Overview
About
In an ever-changing Higher Education context, taking time to research, discuss and develop student engagement is more crucial than ever to ensure student success. There has been great momentum in Student Voice, Student-Staff Partnership, Extra-Curricular Activities and Data Analytics, all of which promise great potential for developing student outcomes including satisfaction, retention, and employability and marks a positive change. Working with our students to develop education has become the norm in many institutions at both policy and curriculum levels, however, it is now even more important to remain critically reflective on the student engagement practices we have implemented in our institutions.
Ensuring students have an engaging experience in higher education is critically measured through government-led metrics, as well as the promoting of business models which prioritise both expansion and retention. By working with, listening to, and researching students’ engagements in our institutions, Universities and Colleges are making strategic interventions and spending millions on ensuring student success.
This training provides an opportunity for Higher Education professionals of all levels who are implementing, exploring, and researching student engagement initiatives. There is a great need to reflect on challenges, to argue against simplifying ‘the student experience’, and ensure the higher education we are developing is accessible to our diverse student bodies. By critically reflecting on student engagement practice or initiatives, we strengthen our practice through recognising the issues and consciously seeking to create solutions to overcome potential barriers and tensions.
Learning Outcomes:
- To provide delegates with a definition of student engagement in contemporary higher education at their home institutions.
- Receive an overview of current debates and practice in student engagement, voice and partnership in higher education.
- Develop a project plan to develop student engagement at delegates’ home institutions.
- Receive focused recommendations for overcoming challenge and barriers to student engagement in higher education.
- Gain access to scholarship, networks and further resources to enable student engagement practice to succeed.
Agenda
- Day 1
- Day 2
On Day 1, the training will give delegates the ability to navigate the key debates and definitions in student engagement, as well as giving an overview of key practice.
This training will run entirely via Zoom. Specific joining instructions and guidance will be provided to registered delegates in advance.
Note that all of today’s sessions will be interactive, and attendees will have regular opportunities to pose questions to our expert, have their concerns heard, and leave the day equipped to improve student engagement agendas at delegates home institutions.
This session includes:
- An interactive activity relating to definition student engagement in different settings
- Discussion of key definitions and map to equip delegates for success at their home institution
- Overview of contemporary agendas leading towards a focus upon student engagement
This session includes:
- An activity relating to projects and priorities in student engagement at delegates home institutions
- An overview of key student engagement practices, including student voice, retention, measures, transition, partnership, peer support and surveys etc.
- Training on project planning student engagement developments at delegates home institutions, including task set for the next day
On Day 2, the training will explore a selection of critical pieces on key challenges and debates in student engagement in higher education. Topics such as diversity, accessibility, representativeness, evidencing impact, data analytics, the campus estate, and the impact of COVID-19 will be discussed to provide lessons learned and knowledge from the field, to make our practice with students more considered and robust for the challenges ahead in the post-pandemic University. With a forward-thinking approach, the facilitator will enable delegates to plan for the months ahead and future success of their projects.
This training will run entirely via Zoom. Specific joining instructions and guidance will be provided to registered delegates in advance.
Delegates will be invited to share reflections from the first day and ask for areas they wish to have covered in Day 2.
This session includes:
- Activity: Discussion of the challenges faced at home institutions relating to student engagement
The lead trainer will then cover several areas of challenge and development to improve student engagement and success at delegates’ home institutions. Each development area will be followed by a discussion based on delegates questions, challenges and projects. These will include:
- Development Area 1: Diversity and accessibility to student engagement opportunities
- Development Area 2: Power, representativeness and student voice
- Development Area 3: Researching and Evaluating Student Engagement
- Development Area 4: The future of student engagement & COVID-19
- In this closing session, delegates will be inviting to share key targets for their student engagement practice in the months ahead.
- The speaker will signpost to further resources, journals and networks for delegates to continue their learning journey.
