We designed, piloted and evaluated a series of wellbeing resources specifically for apprentices to better support their wellbeing. These resources were created with learners’ and employers’ feedback and demonstrate Henley’s commitment to improve and protect wellbeing for our apprentices.
Objectives
The project aimed to
Create wellbeing resources for learners focused on challenges of studying while working
2. Embed and integrate these resources consistently in degree apprenticeship programmes.
Context
Like all employees and students, learners on apprenticeship programmes need ongoing support to maintain their wellbeing. Henley is committed to creating a wellbeing-focused culture, yet current wellbeing resources fail to address the unique challenges experienced by this type of learner who are both employee and student. Embedding tailored resources into professional practice modules ensures learners receive consistent, relevant wellbeing support.
Implementation
The steps taken to carry out the activity were:
Conducted a needs analysis by conducting surveys and informal discussion with apprenticeship learners to identify specific wellbeing challenges related to balancing work and study.
Audited existing wellbeing materials to assess relevance and identify gaps specific to the dual role of apprentice learners.
Worked collaboratively with an occupational psychologist to co-create new resources addressing motivation, procrastination, fear of failure, understanding perfectionism, stress and managing work and study.
Mapped key wellbeing themes to the stages of the programme. For example, a video and talk on ‘Managing the transition to HE: Balancing work and studies’ at the beginning of stage 1 (see Figure 1).
Introduced wellbeing resources in the Professional Practice Module and reinforced content through ‘live’ talks, reflective activities and follow up tasks.
Collected learner feedback and reviewed module evaluations to assess the impact and make iterative improvements to the resources.
Figure 1. Screenshot from a video embedded in stage 1.
Impact
The integration of tailored wellbeing resources into the programme had a positive and measurable impact on apprenticeship learners. Students reported feeling more supported in managing the dual demands of work and study, with increased confidence in applying wellbeing strategies such as stress reduction and maintaining motivation. We observed greater engagement and openness during reflective activities, indicating improved awareness and prioritisation of personal wellbeing. Employers also noted improvements in apprentices’ self-management, resilience, and motivation. Feedback highlighted the value of consistent, embedded support rather than one-off interventions, contributing to improved retention, progression, and alignment with Henley’s wellbeing-focused culture.
Reflections
The process of embedding tailored wellbeing resources into the programme was both rewarding and instructive. What worked particularly well was the collaborative, learner-informed approach. Engaging apprentices and employers in the development phase ensured the resources were relevant, practical, and sensitive to their dual roles. Embedding the materials within core modules rather than offering them as optional extras normalised wellbeing as an integral part of professional development.
However, some challenges emerged. Creating resources that were not only informative but also engaging proved challenging, given the authors inexperience with creating digital content. Interactive formats and the use of software helped but required significant time and creativity to develop effectively.
Overall, this ongoing initiative demonstrated the value of consistent, embedded wellbeing support. It fostered stronger connections between learners, tutors, and employers, and highlighted the importance of continued dialogue, flexibility, and cross-team collaboration in embedding a wellbeing-focused culture.
This is an overview of a buddy system for speech and language therapy students which aims to support students’ academic and social transition to university and to enhance their sense of belonging and wellbeing. We paired each first-year student with a second-year ‘buddy’ and provided opportunities for the two cohorts to get together.
Objectives
To support academic and social transition of first year MSc and MSci speech and language therapy (SLT) students
To help build a community of students and a peer-support network
To support development of students’ sense of belonging, and to enhance their wellbeing
To enable students to start building a professional network
Context
Transition to higher education has been recognised as a multi-layered process involving academic, social and lifestyle adjustments. It has a long-term impact on students’ academic achievement and satisfaction, social integration, mental health and wellbeing, and retention rates (Briggs et al., 2012).
Peer support has been suggested as an effective strategy in supporting various aspect of student transition (Heirdsfield et al., 2005). For students on allied health programmes, Health Education England (HEE) have advocated for a student buddy scheme in HE institutions, advising it provides educational, social and pastoral support (Stokes, 2022). Peer-to-peer support adds an extra layer of student support and is often the first step in accessing professional services. HEE report on attrition and retention (Lovegrove, 2018) found that healthcare students who had participated in a buddy scheme felt it was important to settling into the course and helped with engagement, learning and any possible anxieties and fears.
This has led us to consider how the existing SLT peer-support scheme could be improved to aids SLT students’ academic and social transition.
Implementation
Recent feedback indicated that first year students felt anxious and sometimes lonely, not knowing what to expect from the programme and from day-to-day life as SLT students. They needed a wider community of SLT students they could reach out to for advice and support.
A buddy system has existed in Clinical Language Sciences department in the past, where each first-year student was paired with a second-year student (there are currently around 215 students on the two SLT programmes: approximately 40–45 students in each MSci cohort, and 20–30 students in each MSc cohort). However, it was left to students to initiate and maintain contact, and consequently the uptake was low and there was little impact on student experience. Unfortunately, during the Covid-19 pandemic and in the following years, this has fallen away, and the scheme was abandoned.
In academic year 2023–24, we decided to reconsider our approach and to revive the SLT buddy scheme, by not only pairing students from different cohorts, but also by providing them a safe space on campus where they could meet and socialise with students from the year above.
Students were allocated a buddy at random. Pairings were shared with both cohorts via email and advertised in teaching sessions. Students were invited to an informal get together where buddies could both meet each other in person and get to know the other cohort. Students were encouraged to either contact their buddy beforehand or to arrange to meet at the get together. Two different formats were used for MSci and MSc students because of different cohort sizes.
For the MSc SLT cohorts, which are smaller than the MSci groups, a room was booked on campus at a lunch time and both cohorts were invited. Attendance was high for this meeting. We organised a small ice-breaker activity and had talking point questions and well-being activities (colouring-in, pom-pom making) available. The students were very welcoming of each other and conversations started immediately and spontaneously throughout the session.
The MSci SLT cohorts are larger, and for this buddy get-together we booked two rooms, with the same format. However, the attendance was lower, so in the end we only used the larger room.
Impact
Participants were asked to complete a MS Forms questionnaire about their experiences. Student feedback was very positive overall, demonstrating achievement of our initial objectives:
‘It was so reassuring talking to the 2nd year students and widening our network of SLTs in the department. I intend to keep in touch with my buddy.’
‘Really good opportunities to mingle and talk. Like that it was a big group so we could meet more people than just our buddy….’
‘I thought it was a lovely idea. I got to speak to my buddy in a chilled environment.’
‘The informality of the session worked really well to get to know each other and find out about the specific information….’
Reflections
Buddy meet-up sessions were very successful. The atmosphere was relaxed and student feedback suggested that it helped them settle better into the new environment.
First year MSc students reported that speaking with a second-year buddy alleviated some of their anxieties about the workload and studying on a professional course. They suggested that they would prefer the buddy system to start earlier in the academic year, and to have regular meetups, which is something we will try to implement for the next year.
Our reflections on the lower attendance for the MSci cohort led us to consider whether there was some uncertainty among the second-year undergraduate students about the role of a buddy and expectations in terms of their engagement. We could have provided more support on this. HEE suggests creating a buddy fact sheet/contract to explain the scheme and boundaries (Lovegrove, 2018). Next year we plan to introduce this at the beginning of the process.
Following some feedback about the impact of interacting in a large space with multiple students, we will investigate different options for the environment to support students who may find this uncomfortable or challenging.
Follow up
Using an adapted Learning Cycle (Kolb, 1984), we will continue to refine the format of the buddy scheme, based on feedback from this year’s cohorts and subsequent cohorts, making sure that these events benefit all groups of students.
The reflections and recommendations on the SLT buddy scheme have been shared at an Advance HE Conference (May 2024) and PCLS Teaching and Learning Away Day (July 2024).
Briggs, A. R. J., Clark, J., & Hall, I. (2012). Building bridges: Understanding student transition to university. Quality in higher education, 18(1), 3–21.
Heirdsfield, A., Walker, S., & Walsh, K. (2005). Developing peer mentoring support for TAFE students entering 1st-year university early childhood studies. Journal of Early Childhood Teacher Education, 26(4), 423–436.
Kolb, D. A. (1984). Experiential learning: Experience as the source of learning and development. Prentice Hall.
The Undergraduate Research Opportunities Programme (UROP) consists of different projects students can apply to gain research experience. Each project attracts significant numbers of student applicants, but only one is selected. This year, UROP had a project examining the impact of staff racial representation on students’ sense of belonging. I applied to this due to my interest in the topic and despite not being selected as the leading researcher, I was asked to be a research assistant, something that is not typical during UROP projects. This blog will explore my experience as a research assistant and the positive implications this has had on both my personal and professional development. To view the aims and findings of this project, please see Denethri Gamagedara’s blog.
Context
The interest in this study regarding students’ sense of belonging transpired from the Race Equality Review (UoR, 2021) findings, which suggested that staff racial representation directly impacted the sense of belonging, engagement, and attainment within the class.
Denethri Gamagedara conducted this project during her UROP placement over the summer. I (Hannah Raheja) worked as a research assistant, helping with thematic analysis and research dissemination (alongside being a UROP student on another project). This project had two supervisors: Anjali Mehta Chandar, a Lecturer within the Charlie Waller Institute (CWI) and Allán Laville, the Associate Pro-Vice-Chancellor Diversity and Inclusion and Professor of Equity in Psychology. Having a research assistant is not usual practice for UROP studies due to the typical focus of one student obtaining one-to-one research experience with supervisors.
My experience as a research assistant
At first, I worried about working with Denethri as I assumed there would be challenges with power dynamics since I was the research assistant and she was the leading researcher. Furthermore, as I had interviewed for the position and had been unsuccessful, I felt that perhaps my ideas were less beneficial than the other team members. Moreover, as Denethri, Anjali and Allan had been working with each other for 4 weeks before I joined their team (they had conducted interviews and a survey with students), I was also apprehensive about how my presence would affect the team dynamic.
However, once I joined the group, I found my worries unwarranted. Denethri and I had regular Microsoft Teams meetings where we built upon each other’s ideas, collaboratively generated themes for reflexive thematic analysis (e.g. diversity in education), and asked each other for feedback. In addition, when meeting with Anjali, Allan and Denethri to discuss the codes Denethri and I had established (e.g. for the theme diversity and education, we had codes such as lecturers and teaching material address diversity), both supervisors frequently asked me for my input, affirming that my ideas were beneficial and helping me to feel like an essential member of the project. Likewise, Anjali emailed and provided me with feedback throughout my time on the team, helping nurture my research skills. I also later discovered that the research assistant position was made for myself and was funded by the Lecturer’s SDA account because I had impressed the supervisors during the interview.
Furthermore, in response to the survey and interview answers, Denethri and I collaboratively agreed upon different recommendations to foster student belonging, which we then presented to Anjali and Allán, who provided us with guidance. To begin with, I struggled to generate recommendations since I had not been present during the interviews and so I did not have an accurate grasp of the problem. Appreciatively, Denethri patiently answered my queries, helping me understand the situation and from this, we both came up with six different ways to foster a sense of belonging within the teaching environment. Denethri and I then created a screencast for lecturers within CWI explaining each of the recommendations. The recommendations include:
sharing your protected characteristics with new cohorts (as much as you feel comfortable),
acknowledging cultural events (e.g. Diwali) during lectures,
creating a diversity discussion blog where minority lecturers can share their teaching journeys and how their protected characteristics have impacted their profession,
continuing to implement diverse teaching resources by referencing decolonising the curriculum,
incorporating discussions about sense of belonging with all students during academic tutorial meetings and creating safe spaces for minority students to discuss their sense of belonging –whether in academic tutorial, online forums or other settings.
Being a part of this process has been an incredible experience as I have developed competencies as an undergraduate researcher while also having the broader implications of developing beneficial recommendations to foster inclusion within the university further. As a student within CWI, I hope these recommendations will be implemented so that all students will feel a sense of belonging within their lectures and throughout their wider university experience.
Summary
To summarise, I was asked to join this project as a research assistant and due to joining this study partway through, I experienced some initial anxiety. However, a successful student-staff partnership was formed between Denethri, supervisors, and myself, with Anjali allowing Denethri and I to express our opinions openly and Allán supporting us to engage with a project with pedagogic implications. This role has helped to develop my analytical, data, and research proficiencies further – all of which would not have been possible without my experience as a research assistant. These positive outcomes will hopefully encourage other supervisors to consider hiring an extra student to help analyse findings and disseminate their UROP project. To best utilise this additional research assistance, regular meetings between all parties should occur, supervisors should actively engage and include the research assistant in the discussions and provide them with constructive feedback on their work.
Acknowledgements
This article would not have been possible without the support and advice of Denethri Gamagedara, Anjali Mehta Chandar, and Allán Laville.
As a way of helping new students to transition to university, our student-staff partnership co-created a “Hidden Curriculum Glossary.” The original glossary has been shared with students in the School of Law, used as the basis for a guide for first generation students at the University of Reading and has been adopted and adapted by universities across the sector, both in Law and other disciplines.
Objectives
The “hidden curriculum” has varied definitions but relates to the lack of connection between academics’ assumptions about students and how they should behave and what happens in reality. This includes implicit aspects of the taught curriculum as well as the academic expectations. The project aimed to get first generation Law students to help new entrants to understand some of the terminology and behavioural expectations of university by co-creating supportive resources.
Context
The adverse impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on students’ sense of belonging has been challenging. This partnership project worked with first generation Law students to brainstorm ideas to improve a sense of community and belonging within the Law School. The project led to positive ideas to benefit our community, as well as the creation of resources to support transition for all students.
Implementation
We recruited 8 paid student-partners; we pay them for their time to ensure a diverse group of students and as always, we are adopting the University’s Principles of Partnership.
Together we shared ideas to improve the sense of community and belonging which were taken forwards by the School’s Student Experience Committee and we identified suggestions to help incoming students.
One important output of our partnership was our quick guide to terminology and expectations – the Hidden Curriculum Glossary. Students shared what they wished they had known before starting and in their first year of university, and we co-created a helpful and colourful document demystifying key terms and concepts, written in plain English and tailored for what new students need to know.
The glossary was printed and shared with incoming undergraduate and postgraduate students as part of their transition materials in Welcome Week. Students also created “Top Tips” videos for new students and a video guide to our building. All of the resources are also shared electronically via Blackboard.
We have updated the glossary each year to incorporate student feedback and to include any changes. So for example, in its second year we added in more information about the Careers team and how they can help students.
The glossary is designed to support student transition and retention. It received very positive feedback from Law students via a questionnaire to all who received it, for example here is some of the qualitative feedback we received:
Impact
Student partners disseminated the work at a Teaching & Learning Showcase and the Change Agents’ Network Conference 2023.
We created a Criminology version of the glossary for the new programme which was launched in 2023/24 and are now getting ready for the 3rd iteration of the glossary to incorporate the new language of semesters for 24/25.
The glossary is also a useful introduction to new colleagues joining the university, to get to grips with the language and terminology we use in Reading.
Reflections
Sometimes the simplest ideas are the best. The glossary has been a really useful exercise in co-creation with students, ensuring that we meet their needs and by making something of real value to them.
I would recommend that anyone looking to devise this kind of resource, looks to do so with student partners. Partnership working in this way ensures that the materials you produce are appropriate. As always with this kind of work, the students are fantastic at getting their teeth stuck into a project and make a real difference. Co-creation leads to sharing of different perspectives and is always eye-opening, unsurprisingly students know best as to what will resonate with their peers.
One of the biggest challenges was the timing of the project. Our funding did not kick in until August, but we needed to start work before then in order to achieve something useful in time for the start of the next academic year. Juggling student availability, when they have so many calls upon their time is always tricky, but keeping a flexible approach and realising that things do not need to be perfect, is crucial to a successful project.
Full credit to my colleague Dr. Başak Bak who worked on the community-building side of the project, and our fantastic student partners: Laura Carroll, Ambreen Azeem, Ryan Gibbard, Aina Binti Mohammad Abu Sofian, Srijanani Viswanathan, Saydee Brown, Lewis James, Hasti Houshyari and Kartiga Moganan.
Follow up
Having presented this work and its evolutions within Legal Education streams at Law-specific conferences (Society of Legal Scholars, 2023, Socio-Legal Studies Association, 2024) and at the Advance HE Teaching & Learning Conference (2023 & 2024), our glossary has been adopted and adapted by 8 other institutions (to date), many working to co-produce resources with their students:
2023
University of York (Law)
King’s College, London (Law)
University of Lancaster (Law & Student Success Team)
University of Salford (School of Science, Engineering & Environment)
2024
University of Cardiff (Law)
University of Nottingham (Law)
University of Portsmouth (Law)
University of Manchester (Law)
I am currently working with colleagues at these institutions to gather feedback and the impact of this work. With cohorts of several hundred (and in one case over 1000) our work has already supported several thousand students nationwide. They are all explicitly acknowledging that their versions were inspired by the work of our student staff partnership.
In 2024 students asked, through course representatives on the Student Staff Partnership Group, whether we could create a Careers-focused Glossary. Jeff Anderson (our Careers Consultant) is working with student representatives and me to produce something suitable.
If you are interested in adopting and adapting the glossary for your students, please get in touch with Amanda as she is very happy to share the materials, advice and wants to gather more evidence of impact of this work.
Following the University of Reading’s (UoR) Race Equality Review (UoR, 2021), this Undergraduate Research Opportunities Programme (UROP) project took place, consisting of a student survey and two student interviews conducted in the Charlie Waller Institute (CWI), a department within the School of Psychology and Clinical Language Sciences. The aim was to investigate students’ perception of staff racial representation and its impact on students’ sense of belonging. Students felt that diversity explicitly needed to be integrated into the teaching and learning environment. A range of recommendations are provided.
Objectives
The objectives of this pilot study were:
To understand how staff racial representation impacts CWI students’ sense of belonging.
To explore student sense of belonging in CWI, a department that consciously integrates diversity and inclusion into teaching.
To contribute towards diversifying teaching and learning material and maximising student-staff interactions.
Context
The Race Equality Review (UoR, 2021) underlined racial representation as a salient factor for fostering sense of in its students. As Strayhorn (2018) outlines, sense of belonging is broadly defined as “students’ perceived social support on campus, a feeling or sensation of connectedness, the experience of mattering or feeling cared about, accepted, respected, valued by, and important to the group (e.g., campus community) or others on campus (e.g., faculty, peers).” Focus groups within the review highlighted that a lack of staff from minor ethnicities reinforced students’ isolation and lack of belonging within the university. When present, sense of belonging promotes successful learning by improving student engagement, encouraging students to seek campus resources and acting as a buffer from mental health issues (Gopalan & Brady, 2019). This was consistent with comments made in focus groups, where inclusion and sense of belonging were seen as important to the student experience.
The primary reason for conducting this study within CWI was because of the institute’s particular interest in ensuring diversity and inclusion (D+I), and it has an award-winning D+I working group. An institute in the School of Psychology, CWI specialises in postgraduate, vocational training for mental health practitioners. Within the teaching material, students are taught to think about a therapy client’s protected characteristics and engage in conversations about their diverse cultural backgrounds. It was deemed interesting to see how students at an institute that overtly discusses diversity felt about their sense of belonging to the university (potentially based on their racial identity).
Denethri Gamagedara conducted this study as part of UROP. This study was particularly important to her because of the possible implications of institutional improvement for students similar to herself. The project had two supervisors: Anjali Mehta Chandar, a Lecturer in CWI with a keen interest in D+I, and Allán Laville, both a Professor in the department and the University’s Dean of Diversity and Inclusion. Hannah Raheja, a CWI undergraduate student, aided in the project in the role of a research assistant, particularly supporting with the thematic analysis and dissemination.
Implementation
The study involved conducting a survey and two individual participant interviews with the students of CWI. The questions were co-designed by Denethri and Anjali. Sixteen students responded to this survey while three students volunteered for the interview, however only two proceeded to be interviewed due to availability. Responses were analysed using reflexive thematic analysis and discussed with Anjali and Allan. Coding and clustering were completed by Denethri and Hannah, with inter-coder agreement scores of 95.5% and 85.3%. Figure 1 and Figure 2 below outline the themes and sub-themes that emerged from the data.
Figure 1
Themes from the survey
Figure 2
Themes (dark green) and sub-themes (light green) from the interviews
Impact
The research team devised the following recommendations for teaching staff to foster a sense of belonging for students and address diversity.
1 Openness in introductions: Lecturers to mention their own protected characteristics and routes to becoming an academic can be beneficial, particularly during their initial introduction to the cohort e.g. first teaching session. Students had perceptions that only individuals who fit certain criterion could become lecturers (e.g., majority ethnicity and higher socioeconomic status).
2 Showing cultural awareness: Acknowledging cultural events in lectures, Blackboard announcements or emails helps students feel accepted and valued. This allows for better student-staff connection.
3 A discussion blog: Implementing a blog where lecturers can talk about being a professional from a minoritised background is helpful. For example, departments might like to host this on Blackboard, with a new blog each month, or in the student newsletter which is sent out once a term. Students recognised the importance of holistic diversity and wished for more openness about this.
5 Discussing belonging with academic tutees explicitly: Students reported that openness was crucial and belonging involved feeling comfortable and valued. Figure 3 (below) provides examples on how to address sense of belonging.
6 Discussing diversity, notably race, with tutees: Students mentioned that acceptance contributed to belonging. Creating a safe space for students may improve student-staff relationships. Figure 3 (below) has potential questions related to race.
Figure 3
Questions related to sense of belonging and diversity to ask tutees
Reflections
Conducting the study was extremely beneficial as it created the opportunity to think about recommendations to improve student sense of belonging. The results showed that only 31% of students agreed to the statement “I feel a sense of belonging within CWI”, with 25% neither agreeing nor disagreeing, 18.8% disagreeing and 25% strongly disagreeing – this suggests that there is room for improvement.
The study was successful because of the efficient pedagogical partnerships that were formed. Anjali, who was the main supervisor during the project, created a creative space where Denethri and Hannah, as undergraduates, could openly express their opinions. Whilst having Allan’s perspective and expertise helped Denethri and Hannah cluster themes effectively and think about tangible recommendations that lecturers can implement. The positive outcomes, particularly the opportunity to conduct more thorough analysis with a variety of researchers, will hopefully encourage more students and lecturers to apply for the UROP scheme in subsequent years too.
The study may have been better implemented if there was an opportunity to hear from a group of students, such as in a focus group setting. This was part of the original methodology, however, only one student volunteered for this, which therefore had to become an individual interview instead. Focus groups and/or creative styles of evaluation and student voice (such as zine-making) could be incorporated into future replications of this study.
Follow up
The recommendations have been included in a screencast for dissemination to staff groups within CWI, which is viewable here for other UoR colleagues to also view. A reflective paper about the impact of pedagogical partnerships formed from the study is in the process of being published. A pre-print in the style of a lab report is also hoping to be published. It is likely that future projects will look into the effectiveness of the recommendations, perhaps in the form of student or staff feedback.
References
Gopalan, M., & Brady, S. T. (2020). College students’ sense of belonging: A national perspective. Educational Researcher, 49(2), 134-137.
Strayhorn, T. L. (2018). College Students’ Sense of Belonging: A Key to Educational Success for All Students. Routledge.
By: Paul Jenkins, School of Psychology & Clinical Language Sciences, p.jenkins@reading.ac.uk
Image credit: Buro Millennial on Pexels.
Overview
The School of Psychology and Clinical Language Sciences (PCLS) offers several postgraduate degree programmes, nearly all of which include a placement element. Getting the assessment right is an important challenge to fairly evaluating students on placement. As part of an ongoing review of programmes with placement components, a piece of work was commissioned to look at how placements should be assessed within PCLS.
Objectives
The primary aims of this project were to explore:
What elements of placements MSc students felt were important to assess; and
How MSc students felt these elements should be assessed.
Context
As a ‘taught’ component of the course, any assessment needs to be carefully planned and contribute “directly to learning and skill development” (UoR, 2023). Student feedback indicated that the current method of assessing placements, which comprises a written report of what was done and learned on placement, was unsatisfactory. For instance, students felt that it did not reflect the amount of work put in over the course of the placement and that the final grade was too reliant on one piece of written work.
It was felt that gaining insight into current students’ views would be helpful to inform future changes to the way(s) in which MSc placements might be assessed, making this process proportionate and more useful for students.
Implementation
In February 2023, a grant from the UoR T&L Initiatives Fund was awarded to address the question of how MSc placements should be assessed.
A focus group discussion was conducted in June 2023, with participants recruited from PCLS MSc students. The focus group lasted around 45 minutes. In addition, a 1:1 interview was held in July 2023 with another individual who wanted to share their views on the subject, and this is included to add detail to the data obtained from the focus group.
To frame the focus group and interview, open-ended questions were developed to explore participants’ experiences, opinions, and thoughts regarding placement and its assessment. The facilitator (a member of staff within PCLS) was present to encourage a relaxed atmosphere and supplement prepared questions with prompts to gather participants’ views and pursue themes relevant to the research questions. The following is a sample of the questions asked during the interview:
What are the important elements of an MSc placement to be assessed?
How do you think MSc placements should be assessed?
The focus group was audio-recorded and the facilitator also kept notes to help keep track of themes and provide a more holistic picture of the discussion (Kornbluh, 2023). The students were also given a document on different types of assessment and an exemplar of how a placement might be assessed to act as ‘stimulus material’ to prompt detailed discussion of their views on assessment.
Impact
The findings of the discussions provided insight into how students think placements should be assessed. In terms what students considered important to be assessed, several different themes emerged:
Assessing what was learned
Students talked about the importance of assessing what was learned, as opposed to a more cursory assessment of the time or activities spent in placement; for instance if: “technically, you put in the work but you didn’t actually apply it to anything”. They reflected on the different environments and services within which placements took place, such as some being online and others being conducted in-person, and the importance of asking students “to prove” that they have engaged with placement. The importance of certain skills (e.g., teamworking, presentation skills) learned on placement was highlighted, and also how such skills relate to students’ futures.
Reflecting on one’s own development
Several students commented on how they have developed over the course of placement, and how this could be included in the assessment. For instance, one student suggested that assessments could cover “what skills are we learning and how much are we able to apply it… and how we’re changing”. Another noted discussions they have with their supervisors, whereby they “don’t just talk about what I do… [but] also some sort of reflection,” and that this brings in “reflection of how you see yourself”.
Capturing diversity of experiences
The discussion also covered the reality that students will have different experiences of placement and how it can be “a very subjective experience,” including different types and levels of supervision. For instance, one student commented that “the difference between person to person doesn’t always end in […] what they’re doing but also where they started from, because we also came into the programme with very different experiences”. Students also highlighted differences in effort put in by those on placement, sharing the perception that there were some students “who are doing everything they possibly can” and others who “slowly move to the back… waiting for things to be handed to them”.
As part of the project, students also discussed how these skills and elements of placement should be assessed and, again, several themes arose:
Continuous assessment
Students discussed having the opportunity to reflect ‘as they go’ and potential problems with a unitary, retrospective assessment. Whilst they felt that having a reflective piece is “a nice idea,” one student commented how a lot of experiences gained on placement are difficult to recall at the time of submission. They were also wary of having too much overlap between pieces of assessment, such as a reflective report and report of activities, and one student suggested being “forced to keep track of what you have been doing… in a detailed manner”.
Having been offered a list of potential assessment types to review in the focus group, one student felt that Reflective Diaries could be a better approach, perhaps used alongside an hours log. Another suggested that Learning Logs with “certain points to learn about” could be helpful, perhaps covering “small reports on small things”. Another suggested a “spaced out diary… or some form of input from our supervisor” could be of use, although also stated that they were unsure “how feasible that would be”. It was also suggested that a website (or blog) could be used to help students log experiences and remain accountable. Of note, some students chose to do this independently, with one saying: “I keep a log for myself”.
Oral presentations
Many students mentioned advantages of an oral presentation over written work, including being “better able to express what I’m doing when I speak”. Another commented that “when you write, you downplay” what was done on placement and that an oral form of assessment can be less constrained by “academic rules”. Another student agreed, saying that a presentation would “let someone express [their experience] much better” and another concluded: “I think just talking would be better [than a written assignment]”.
Students suggested that oral presentations offer a chance to “talk through your experience” and also to field questions (e.g., “What do you think you specifically learned?”), which “makes you reflect a lot more”. They also commented on the advantages of having other individuals present. A student noted that presenting in a group means that you “get to see what other people have been doing [and] how they’ve developed their skills” which could even “change your perspective”. It was commented that this approach can be “helpful to your peers as well, not just you”.
In a similar vein, one student suggested a viva voce (a one-to-one oral examination) whereby students “talk to our supervisors… and have that discussion” about their experiences.
Assessing the thoroughness of the experience
One student suggested that having written assignments can limit introspection, and get one “writing it for the sake of having a reflective piece to submit” rather than discussing “how much have I grown”. By contrast, they suggested that, in oral presentations, “flow is better – easier – and it really gives you cause to think about how you have developed”. Further reflecting on oral presentations, one student commented that “it’s up to you how you present it and how you convey how much you’ve learned, what you’ve learned, how much you’ve grown” and “how you justify what you’ve done in your placement hours”.
Reflections
The insight gained from this work has proved invaluable when formulating assessment for the coming academic year. Students’ views on the possibility of interpersonal assessment has informed the structure of oral presentations where students are given the opportunity to discuss an aspect of placement in front of their peers. The marking criteria have been developed to incorporate some of this feedback, such as inclusion of autonomy, personal development, and showing relevant skills.
Whilst it only represents a small study, some practical suggestions could be proposed. For instance, when evidencing and discussing their placement experiences, students were clear that oral presentation offers several advantages over written methods (a more common approach to work-based assessment; Ferns & Moore, 2012). The importance of assessing skills development over time was highlighted, which could be considered when setting and providing structure for both formal and informal assessment (e.g., Bates et al., 2013). Finally, it is perhaps also important for educators to keep in mind that students begin placement with different experiences, variation which has the potential to impact both their learning and achievement.
Follow up
The summer of 2024 will be the first-time oral presentations have run for several ‘placement’ modules. We shall continue to refine the assessment itself (and marking criteria) based on further feedback and look into whether concerns about the written reflective piece remain; if so, an assessment that relies more on continuous engagement could be considered.
References
Bates, J. et al. (2013). Student perceptions of assessment and feedback in longitudinal integrated clerkships. Medical Education, 47, 362–374. https://doi.org/10.1111/medu.12087
Ferns, S., & Moore, K. (2012). Assessing student outcomes in fieldwork placements: An overview of current practice. Asia-Pacific Journal of Cooperative Education, 13(4), 207–224.
Kornbluh, M. (2023). Facilitation strategies for conducting focus groups attending to issues of power. Qualitative Research in Psychology, 20, 1–20. https://doi.org/10.1080/14780887.2022.2066036
Academic tutors across the Charlie Waller Institute (CWI) courses recognised that disabled students faced specific challenges during their studies. Respecting the diverse voices of our student body is paramount, as noted within the student charter. As such we developed student led forum to access feedback and to enact change within courses. In this report we will reflect on the learning taken, and challenges met in engaging students with disabilities.
Objectives
Support students with disabilities.
Supporting students to have a reflective space to discuss respective challenges faced and to enable them to support one another and discuss helpful ways to cope.
Enact change within CWI courses, and in wider educational settings, based on student feedback.
Context
The CWI offers graduate and postgraduate clinical training courses. We have been receiving feedback from our disabled students that they were facing additional barriers and challenges in completing their courses. One area of feedback was feeling isolated within their peer group, and assessments and processes being less accessible to them.
Implementation
The group was to cover all areas of disability; neurodivergence, learning difficulties, physical, sensory and mobility disabilities. So far five groups have been conducted in the previous academic year, sadly attendance has been very low, three groups were conducted with only one student present. Although this meant a great listening space for that student, and an opportunity for the school to take direct feedback, there is little opportunity for peer support. We have identified several challenges to developing peer support groups for post-graduate training course cohorts. On the same day that our forum runs there are two other forums which are the Diversity and Inclusion (D&I) student forum and the Parent and Carers student forum. There has been some cross over as some of the trainees that have attended one forum have attended other forums.
Impact
So far, the forum has met each objective in part. However, one challenge that has arisen is attendance at the forum which has meant the reach hasn’t gone beyond a small number of students. This is a challenge we are continuing to work on as a school to enabled more disabled students to access this space. The reach of the group has also gone beyond the University or School, with contact being made with an accreditation body to respond to student feedback. An unexpected impact has been to enable undiagnosed neurodivergent students to access support through their attendance at the forum. One take away is the importance of students having more contact with the Disability Representatives (Dis Reps) and Disability Advisory Service (DAS), which this group has facilitated. In their role of Dis Rep, Natalie can offer further individual support to enable students to have further reasonable adjustments in university study and in professional service.
Reflections
Despite low turnout, facilitating the forums has been insightful in hearing the voices of students who often face barriers to social engagement within higher education and within wider society (McGuckin et al., 2013; Watson & Nolan, 2011). Our students face unique challenges due to the pressures of clinical training, which impacts their personal, professional, and educational lives. Challenges have varied from accessibility of buildings to difficulties with information processing.
Disabled students are not a monolith, so continuing engagement with diverse voices is necessary to understand our students’ strengths and challenges. The title of the group may be a barrier to engagement, the disability label holds stigma, and those with invisible disabilities may not identify with this label.
In addition to university related learning, our students have expanded on how larger systems, such as the health service and accrediting bodies, lack accessibility. This led to liaison with the British Association of Behavioural & Cognitive Psychotherapies (BABCP). We hope this forum will empower our students to engage equitably in our courses.
Follow up
Within CWI we have Diversity and Inclusion Support Officers (DISOs) who have been active in ensuring that the actions from the student forums are followed up and embedded within the direction of CWI. The forums are continuing throughout the 2023/24 academic year, we plan to continue responding to student feedback to facilitate engagement. A further review will be performed at the end of the 2023/24 academic year.
McGuckin, C., Shevlin, M., Bell, S., & Devecchi, C. (2013). Moving to further and higher education: An exploration of the experiences of students with special educational needs. NCSE.
Watson, D., & Nolan, B. (2011). A social portrait of people with disabilities in Ireland. Department of Social Protection.
This article explores using constructivism as a pedagogical approach to achieving the objective of a decolonised accounting curriculum. It discusses how constructivism can be used to effectively outline the constraints of the received perception of accounting as a pseudo-technical subject while making room for alternative representations.
Objectives
The primary aim of this activity was to explore the use of constructivism learning theory to achieve a decolonised accounting curriculum. The next objective was to design and effectively deliver a more inclusive globalised curriculum for post-graduate financial reporting in particular, and accounting in general.
Context
Accounting curriculum is perceived to be pseudo-technical, relying on the application of technical rules and principles that are universally accepted. This is the received view of our postgraduate accounting students, over 90% of whom are from an international background. Student feedback suggested that while they wanted to learn and apply conventional financial reporting and accounting, they also wanted to see a representation of themselves in some of the discussions. During the delivery and redesign of the curriculum for ACM002 Financial Reporting and Regulation (now ACM006 International Financial Reporting and Regulation), I explored the use of constructivism as a pragmatic pedagogical approach to explore the constraints of this notion while making room for the generation of alternative explanations. ACM002 (now ACM006) is a compulsory financial reporting module for MSc International Accounting and Finance students, and currently has 26 students registered on it.
Implementation
Decolonisation can take on different meanings but is used in this context to mean the recognition of the constraints placed by monocultural and largely westernised perspectives or hierarchies in accounting and the making room for alternative representations. Decolonising the accounting curriculum faces unique disciplinary constraints, as the largely Western knowledge systems we pass on are considered to be ‘universal’, especially in the wake of the near-universal acceptance of international financial reporting standards. A decolonised accounting curriculum needs to emphasise its ability to meet local needs and cultivate globally transferable skills.
I started with an informal focus group with some students from the 2021/2022 cohort, to collate feedback on what a decolonised financial reporting curriculum would mean to them, among other objectives. Students argued against the development and delivery of an overtly decolonised curriculum that continuously recognised the constraints of the existing curriculum, and especially discussed alternative representation. This was primarily borne from their belief while the present curriculum had hegemonic dispositions, it was still necessary as its completion would enhance their global competitiveness. Furthermore, for a decolonised curriculum to be meaningful to the student, they needed to see their own experiences represented in the discussions.
Constructivism offered a solution to designing and delivering a more decolonised curriculum. Constructivism, with its focus on student-centred learning, suggests that humans construct knowledge and meaning from their experience. As a learning theory, it suggests that students learn by relating new information to what they already know. In its ability to fosters active and collaborative learning, constructivism allows students to self-identify with co-produced knowledge.
The delivery of ACM002 was primarily lecturer-led, with relatively limited opportunities for students to reflect on what was being taught. However, scholars generally recognise that knowledge is co-produced, and a lecture-only mode of delivery is not ideal for the optimal co-production of knowledge. The amount of time that could be dedicated to student engagement in debates during lectures (as opposed to workshops) was limited, especially considering the content that still needed to be delivered.
The starting point of decolonising the curriculum was thus to rename the module from Financial Reporting and Regulation to International Financial Reporting and Regulation, to highlight the inclusivity within the module. Next was to expand the reading lists to include more critical debates on some of the module content. Workshop sessions, with the object of fostering debates among the students were introduced. In these sessions, students engaged in more critical discussions when they were able to call on their own experiences and relate those to the discussions at hand. This was in sharp contrast to when critical discussions were relayed to them by the lecturer.
Impact
Adopting constructivism significantly allowed for the curriculum to be relatively decolonised and overcome some of the student resistance. As the composition of students changes year-by-year, utilising static module structure and composition may not achieve the objectives of a decolonised curriculum for each cohort. Relying on only module renaming and diversifying the module content and material risks alienating some students who may not recognise a representation of their own experiences in what is being taught.
Leaning on the canon of the coproduction of knowledge between instructors and students (see de Carvalho et al., 2016; Padilla, 2019; Shahjahan et al., 2022)., encouraging and offering students the opportunity to call upon and debate key issues within financial reporting was vital to the paradox of balancing professional (often western-centric) knowledge, socialisation, and subjugated community based and socially knowledge.
Reflections
Decolonising curriculum requires the construction of an inclusive curriculum beyond dominant knowledge systems, as well as the cultivation of an environment that fosters relational teaching and learning. This means that it is a continuous process that requires constant iterations based on student-teacher interactions, recognising the differences in the lived experiences of individuals and the impact that might have on the learning process.
Follow up
I intend to run a short survey for this cohort at the end of the term, to evaluate the extent to which they are able to self-identify their individual and country context within the discussions we have covered in the module. I also intend to make a presentation on decolonisation and constructivism at the departmental level also, to assess the receptiveness of this approach, and to close the loop on the side of the academics.
References
Bada, S. O. & Olusegun, S. (2015). Constructivism learning theory: A paradigm for teaching and learning. Journal of Research & Method in Education, 5(6), 66-70.
Charles, E. (2019). Decolonizing the curriculum. Insights, 32, 24.
de Carvalho, J. J., Cohen, L. B., Correa, A. F., Chada, S., & Nakayama, P. (2016). The meeting of knowledges as a contribution to ethnomusicology and music education. World of Music, 5(1), 111–133.
de Carvalho, J. J., & Florez-Florez, J. (2014). The meeting of knowledges: A project for the decolonization of universities in Latin America. Postcolonial Studies, 17(2),122–139. https://doi.org/10.1080/13688790.2014.966411
Padilla, N. L. (2019). Decolonizing indigenous education: An Indigenous pluriversity within a university in Cauca, Colombia. Social & Cultural Geography, 22(4), 523–544. https://doi.org/10.1080/14649365.2019.1601244
Shahjahan, R. A., Estera, A. L., Surla, K. L. & Edwards, K. T. (2022). “Decolonizing” curriculum and pedagogy: A comparative review across disciplines and global higher education contexts. Review of Educational Research, 92(1), 73-113.
Subedi, B. (2013). Decolonizing the curriculum for global perspectives. Educational Theory, 63(6), 621-638.
Screenshot of the private Facebook group created by students for their Year Abroad
Overview
In this blogpost, Lecturer in Italian Language Chiara Ciarlo illustrates how four Department of Languages and Cultures (DLC) students with experience of the Year Abroad (YA), collaborated with staff on a PLanT-funded project to help fellow Part 2 students deal with the difficulties and anxiety of preparing to study abroad in the post-Brexit era, by creating a successful network of support including a student-led Facebook group and a useful video-guide with tips on life abroad. This project demonstrates the power of student partnership for building belonging and engagement in ways that are meaningful and authentic to learners.
Objectives
The primary aims of this activity were:
– to enhance communication among students across year-groups in DLC;
– to encourage current and returning students to share their YA experience in an inclusive way, and Part 2 students to proactively seek help while preparing to go abroad;
– to identify key aspects which required more support for Part 2 students;
– to create online YA resources on these aspects that could easily be accessed by current and future students.
Context
Due to recent economic and political changes, students preparing to study/work abroad as part of their Languages degree, have had to deal with complex bureaucratic processes (e.g., visa application) and unforeseen problems (e.g., increasing difficulties in finding accommodation), which have caused them undue stress and anxiety. During her time abroad, Jess Mant, one of the student partners in the project, had the original idea of setting up a network for fellow students to offer support on the issues she had experienced when preparing to leave and while in the foreign country. This subsequently became a PLanT-supported project.
Implementation
The project was based on the students’ YA experience in Italy. After an initial planning meeting with staff, two of the student partners, Jess and Francesca Greatorex (Finalists), set up a student-led private Facebook group as a space for the Italian students to find out more about the YA. It was agreed that this group should have only students as members (i.e., no staff were allowed on it) to allow freedom of discussion. Past and present students of Italian were invited to join the group, and this was a great opportunity for alumni to contribute to the discussion and offer advice on different destinations. All student partners initially introduced themselves via videos, shared their experience and pictures, and used polls to encourage members to vote on topics to discuss. This worked particularly well and stimulated participation when Part 2 students had to choose their destinations, as questions on specific cities could be addressed.
Once the Facebook group was up and running, the other two student partners, Anna McTiernan and Rosa Lockwood-Davies (Year Abroad students), created videos on topics that had become popular in the Facebook discussions and in YA preparation meetings with staff and Part 2 students e.g., tips on the visa application based on own experience, finding accommodation, and how to make friends in a foreign country. These videos were later uploaded on the Facebook group and were liked by members. Despite having individual roles, student partners collaborated in both areas of the project, sharing ideas and reviewing each other’s work.
Screenshot from student created video
Impact
Aim: To enhance communication among students across year groups in DLC. The Facebook group created by the student partners is a permanent space that Italian students of all year-groups can join. This year, the group will welcome the new Part 2 cohort and the administration will be taken over by the remaining student partners of the project.
Aim: To encourage students returning from the YA to share their experience in an inclusive way, and Part 2 students to proactively seek help in preparing to go abroad.
This aim was achieved through posts and videos (and the use of captions in the videos, which helped students focus on the content). Videos on some more sensitive topics (e.g., making friends) were carefully planned to include all types of personalities. Polls were particularly effective in stimulating members to ask questions and contribute.
Aim: To identify key aspects which required more support for Part 2 students. The use of polls and discussions in the Facebook group, and the participation of student partners at YA preparation meetings, helped create a pool of topics to cover in the video-guide.
Aim: To create online YA resources on these aspects that could easily be accessed by current and future students. The Facebook group became “the space” were all material could be found in one place by members: this included the videos and several useful links which were recommended by student partners during preparation meeting and immediately posted in the group. This will remain a great source of information for future cohorts.
In a survey carried out during the summer, Part 2 students commented particularly on the usefulness of this material and its ease of accessibility.
Screenshot from student created video
Reflections
The success of the activity lies in the determination and creativity of the student partners. From the very beginning, they all took on their role with great enthusiasm and were driven by the will to pass on their knowledge to make the YA an enjoyable experience for current and future cohorts of Languages Students. Additionally, other students who were on the YA found the initiative very stimulating and began to give their contribution, both in group discussions and by posting extra material that they had created to document their experience abroad e.g., a written guide on the student experience in Padua.
Student partners encountered some difficulties while creating and running resources, namely in making students interact in online exchanges and in producing videos whose format would appeal to peers. To overcome these issues, they came up with creative ideas, like the use of polls and the creation of shorter videos, to encourage viewings. For staff, having the input of the student partners was invaluable, as every activity was designed with the students and their needs in mind.
Follow up
Two of the student partners, Finalists in 2023/24, will continue with the administration of the Facebook group (possibly creating also an Instagram account to complement it), and will encourage this year’s Part 2 students to join. With the contribution of other members, who have also returned from the YA, information will be regularly updated, discussions will be stimulated, and new material for the video-guide will be produced, making this a permanent and dynamic space for Languages students to meet and share their YA experience.
A special grazie/thank you goes (in no particular order) to Jess, Francesca, Anna and Rosa for the time, dedication and enthusiasm they all put in creating these resources, and for demonstrating that the Year Abroad is an invaluable experience that needs to be preserved and shared with others.
Transition to university is supported in varying ways not only across our university network, but also across the wider higher education sector. In the School of Politics, Economics and International Relations (SPEIR), explicit messaging relating to undergraduate transition has been a feature for several years, but a desire to incorporate student voice within that messaging at Part 1 led to a successful application for Teaching and Learning Enhancement Project (TLEP) funding.
The students collaborated to identify key points under each theme and then developed videos offering specific advice and top tips for a positive transition experience from a student perspective. Students in SPEIR benefit from core competencies sessions which outline guidance on how to be a successful student, and the videos were shared during these classes.
Impact
The videos were well received, especially in terms of peer to peer messaging, but following first viewing we felt some advice would be better received during Welcome rather than once term had commenced. As a result, the “Embedding yourself within the academic community” video will now be shared during our Head of School Welcome Talk during Welcome Week.
In sharing the videos with the Student Engagement Community of Practice earlier this academic year, suggestion was made to update the video annotation slightly to make them suitable for use across the wider university network. Additional funding from the Teaching and Learning Initiatives Fund was received to edit them and they are now hosted on the Student Life YouTube channel for wider dissemination to students by all schools should they so wish.
Reflections
Feedback following the classes when the videos were first aired, without exception, evidenced that students’ confidence in seeking support should the need arise had arisen as a result of the session. Each class also captured at least one student who had not yet registered a learning difference, emphasising the importance of this explicit key messaging in ensuring students are aware of the support structures in place to enhance their overall university experience. Colleagues across the university are welcome to utilise these resources during their transition activities with new students. For further details on the project, or to discuss how these key messages support our transition strategy, please contact Vicki Matthews, SPEIR Executive Support Officer (v.matthews@reading.ac.uk).
As a School we will shortly be expanding the suite of videos thanks to PLanT funding. This will draw on the conclusions from recent focus groups and feature tops tips on how to overcome loneliness at university.
