Enhancing Student Partnerships within a Centre for Teaching and Learning
Standing
Undergraduate
Type of Proposal
Visual Presentation (Poster, Installation, Demonstration)
Proposal
Within higher education there is an increasing interest in utilizing student partnerships (Matthews, Dwyer, Hine, & Turner, 2018) as these partnerships facilitate shared power and encourage dialogue and reflection (Sather, Matthews, Ntem, & Leathwick, 2018). Furthermore, these partnerships can give voice to students, challenge structures, and disrupt power dynamics (Kehler et al., 2017). The aim of the current study was to find possible challenge areas for student partnerships within the Centre for Teaching and Learning and identify ways in which these partnerships could be enhanced. This project is unique in that it is exploring student partnerships within a Centre for Teaching and Learning, rather than within a faculty, addressing a void in the current literature. Our research team employed a student partnership model by relying on one undergraduate student, two graduate students, and one staff member from the Centre for Teaching and Learning to spearhead this project, which allowed these students to be both learners, researchers, and teachers. Using purposeful sampling we recruited former Centre employees to participate in a semi-structured interview in order to better understand student partnerships in the context of a centre for Teaching and Learning and explore the benefits of these partnerships to students and the Centre. Data collection is currently ongoing and thematic analysis is in progress. The results of this project will be used to enhance future student partnerships within the Centre for Teaching and Learning as well as skill development among its student partners.
Grand Challenges
Viable, Healthy and Safe Communities
Enhancing Student Partnerships within a Centre for Teaching and Learning
Within higher education there is an increasing interest in utilizing student partnerships (Matthews, Dwyer, Hine, & Turner, 2018) as these partnerships facilitate shared power and encourage dialogue and reflection (Sather, Matthews, Ntem, & Leathwick, 2018). Furthermore, these partnerships can give voice to students, challenge structures, and disrupt power dynamics (Kehler et al., 2017). The aim of the current study was to find possible challenge areas for student partnerships within the Centre for Teaching and Learning and identify ways in which these partnerships could be enhanced. This project is unique in that it is exploring student partnerships within a Centre for Teaching and Learning, rather than within a faculty, addressing a void in the current literature. Our research team employed a student partnership model by relying on one undergraduate student, two graduate students, and one staff member from the Centre for Teaching and Learning to spearhead this project, which allowed these students to be both learners, researchers, and teachers. Using purposeful sampling we recruited former Centre employees to participate in a semi-structured interview in order to better understand student partnerships in the context of a centre for Teaching and Learning and explore the benefits of these partnerships to students and the Centre. Data collection is currently ongoing and thematic analysis is in progress. The results of this project will be used to enhance future student partnerships within the Centre for Teaching and Learning as well as skill development among its student partners.