Whose course is it anyway?- giving first year students a voice in curriculum design

Amanda CorriganSchool of Education

Me as a Learner

• compulsory• 20 credits• development of undergraduate

competences• supports transition to university for all

students• promotes personal development and PDP• MaaL tutor acts as personal development

adviser

Me as a Learner

IT Skills

Academic Literacy and Study Skills

Personal Effectiveness Skills

Personal D

evelopment P

lanning

Involving students in curriculum design

• Student representatives given greater responsibility – bringing ideas from their class and attending a student focus group

• Focus groups included 2nd year students in the role of consultants

• Decisions made at the focus group about content and delivery of 3 tutorials plus an idea proposed for development in a lecture

• Student decisions shared with staff with guidelines about how content could be delivered

• Tutors used a responsive planning approach in tutorials

• Wider student body evaluated the process

Key themes chosen by students

Time management/organisation*Communication and presentation skillsWorking as part of a teamPeer assessment*Professionalism*

Did you use skills from this part of the module in school?

97 of 109 respondents (89% of those responding) had used skills covered in this part of the module during their school placement. 5 respondents (5% of those responding) did not make use of skills covered in this part of the module. 7 participants (6%) had not responded to this question.

Did you use skills from this part of the module in school?

97

5 7

0

20

40

60

80

100

120

Yes No No response

Student responses

Nu

mb

er

of

stu

den

ts

How effective were your skills in the situations in which you used them?

“ Did not seem daunting, I had done this in MaaL.” “ Very good teaching in MaaL helped this.” “ The skills I have are mainly from previous experience but MaaL taught me more about myself as a learner.”

“ My skills were more effective due to the practice in the tutorial.”

This part of the module was designed with the help of the module reps. Has this part of the

module been effective?

91

8 10

0

20

40

60

80

100

Yes No No response

No

. o

f st

ud

ents

Should students be used to help design the curriculum?

99

19

0

20

40

60

80

100

120

Yes No No response

No

. o

f st

ud

ents

Issues to consider

• How representative were the student reps?• Did making decisions at the focus group give

adequate time for reflection?• Was the success of the project related to the

nature of the discipline and the professional placement?

• How can students’ previous experience be considered more seriously?

Consider the following...

Students cannot develop graduate attributes without first having a

robust set of undergraduate competences that are refined and

honed over the course of their degree programme.

References

Campbell, F., Beasley, L., Eland, J. and Rumpus, A. (2007) Hearing the Student Voice – promotingand encouraging the effective use of the student voice to enhance professional development in learning, teaching and assessment. Edinburgh: Napier University.

Campbell, F., L., Eland, J., Rumpus, A.and Shacklock, R.(2009) Hearing the Student Voice involving students in curriculum and delivery. Final report. Edinburgh: Napier University.

Eland, J. (2010, April 20). Hearing the Student Voice.  Powerpoint presentation, Higher EducationAcademy Seminar, London.  Retrieved June 20, 2010 from http://www2.napier.ac.uk/studentvoices/curriculum/download/SVLondonApril10.pptx

Lines, D. (2005). The first-year learning experience. In The Quality Assurance Agency for HigherEducation, Responding to Student Needs: Student evaluation and feedback toolkit. Gloucester: The Quality Assurance Agency for Higher Education. Morrison, K.A. (2009). Making Teacher Education More Democratic: Incorporating Student Voice and Choice, Part Two. Educational Horizons. 87:2, 102-115. Winter 2009.