The link between staff development and student engagement The Robert Gordon University Thursday 4 February 2010 sparqs Student Engagement Series.

The link between staff development and student engagement

The Robert Gordon University

Thursday 4 February 2010

sparqsStudent Engagement Series

The agenda was going to be…

Exploring the link Irene Peterson, Shetland College Fiona Campbell, Edinburgh Napier

University Reflections and action planning

The agenda is now…

Exploring the link Fiona Campbell, Edinburgh Napier

University Shetland College experiences Variable impacts by area and sector Reflections and action planning

Student Participation in Quality Scotland (sparqs)

training and support→provide training for student representatives; workshops for staff and

production of resources for students and staff

events→national conference on student involvement; workshops, seminars

and events for staff and student officers

sharing practice→publications on student involvement; benchmarking of

representative systems and learning from other countries & sectors

consultancy→5 days support offered to each institution across Scotland

www.sparqs.ac.uk

Through the eyesof sparqs:

The link so far

The link

Student engagement

Educational development

Students

Staff

The link

Class rep training

Staff workshops

Students

Staff

The link

Support for senior student

representatives

Work with institutions and sector agencies

Students

Staff

The link

How can we help students to engage?

Do we make engagement a part of lecturer

training?

Students

Staff

The link

Co-creation

Partnership

Students

Staff

Class rep training

The student learning experience

Student learning

experience

Programme design

Environment forlearning and teaching

Equipment and materials for learning

Assessment

Learner progress and outcomes

Guidance andlearner support

Quality assuranceand improvement

Learning and teaching process

The A,B,C,D of Effective feed back

Accurate

Balanced

Constructive

Depersonalised Effective

Staff workshop

involving students: the how

actor

expert

partner

information provider

a completer of surveys

collector & analyst of feedback

recognised as experts in learning

authentic & constructive

dialogue

What do you think this means for you?

Task:• How can you actively support, encourage and push

students to become more active learners?

• How do you currently involve students in decision-making about their curricula, teaching & learning, facilities, and all aspects of their student experience?

• How can you support students to become co-creators of their learning experience?

Ideas we have heard or developed

Enhancement

Student engagement being a topic that informs:→ professional review system→ annual staff development programme→ new staff induction→ staff job descriptions and person

specifications→ education courses→ institutional vision and mission

Enhancement

Student engagement “champions”→ departmental or section level→ evangelise student engagement→ work with class reps at section level→ “buddy” staff on their engagement

Enhancement

Interaction between senior staff and reps→ involvement at student officer away day→ “summits” between reps and senior staff→ presentations to reps on key topics

Enhancement

→ Student involvement in teaching

observation→ Campus tours for staff, by students→ Staff shadow students for a day or week→ Students mentoring staff

Turning the learning process upside-down

Celebration!

Reports to course committees Reports to institutional committees National level:

→ Communities of Practice→ sector committees→ sparqs’ events→ sparqs’ Clearing House

“You said… we did…”

The link is…

Of increasing importanceAt the heart of what institutions doKey to enhancing the experiences of

both staff and studentsAn area of both strength and

opportunity

Case studies

Your initial reflections

What are the implications of what you’ve heard? How might the impact of student engagement on

staff development in your institution vary…→ between subject areas and other functions

(eg staff development unit, quality office, students’ association)?

→ between sectors? Will there be different implications for the HE and College sectors?

Reflections and action planning

What now?

How do you feel about…→ what you do well in your institution?

→ what you could do better in your institution?

What issues are key to further developing and learning from the link?

What now?

What action points are there for…→ you

→ your institution/students’ association

→ the sector

→ sparqs

YouYour institution

or students’ association

The sector sparqs

More information

All presentations from today will be on our website

Future Student Engagement Series events will be imminently confirmed on our website. Topics will include:→ international student engagement→ developing your class rep training→ co-creation of the curriculum

www.sparqs.ac.uk