessons Learned Future work Acknowledgements

Student-staff partnership approach to enhancement University funding to employ student interns for intense periods over summer months, continuing through year Students ‘co-researching, co-inquiring, co-creating’ Representation from all faculties, and engaged with Students’ Union Participating in HEA’s Change Academy, Students as Partners in the Curriculum Initiatives include: flexible curricula, PDP, Alumni clubs, assessment and feedback Focus here on: PDP and assessment and feedback

PDP at Strathclyde places the student at the centre of their professional development. Developed FOR students BY students. Student Peers Academic advisor Industrial partners Careers advisor Alumni

Students developing PDP First cycle: investigate, specify (‘tight-loose’ framework) and generate resource Second cycle: evaluate, revise, online support Third cycle: expand on resources, roll out across the institution

Resources

Student-Staff Partnership: Assessment and Feedback Supported by the Higher Education Academy’s Students as Partners in Curriculum Change Academy

The process 1. Audit conducted by students 2. Students’ recommend 4. Policy approved 5. Practice: Resource development 3. Policy working group

Assessment and Feedback: Policy and Practice

Creating synergy between PDP and assessment and feedback

Benefits Students as ‘experts’ of their own experiences Students’ success in engaging wider student and staff body in fact finding and policy consultation Resources written by students for students Enhanced employability of student interns – success in graduate job market

Lessons learned and challenges Take a holistic approach and engage all stakeholders, including professional services, as well as students and academic staff These partnerships were institutional wide – need for authentic partnership working at all levels, e.g. class, programme, faculty, and institution Funding for sustaining engagement in strategic initiatives; potential solution: credit-bearing involvement? Biggest challenge: culture change in some areas for transformation of practice

Future work Embedding approach Evaluating use of, and developing, existing resources Further resource development – ‘sharing effective practice’ platform

Acknowledgements Andrew Brown, Eric Campbell, John Coyle, Helyn Gould, Heather Kay, Lee McCann, Sarah-Jane Shields, Sasha Sundén, Avril Thomson, Linda Thomson, The Wider Student Body, Assessment and Feedback Working Group Higher Education Academy, Change Academy: Students as Partners in the Curriculum Financial support from the University of Strathclyde: Education Excellence Fund

Questions? Lizann Bonnar: Debbie Willison: