Presentation for 'Evolving identities: Collaboration to enhance student success', National Forum Seminar Series, Dundalk Institute of Technology, 23rd May 2019

1. Tools and resources to empower
meaningful partnerships with students
Caitriona McGrattan
23rd May 2019

2. Overview of presentation
Principles of Student Engagement
Motivations
Managing expectations
Practicalities
Recommended Resources
Programme Advisory Office, Office of Dean of Teaching & Learning

3. About me
• Educational Engagement at Maynooth University
• Previous roles in Maynooth, Trinity College Dublin and
Dublin Business School; and UCC and UL Students’
Unions.
• Graduate of DIT, UCC and UL
• Current doctoral research:
The Second Year Experience. An exploration of Student
Engagement in the second year in Higher Education.
Programme Advisory Office, Office of Dean of Teaching & Learning

4. Programme Advisory Office, Office of Dean of Teaching & Learning

5. Student Engagement is…
The investment of time, effort and other relevant resources
by both students and their institutions intended to optimise
the student experience and enhance the learning outcomes
and development of students, and the performance and
reputation of the institution.
(Trowler, 2010).
Programme Advisory Office, Office of Dean of Teaching & Learning

6. Principles of Student Engagement
10 Principles of Student Engagement
1.Democracy
2.Student as partner
3.Inclusivity and diversity
4.Transparency
5.Students as co-creators
6.Collegiality and parity of esteem
7.Professionalism and support
8.Feedback and feedback loop
9.Self-criticism and enhancement
10.Consistency
Programme Advisory Office, Office of Dean of Teaching & Learning

7. • Which of the principles do
you think is most important
for your institution? Why?
• Which of the principles
aligns best with your
collaborations with
students? Why?
Programme Advisory Office, Office of Dean of Teaching & Learning
Discussion

8. Motivation – why do want to you
collaborate with students?
• Assessment
• Knowledge exchange
• Acting on Feedback
• Community
• Credit
• Digital Badge
• Experience/skills
• Connection
Staff motivations Student motivations
Programme Advisory Office, Office of Dean of Teaching & Learning

9. Motivation continued
Programme Advisory Office, Office of Dean of Teaching & Learning

10. Managing Expectations
• When are students invited into
the project/activity/work?
• Who else needs to be involved
for the project/activity/work to
be successful?
• Do your motivations for the
project align with the students’
motivations?
Programme Advisory Office, Office of Dean of Teaching & Learning

11. Practicalities
Timing of projects/work/activities
• Summer Programme of Undergraduate Research
• Alternative Spring Break Programmes in the US
What is the lifecycle of the work/project/activity?
Recognition for and rewarding students and staff
Resources
National Student Engagement Programme (NStEP)
Programme Advisory Office, Office of Dean of Teaching & Learning

12. NStEP - National Student Engagement Programme
Programme Advisory Office, Centre for Teaching & Learning
● NStEP first piloted in five
institutions in 2016; Now in 28
institutions
● Always a partnership between
Institution and the Students’ Union
● Based on the sparqs model -
Student Partnerships in Quality
Scotland
● NFTL Staff Digital Badge in Student
Engagement

13. Recommended Resources
National Forum for the Enhancement of Teaching &
Learning: Students as Partners in Assessment
https://www.teachingandlearning.ie/wp-
content/uploads/NF-2016-Students-as-Partners.pdf
Trinity College Dublin Student Partnership Policy
https://www.tcd.ie/teaching-
learning/assets/pdf/academicpolicies/StudentPartnershipP
olicy.pdf
Programme Advisory Office, Centre for Teaching & Learning

14. Resources continued
Improving the Student Experience: A practical guide for universities [40
case studies]:
http://www.improvingthestudentexperience.com/
What Works? Student retention & success programme
Prof Liz Thomas (2016)
https://www.heacademy.ac.uk/individuals/strategic-
priorities/retention/what-works
The Undergraduate Experience: Focusing institutions on what matters
most, Felten et al. (2016)
http://theundergraduateexperience.org/
Programme Advisory Office, Centre for Teaching & Learning

15. References
• Felten, P, Gardner, J, Schroeder, C, lambert, L and Barefoot, B (2016) The Undergraduate Experience; Focusing
institutions on what matters most. San Francisco, Jossey-Bass.
• Lashbrook, J. (2010) “Into it” or “Going through the motions”: Exploring how college students understand their
academic engagement, Sociological Studies of Children and Youth, Vol. 13, pp. 351-371.
• Morgan, M (2012). Improving the Student Experience: A practical guide for Universities and Colleges, London:
Routledge.
• National Forum for the Enhancement of Teaching & Learning (2016) Forum Insight: Assessment OF, FOR and AS
Learning: Students as partners in Assessment.
• Pickford, R. (2016). ‘Student Engagement: Body, mind and heart – A proposal for an embedded multi-dimensional
student engagement framework’ in Journal of Perspectives in Applied Academic Practice, 4(2), pp. 25-32.
• Trowler, V. (2010). Student Engagement Literature Review. York: Higher Education Academy.
Available online: https://www.heacademy.ac.uk/sites/default/files/StudentEngagementLiteratureReview_1.pdf
• Thomas, L (2012). Building student engagement and belonging in Higher Education at a time of change: Final report
from the What Works? student retention & success programme. York, HEA Academy.
• Report of the Working Group on Student Engagement in Irish Higher Education, April, 2016, Dublin.
Programme Advisory Office, Office of Dean of Teaching & Learning