Standing

Undergraduate

Type of Proposal

Oral Research Presentation

Faculty

Faculty of Human Kinetics

Faculty Sponsor

David Andrews

Proposal

Students “as partners” challenges the notion that students simply consume knowledge, but rather, they are viewed as co-producers of knowledge (Green, 2019). This approach used in curriculum development is illustrated in this research project. Five undergraduate students and one graduate student collaborated with a faculty member to develop ten lab activities for a first-year anatomy course in Kinesiology. All student partners had taken the course previously and had expressed their passion for the subject matter. With guidance and support from the course instructor, students utilized the knowledge and experiences they had acquired in the course to design lab experiences that aligned with the course content. This approach is consistent with other studies in which students worked with faculty members to adapt curriculum for future students (Spencer et al., 2021). Once the lab activities were created, the students were asked to reflect upon their experience. The instructor encouraged the discussion of various elements in the reflections, such as how the students felt working in the partnership, and their discoveries related to curriculum development. The students were also asked to consider the impact of the partnership on both their well-being and on higher education in general. The analysis revealed seven themes which will be shared in the presentation. Several recommendations, including the importance of maintaining effective communication, fostering group cohesion, and developing a knowledge transfer plan, will also be offered to help inform other students and faculty members who wish to engage in a similarly effective partnership.

Bibliography:

Green, W. (2019). Engaging “Students as Partners” in global learning: Some possibilities and provocations. Journal of Studies in International Education, 23(1), 10–29. https://doi.org/10.1177/1028315318814266

Spencer, B., Tori, K., & Campbell, R. (2021). Undergraduates as course creators: Reflections on starting and sustaining a student-faculty partnership. International Journal for Students as Partners, 5(1), 138-145. https://doi.org/10.15173/ijsap.v5i1.4399

Availability

We are available March 29th from 12-1 as well as March 30th 2:30-3

Special Considerations

All presenters: Megan M. Murtagh, Kalina N. Georgieva, Claudia M. Town, Bradley D. Mangham, Rebecca Misiasz, Robert Oates, David M. Andrews

Share

COinS
 

Developing lab activities for an introductory anatomy course: Reflections and recommendations from a faculty/student partnership.

Students “as partners” challenges the notion that students simply consume knowledge, but rather, they are viewed as co-producers of knowledge (Green, 2019). This approach used in curriculum development is illustrated in this research project. Five undergraduate students and one graduate student collaborated with a faculty member to develop ten lab activities for a first-year anatomy course in Kinesiology. All student partners had taken the course previously and had expressed their passion for the subject matter. With guidance and support from the course instructor, students utilized the knowledge and experiences they had acquired in the course to design lab experiences that aligned with the course content. This approach is consistent with other studies in which students worked with faculty members to adapt curriculum for future students (Spencer et al., 2021). Once the lab activities were created, the students were asked to reflect upon their experience. The instructor encouraged the discussion of various elements in the reflections, such as how the students felt working in the partnership, and their discoveries related to curriculum development. The students were also asked to consider the impact of the partnership on both their well-being and on higher education in general. The analysis revealed seven themes which will be shared in the presentation. Several recommendations, including the importance of maintaining effective communication, fostering group cohesion, and developing a knowledge transfer plan, will also be offered to help inform other students and faculty members who wish to engage in a similarly effective partnership.

Bibliography:

Green, W. (2019). Engaging “Students as Partners” in global learning: Some possibilities and provocations. Journal of Studies in International Education, 23(1), 10–29. https://doi.org/10.1177/1028315318814266

Spencer, B., Tori, K., & Campbell, R. (2021). Undergraduates as course creators: Reflections on starting and sustaining a student-faculty partnership. International Journal for Students as Partners, 5(1), 138-145. https://doi.org/10.15173/ijsap.v5i1.4399