Innovation Project
Students as co-creators
of higher order academic
skills provision
Dr Steve Briggs
Dr Maria Kukhareva
Session Overview
1. Rationale
2. Existing practice
3. Project plan
Image source:
http://www.lst.ac.uk/ima
ges/side_images/portrait
-54.jpg
Image source:
http://www.coventry.ac.uk/Global/03%20Study%20section%20assets/Course%20
Wizard/2013%20Courses/PG/Academic%20Writing%20Theory%20and%20Practi
ce%20MA/academic_writing_theory_and_practice_ma2.jpg
Co-creation Project
2
Rationale
 Vygotstky’s (1978) Zone of Proximal Development:
the role of challenge / ‘stretch’  whole ethos of education?
Tensions:
• ‘Ability’ v ‘achievement’?
• Critique of
‘must/should/could’
• Selectivity v inclusivity
 Kift and Nelson (2005, p.225):
• “dramatically changing patterns of student engagement and new learning environments”
• “students as globally portable employees with the knowledge”

•
•
•
•
Fry, Ketteridge and Marshall (2008, p.229):
“Moral and contractual obligations… as well as a need to retain students”
“Equal entitlement” for all ability and level of achievement
Differentiation of learning opportunities / learning outcomes / by ability
“Newly emerging issue for Higher Education” (practiced in compulsory education)
 Assinder et al. (2007, p.2): “The most able students are not being stretched to achieve
their full potential”
 Freestone (2013): ‘Selected’ students did better… no results in the ‘mixed group
What it means for Learning
Development and PAD
Historic focus of
learning development
2013
CLE review of PAD strategy
recommended more support for high
achievers
A
B
C
D
L4
L5
L6
L7
2014
Differentiated opportunities to
enhance current academic skills
provision (Co-creation project; Course
Enhancement; Higher Order SIG)
Co-creation Project
4
Existing Practice
2014: Course enhancement project with Yearly Years Education
•
Higher Order academic skills pilot
•
Critical analysis and synthesis workshop
•
12 final year students (dissertation phase)
•
Approached by lecturer
Image source:
http://linguistics.georgetown.edu/image/1242792547105/StudentGr
oupMeeting_631x409.jpg
•
Overwhelmingly positive feedback
•
Students said: (11/12 out of 12): relevant, useful, helped expand knowledge,
transferable application… more sessions, from the start of the course, contextualised
content
“Very useful, thank you for organising this”… “I learnt to…identify elements in assignment to
make sure each element of critical analysis is achieved”… “I now have more ways to check I
have used critical analysis through elements of reasoning”…
Co-creation Project
5
Project Plan
Term 3
Term 2
Academic Skills Teaching
Toolkit expanded
CPD launched
Pilot sessions
Evaluation and follow up
Term 1
Focus groups
Session design
Now
Special Interest Group
Identify high achievers
Innovation Project
6
Opportunities to get involved
Now
Special
Interest Group
January 2015
Piloting of
sessions with
students
Summer 2014
Identify student
co-creators
Easter 2015
Evaluation of
pilots
September 2014
Academic Skills
Teaching Toolkit
Summer 2015
Staff CPD
sessions
(via PTS)
7
References
Assinder, S., Baldwin, C., Cane, C., Chevins, P., Clark, K., Dawson, M., Deuchars, J.,
Freestone, N., Griffin, D., Hollingsworth, M., Hooper, H., Hughes, I., Brent Irvine, G.,
Keen, M., Lawlor, R., Levesley, A., Morris, N., Pocock, T., Testa, G. and Wood, B. (2007)
Differentiated Learning (stretching the most able). A report of a forum for invited
participants sponsored by the Centre for Bioscience, Higher Education Academy, 12-13
June 2007
Freestone, N. (2013) Differentiated Learning. Proceedings of the HEA STEM Learning
and Teaching Conference, University of Birmingham, 17-18 April 2013
Fry, H., Ketteridge, S. and Marshall, S. (2008) A Handbook for Teaching and Learning in
Higher Education, Routledge
Kift, S. and Nelson, K. (2005) Higher Education in a changing world; Research and
development in higher education, Proceedings of the 28th HERDSA Annual Conference,
Sydney, 3-6 July 2005
Vygotsky, L. (1978) Mind in society: The development of higher psychological processes.
Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press
Questions?
Dr Steve Briggs
steve.briggs@beds.ac.uk
Dr Maria Kukhareva
Maria.kukhareva@beds.ac.uk
Co-creation Project
9