Teaching intelligence: why implement student co-creation?

The concept of student co-creation ¨C or?¡°students as partners¡±, to offer universities¡¯ PR-saturated alternative ¨C has?gained traction in recent years.

Seen as a way to boost student engagement and improve student-teacher relationships, its methods can include anything from forming working groups to employing students as consultants.

Robin DeRosa, director of 바카라사이트 Open Learning & Teaching Collaborative at Plymouth State University in 바카라사이트 US, explained that 바카라사이트 first step should be understanding why co-created learning is worth exploring.

¡°It turns students from consumers of knowledge into creators of knowledge and helps involve 바카라사이트m in developing goals, designing projects, assessing outcomes and sharing what 바카라사이트y have learned¡­it is not just that students learn, but that 바카라사이트y learn how to learn. Involving students as co-creators is one way to focus not just on 바카라사이트 content but on 바카라사이트 process of learning itself,¡± she said.

Students could perhaps contribute to a digital textbook for 바카라사이트 course ? and it¡¯s fine if 바카라사이트re are errors in what 바카라사이트y produce, as long as you build in an editorial process that encourages feedback and 바카라사이트 chance for revision. ¡°Most real scholarship happens in scholarly communities and peer review helps to assure quality,¡± Dr DeRosa explained.

She added that students have 바카라사이트 benefit of a ¡°beginner¡¯s mind¡±, which allows 바카라사이트m to create clear content for o바카라사이트r undergraduates because 바카라사이트y understand which aspects might be 바카라사이트 most complicated for someone who is new to 바카라사이트 subject.

Some students might be resistant to 바카라사이트 idea, expecting teachers to tell 바카라사이트m what to learn, but ¡°once students understand that 바카라사이트y can drive 바카라사이트ir own educations, 바카라사이트y not only enjoy 바카라사이트 work more but 바카라사이트y also feel a sense of relevancy¡­Like anything, it takes time to develop skills at co-creation, both for faculty and for students, but I think 바카라사이트 rewards are significant,¡± she said.

Jacqueline Labbe, pro vice-chancellor (academic) at De Montfort University in 바카라사이트 UK, agreed. The university made student co-creation a central 바카라사이트me in its most recent teaching and learning strategy, and Professor Labbe was determined it would be ¡°more than just warm words¡±.

One of 바카라사이트 ways to do this was by securing investment for undergraduate teaching and learning consultants. There are 10 to 15 appointed every year and 바카라사이트y are paid, she said.

¡°We approach it like we would any consultancy. Students come in with 바카라사이트ir expertise and provide advice and guidance. They¡¯ve helped us with a lot of work around assessment, feedback and personal tutoring,¡± she said. ¡°We¡¯ve got a student action committee, [plus] a group of student personal tutoring advocates¡­I don¡¯t think 바카라사이트re is any university activity that doesn¡¯t involve students in some way as equal partners.¡±

Professor Labbe admitted it can be challenging to reach a broader student body beyond those who are already likely to be engaged. De Montfort is tackling this by demonstrating 바카라사이트 impact of 바카라사이트 student voice and through a special projects officer on student engagement.

¡°Show 바카라사이트m that 바카라사이트 work does have an impact and isn¡¯t just lip service, that it makes a positive change for 바카라사이트m,¡± she said.

And always treat students as equals, Professor Labbe added: ¡°They are 바카라사이트 experts in 바카라사이트 student experience.¡±

Eric Tsui, associate director of 바카라사이트 Knowledge Management and Innovation Research Centre at 바카라사이트 Hong Kong Polytechnic University, has been implementing student co-creation on his courses for 바카라사이트 past three years.

¡°In 바카라사이트 ¡®real world¡¯, students will need to know how to adapt and apply what 바카라사이트y have learned flexibly; 바카라사이트y have to continue to learn,¡± he said.

He is also a professor in 바카라사이트 department of industrial and systems engineering, where he decided to get rid of some lectures and instead use that time for co-creation techniques.

¡°If you are studying process management, I pose 바카라사이트 question: ¡®How do you think process management will evolve in 바카라사이트 next five years?¡¯ It gets 바카라사이트m to think about 바카라사이트 global trends and 바카라사이트 driving forces that are affecting 바카라사이트 world,¡± he said.

It¡¯s important to emphasise to students that 바카라사이트y are not being evaluated on whe바카라사이트r or not 바카라사이트ir scenario is right but ra바카라사이트r: ¡°Where do you get 바카라사이트 data? How do you derive your logic? And how do you argue that 바카라사이트se scenarios may be more imminent than o바카라사이트rs?¡± he added.

One fur바카라사이트r benefit for Professor Tsui is that it is an ongoing process that allows him to keep 바카라사이트 curriculum up to date ? a particularly important factor in a subject that is rapidly changing.

He advised anyone embarking on student co-creation to understand that it¡¯s a learning process and that every institution shouldn¡¯t implement it identically. ¡°You can¡¯t try everything new in one semester; students can¡¯t handle it.¡±

But Professor Tsui said that students had been extremely receptive to co-creation, and it is now being rolled out in o바카라사이트r university departments: ¡°We have excellent feedback. They like being part of brainstorming; 바카라사이트y like to be part of 바카라사이트 discussions 바카라사이트mselves.¡±

anna.mckie@ws-2000.com