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Engagement for Enhancement Institutional Case Studies from a UK Survey Pilot

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Engagement for Enhancement Institutional Case Studies from a UK Survey Pilot Engagement for enhancement Institutional case studies from a UK survey pilot Contents Introduction 3 1. Canterbury Christ Church University 4 2. Cardiff Metropolitan University 6 3. King’s College London 8 4. Kingston University 10 5. Manchester Metropolitan University 12 6. Oxford Brookes University 15 7. The University of Bath 17 8. The University of Oxford 18 9. The University of Warwick 20 10. York St John University 22 2 Introduction The case studies collected here present institutional experiences of developing, administering and using the results from student engagement surveys. They have been contributed by the institutions participating in the 2013 pilot of selected items from the National Survey of Student Engagement (NSSE), and are designed to supplement the technical report of the pilot. As well as exploring the performance of the selected items in the UK, the project was also designed to provide the participating institutions with student engagement data that would be of practical benefit. These case studies address the latter objective.1 In many cases the process is at an early stage; only York St John University and the University of Warwick had used engagement surveys before their involvement in the pilot project. The novel nature of such surveys in the UK means that we have a limited understanding of how they can contribute practically to the enhancement of learning and teaching. There is a wealth of experience from other parts of the world, but this set of case studies is an important step in building up knowledge in the UK context. Most of the case studies contained here directly address the use of the items and scales used in the pilot project. There are two exceptions. The contribution from Manchester Metropolitan University describes their use of engagement items developed in parallel to the main project, and has been included because of the light it sheds on alternative approaches. Oxford Brookes University will be using the items in 2014; the case study included here is a clear description of their motivations for taking part in the project. I would like to thank all those people who, in addition to administering the survey and sharing the results with the HEA, agreed to contribute case studies. They are important illustrations of institutional commitment to the improvement of learning and teaching, and the growing interest in student engagement as a key part of that process. Dr Alex Buckley The Higher Education Academy 1 The technical report, Engagement for enhancement: Report of a UK survey pilot, can be accessed at: http://www.heacademy.ac.uk/resources/detail/nss/engagement_for_enhancement 3 1. Canterbury Christ Church University By Dr Gill Perkins (University Survey Manager) and Dr John Lea (Assistant Director for Learning and Teaching) Background Canterbury Christ Church University’s (CCCU) strategic plan 2011-2015 comprises a number of targets centred around the student experience, some of which are associated with NSS outcomes. A Change Programme was set up to address these targets and other priority themes through the development and implementation of a series of inter- related projects. As part of the Change Programme, the University launched a scheme offering students and staff opportunities to work in partnership on University priority themes. CCCU embraces and seeks to actively promote the concept of students as active participants in the learning process, in contrast to the idea that students are merely purchasers of educational products, which they evaluate as they would any other product. The literature provides us with a rich context for understanding what is involved in learning partnerships, which goes beyond the student as an informed consumer and into the role of ‘producer’. At CCCU we have been actively exploring how we might negotiate this tricky balance between students as consumers of education, and students as active participants in the learning process. Partners in Learning at CCCU In order to enhance these dimensions of student engagement, and as part of the University’s Change Programme, the Learning and Teaching Enhancement Unit has launched a new scheme called Student Ambassadors for Learning and Teaching (SALT). This network of undergraduate and postgraduate students from across all four of the University faculties, have been working with the University to develop projects which address issues relating to their proactive participation and involvement in learning and teaching (including assessment), the student experience and future employability. These initiatives are embedded within their departments, faculties and the institution as a whole. The SALTs are encouraged to explore themes which interest them, creating their own unique projects or working with staff to develop projects in response to existing agendas. On all projects the SALTs are assigned a sponsor - a member of academic or professional service staff whose role is to advise and facilitate the development of projects. A diverse range of projects emerged in the first year of the SALT scheme, both initiated by SALTs or with SALTs co-opted as student partners. The University recently provided a new space dedicated to Partners in Learning in the library and student services building, to bring together and facilitate the future development of partnership working and projects. This space provides opportunities to experiment with: Students as partners – The Higher Education Academy, along with many universities are now actively re-exploring the purposes of higher education, and in the process experimenting with enhancing student engagement directly at curriculum level, including seeking ways to measure the level of engagement of students in their studies; encouraging students to see themselves as (co) producers of knowledge, not just its recipients; and actively encouraging students to negotiate their own learning projects. Students as change agents – Students are increasingly becoming actively involved in curriculum development and innovation; becoming involved in professional dialogue with academics concerning aspects of HE pedagogy and 4 practice (including the review of teaching); and getting involved in campaigns that directly relate to learning and teaching. Open and democratic learning space – to help balance different pedagogic dimensions to higher education, such as andragogic, discursive, and dialogic dimensions versus technology and pedagogic instruction. Student Engagement Survey Pilot Assisted by the SALTs, we invited students from a range of types of programme to take part in the pilot survey, representing diverse student characteristics. We advertised the pilot as a national research project in which we were participating, and sought comments about the survey questions and response options from students who took part. It was clear from the comments that the questions encouraged students to focus on themselves as learners as opposed to consumers, which the NSS tends to encourage. Potential Value of Student Engagement Data The continuing development of the SALT scheme and the dedicated Partners in Learning space present two key uses for data from a survey of student engagement: 1. The success of the new Partners in Learning space will be measured by how much it is able to contribute to students increasingly seeing themselves as (co) producers of knowledge, not just its consumers. Student engagement data will be integral to that process. 2. The data would help the SALTs and academic and professional service staff identify areas of weakness which will inform future project work in the context of enhancing learning and teaching outcomes through engagement in learning. Therefore, measuring levels of student engagement is a necessary adjunct for evaluating, reviewing, and delivering the Partners in Learning agenda at CCCU, as well as contributing to achieving the University’s strategic plan targets where student experience is central. 5 2. Cardiff Metropolitan University By Nicola Poole (Student Retention Officer) Cardiff Metropolitan University has been involved with the design and execution of survey work for well over a decade. The institution has developed a number of different internal surveys including student withdrawal and first year experience surveys, as well as other less traditional information-gathering methodologies such as the diary room and ‘life through a lens’ photo project. We have also been involved in the National Student Survey since its pilot stage and take part in both the Postgraduate Research and Taught Experience surveys supported by the HEA. It is this increase in the number of surveys now available to students to complete that has led to the worry that students are reaching the point where they are too fatigued to complete surveys in any meaningful way – that is if they complete it at all. This is all the more relevant with response rates being an important factor in the reliability of the data. So when it was first suggested that we pilot another ‘new’ survey it was met with some trepidation. There was however a number of factors that assisted in the decision to take part in the pilot project with the HEA. There has been a lot of work within the sector with regards to the area of student engagement, and its importance in the creation of a positive and more holistic student experience. This can be seen with the work the Quality Assurance Agency has been carrying out in relation to its quality code Chapter B5 which is all about student engagement. The National Union of Students has also had a number of initiatives including WISE here in Wales, an approach which engages students as active participants in the leadership, management, development and delivery of their own educational experience. It is also echoed in the enhancement strand Students as Partners that has been one of three main pathways for enhancement work driven by the HEA in Wales. The three sections that were chosen to trial included questions that linked to many of the key drivers and points for action within the institution’s Learning Teaching and Assessment Strategy, including assessment, employability and personal development and academic support.
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