ESCalate: involving students and promoting student voice

DR JULIE ANDERSONPLYMOUTH UNIVERSITY AND ESCALATE

ESCalate: involving students and promoting student voice

Plan for this time; suggested….

Ten minutes presentation; what has ESCalate done for Education students? (Focus on some main developments)

Twenty mins - discussion and what could be learnt/ used in our own contexts?

Five mins – decide a single lesson learnt?(To be distilled into a one sentence

feedback sound bite!)

1. The ESCalate Student web pages

In comparison to their small beginning, now a considerable information hub….

Student grants

The Student Grants were always the most prestigious opportunity on offer; very popular!

With the support of a tutor, enabled them to develop something innovative that could then be shared via the ESCalate website and the student conference.

Novel in its day - with students delighted to be able to win funding to develop work not otherwise financially supported by their own institutions or other bodies.

Conference bursaries

Students could apply for support and would produce conference reports…

Student awards/ essays

The student pages have tips and guidance for submissionsThe winner received £300 and was invited to attend the Higher Education Academy’s Annual Conference on the 5th & 6th July 2011, Nottingham, UK travel and accommodation paid.

Those attending the Conference dinner received a certificate on the night.

There was also a £100 prize for the runner up. Winning entries were published on the ESCalate website.

The three student conferences

Perhaps one of the greatest successes of ESCalate for students.

Were growing more popular with more student speakers every year….

In case I have given the wrong impression….

Not everything went perfectly of course! We never did manage to attract the student

voice to our ESCalate Advisory Boards. (The problem was that students agreed to participate but then ceased to be students and got jobs before the next Board met!)

Leading into our discussion time….

ESCalate has made a difference - leaves a legacy that others can take on.

Having funds helped of course – But what did really matter?Students being given a voice through

opportunities to be involved with colleagues? Helping them believe they had something to

say that was worth hearing?Something we can all ensure we continue….

Thank you.