The School of Education (SofE) recognises the importance of promoting opportunities for students and staff to engage with each other. Higher Education (HE) has been transformed over the last  twenty years and the change from teacher-centred pedagogy to a more student-centred approach has been widely adopted (O’Neill and McMahon, 2005). The SofE  provides a rich and diverse curriculum of study across a range of degree programmes. We have          established a staff and student partnership which has seen a refreshed focus on the student, where their voice is influential in what they learn. This has been the emphasis of many researchers in the past. Both Rogers (1983) and Burnard (1999) illustrate that this is essential in establishing and maintaining student-centred learning. This poster illustrates the benefits to a staff and student partnership as established at The University of Glasgow

Andrew, M.

Dunn, L.

English

Enlighten

       Dunn, L., and Andrew, M. (2013) Powerful partnerships: enhancing the student experience through career long professional learning [Poster]. In: HEA Annual Conference, 3-4 July 2013, Warwick, UK.   Copyright © 2013 The Author  A copy can be downloaded for personal non-commercial research or study, without prior permission or charge   The content must not be changed in any way or reproduced in any format or medium without the formal permission of the copyright holder(s)   When referring to this work, full bibliographic details must be given      http://eprints.gla.ac.uk/82268/       Deposited on:  11 July 2013          Enlighten – Research publications by members of the University of Glasgow http://eprints.gla.ac.uk POWERFUL PARTNERSHIPS:  ENHANCING THE STUDENT EXPERIENCE THROUGH  CAREER LONG PROFESSIONAL LEARNING Introduction The School of Education (SofE) recognises the     importance of promoting opportunities for students and staff to engage with each other. Higher Education (HE) has been transformed over the last  twenty years and the change from teacher-centred pedagogy to a more student-centred approach has been widely adopted (O’Neill and McMahon, 2005). The SofE  provides a rich and diverse curriculum of study across a range of degree programmes. We have              established a staff and student partnership which has seen a refreshed focus on the student, where their voice is influential in what they learn. This has been the emphasis of many researchers in the past. Both Rogers (1983) and Burnard (1999) illustrate that this is essential in establishing and maintaining            student-centred learning. In September 2012, a group of students led by Marc Andrew (BEd Year 2), sought an increased sense of autonomy in their studies by establishing an          independent student network which would promote career long professional learning beyond the         traditional curriculum. The partnership evolved after Marc sought support from staff, to take his ideas   forward. Working with Lee Dunn, a University   Teacher, the Glasgow University Student Teacher Network (GUSTN3) was officially launched in April 2013 (Fig 1).  Background Dunn (2013) had previously carried out a study within The University and he illustrated the desire of        students to engage in their learning via social        interaction on Facebook6 and Twitter7. There was an opportunity to combine the work of GUSTN with    networking tools which were fit for purpose. There is evidence that undergraduate, postgraduate students and staff are sharing resources and exchanging    theory; this continues to grow externally (Fig 2). GUSTN is also followed by qualified and practicing teachers who contribute on a regular basis, both   nationally and  internationally, through established communities of practice such as Pedagoo8. The Student Perspective Marc Andrew shares his thoughts on the  staff and student partnership:   Being a young student, at the beginning of my career, it is at times difficult to be taken seriously. This is why it is important to have Lee [staff] on board as he gave some     academic weight and backing to what we wanted to do, and allowed us to get the ball rolling much  faster. Without the support of our staff, the society and all its current and future success would still be aspirational.  Our partnership allows us [students] to scope our ideas and utilise the vast experience of our tutors in learning, teaching and research. The nature of the [GUSTN] network requires us to connect with education professionals from around the world. Our tutors have helped us with this, providing advice and guidance along the way. I had no idea how to make my ideas reality and without Lee’s help we wouldn't be here today. A tweet from the Cabinet  Secretary for Education and Lifelong Learning, recognising our activity and wishing us luck was the icing on the cake.  The long term outcomes are yet to be realised, but the immediate impact on ethos and study has already seen a return; students are able to access broader, richer and deeper learning, building a culture of     lifelong learning and scholarship. The Staff Perspective The partnership has been beneficial to staff. It has contributed to the ethos of The SofE and has been conducive towards building a culture of learning, where the sharing of effective practice and            experiences between partners has broken down the remaining barriers between staff and student. In many cases, the divide is relative. For example, members of academic staff are also students of The University and so interaction has simply gained     momentum. References Burnard, P. (1999) Carl Rogers and Postmodernism: Challenged in nursing and health sciences. Nursing and Health Sciences 1, pp. 241-247. Dunn, L. (2013) Teaching in Higher Education: can social media enhance the learning experience? In: 6th Annual University of Glasgow Learning and Teaching Conference, 19th Apr 2013, Glasgow, UK. O’Neill, G and McMahon T. (2005) Student-Centred Learning: What does it mean for students and lecturers? in O’Neill, Moore, McMullin (Eds). Emerging Issues in the Practice of University Learning and Teaching. Dublin: All Ireland Society for Higher Education pp. 27-36. Rogers, C.R. (1983) The Politics of Education in Freedom to Learn for The 80’s. Charles E. Merrill Publishing Company, Ohio. Lee Dunn1 Marc Andrew2     1 University Teacher Education Studies and Technology (lee.dunn@glasgow.ac.uk) 2 Undergraduate Student Bachelor of Education (1101309A@student.gla.ac.uk) Fig.1 Student Marc Andrew (Left), University Teacher Lee Dunn (Centre) and Deputy Head of School Dr Beth Dickson (Right) at the launch event. GUSTN and the partnership upon which it is built are innovative. We have been recognised nationally by individuals from Education Scotland4 and The     Scottish Government5 and we have also seen early             collaboration with students from other HE institutions, across degree programmes and between year groups. A seminar, for example, may be delivered by a student who knows sign language or perhaps has returned from an international exchange in Spain. 3 Glasgow University Student Teacher Network at www.twitter.com/BEdGlasgow (last accessed 25/04/13). 4 Education Scotland at www.educationscotland.gov.uk (last accessed 25/04/13). 5 The Scottish Government at www.scotland.gov.uk (last accessed 25/04/13). 6 Facebook at www.facebook.com (last accessed 25/04/13). 7 Twitter at www.twitter.com (last accessed 25/04/13). 8 Pedagoo at www.pedagoo.org (last accessed 25/04/13). For further information, scan the QR code opposite or contact the authors 1,2 1Lee Dunn (Twitter @leeandrewdunn) 2Marc Andrew (Twitter @MarcooseA) The Next Steps Dunn (2013) describes the benefits of such           interaction between students and staff (and peer-to-peer) as:  Increased student motivation and engagement with course material;  Increased student-to-student collaboration;  Enhanced interaction between the student and the lecturer /teacher;  Accelerated data and information sharing for the purposes of study and research;  Removed barriers to self-expression and contribution;  Provided students with 21st Century skills which could aide their employability and increase levels of satisfaction.  The partnership is committed to widening              participation and establishing mechanisms of support for all students. The retention and success of learners during the course of their studies is important to us and this is realised through our partnership. Through social functions, recreational events and professional development seminars, the work led by students will continue to play a strategic role in how the SofE will progress as an institution. GUSTN is seeking     recognition from the Student Representative Council and senior leaders beyond the SofE have expressed an interest in establishing similar staff and student partnerships elsewhere within The University. Longitudinally, our partnership will become stronger and we will continue to enhance the student          experience, so that they may benefit from the       connections and rapport that we have built. Based on honesty, the approachable and dedicated staff and the enthusiasm of our students represent a model of good practice for the HE sector. Our powerful       partnership realises career long professional learning. Fig.2 Marc Andrew delivers a seminar which focusses on the power of the partnership, the role of staff in a support capacity and the leadership of the network: by students for students. 

Powerful partnerships: enhancing the student experience through career long professional learning [Poster]

Enlighten: Publications

  
 
 
 
 
 
Dunn, L., and Andrew, M. (2013) Powerful partnerships: enhancing the 
student experience through career long professional learning [Poster]. In: 
HEA Annual Conference, 3-4 July 2013, Warwick, UK. 
 
 
Copyright © 2013 The Author 
 
A copy can be downloaded for personal non-commercial research or 
study, without prior permission or charge  
 
The content must not be changed in any way or reproduced in any format 
or medium without the formal permission of the copyright holder(s)   
When referring to this work, full bibliographic details must be given 
 
 
 
 
 
http://eprints.gla.ac.uk/82268/ 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Deposited on:  11 July 2013 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Enlighten – Research publications by members of the University of Glasgow 
http://eprints.gla.ac.uk 
POWERFUL PARTNERSHIPS:  
ENHANCING THE STUDENT EXPERIENCE THROUGH  
CAREER LONG PROFESSIONAL LEARNING 
Introduction 
The School of Education (SofE) recognises the     
importance of promoting opportunities for students 
and staff to engage with each other. Higher Education 
(HE) has been transformed over the last  twenty 
years and the change from teacher-centred pedagogy 
to a more student-centred approach has been widely 
adopted (O’Neill and McMahon, 2005). The SofE  
provides a rich and diverse curriculum of study across 
a range of degree programmes. We have              
established a staff and student partnership which has 
seen a refreshed focus on the student, where their 
voice is influential in what they learn. This has been 
the emphasis of many researchers in the past. Both 
Rogers (1983) and Burnard (1999) illustrate that this 
is essential in establishing and maintaining            
student-centred learning. 
In September 2012, a group of students led by Marc 
Andrew (BEd Year 2), sought an increased sense of 
autonomy in their studies by establishing an          
independent student network which would promote 
career long professional learning beyond the         
traditional curriculum. The partnership evolved after 
Marc sought support from staff, to take his ideas   
forward. Working with Lee Dunn, a University   
Teacher, the Glasgow University Student Teacher 
Network (GUSTN3) was officially launched in April 
2013 (Fig 1).  
Background 
Dunn (2013) had previously carried out a study within 
The University and he illustrated the desire of        
students to engage in their learning via social        
interaction on Facebook6 and Twitter7. There was an 
opportunity to combine the work of GUSTN with    
networking tools which were fit for purpose. There is 
evidence that undergraduate, postgraduate students 
and staff are sharing resources and exchanging    
theory; this continues to grow externally (Fig 2). 
GUSTN is also followed by qualified and practicing 
teachers who contribute on a regular basis, both   
nationally and  internationally, through established 
communities of practice such as Pedagoo8. 
The Student Perspective 
Marc Andrew shares his thoughts on the  staff and 
student partnership: 
 
 Being a young student, at the beginning of my career, 
it is at times difficult to be taken seriously. This is why it is 
important to have Lee [staff] on board as he gave some     
academic weight and backing to what we wanted to do, and 
allowed us to get the ball rolling much  faster. Without the 
support of our staff, the society and all its current and future 
success would still be aspirational.  
Our partnership allows us [students] to scope our ideas and 
utilise the vast experience of our tutors in learning, teaching 
and research. The nature of the [GUSTN] network requires us 
to connect with education professionals from around the 
world. Our tutors have helped us with this, providing advice 
and guidance along the way. 
I had no idea how to make my ideas reality and without Lee’s 
help we wouldn't be here today. A tweet from the Cabinet  
Secretary for Education and Lifelong Learning, recognising 
our activity and wishing us luck was the icing on the cake. 
 
The long term outcomes are yet to be realised, but 
the immediate impact on ethos and study has already 
seen a return; students are able to access broader, 
richer and deeper learning, building a culture of     
lifelong learning and scholarship. 
The Staff Perspective 
The partnership has been beneficial to staff. It has 
contributed to the ethos of The SofE and has been 
conducive towards building a culture of learning, 
where the sharing of effective practice and            
experiences between partners has broken down the 
remaining barriers between staff and student. In 
many cases, the divide is relative. For example, 
members of academic staff are also students of The 
University and so interaction has simply gained     
momentum. 
References 
Burnard, P. (1999) Carl Rogers and Postmodernism: Challenged in nursing and health sciences. Nursing and 
Health Sciences 1, pp. 241-247. 
Dunn, L. (2013) Teaching in Higher Education: can social media enhance the learning experience? In: 6th 
Annual University of Glasgow Learning and Teaching Conference, 19th Apr 2013, Glasgow, UK. 
O’Neill, G and McMahon T. (2005) Student-Centred Learning: What does it mean for students and lecturers? 
in O’Neill, Moore, McMullin (Eds). Emerging Issues in the Practice of University Learning and Teaching. 
Dublin: All Ireland Society for Higher Education pp. 27-36. 
Rogers, C.R. (1983) The Politics of Education in Freedom to Learn for The 80’s. Charles E. Merrill Publishing 
Company, Ohio. 
Lee Dunn1 Marc Andrew2     
1 University Teacher Education Studies and Technology (lee.dunn@glasgow.ac.uk) 
2 Undergraduate Student Bachelor of Education (1101309A@student.gla.ac.uk) 
Fig.1 Student Marc Andrew (Left), University Teacher Lee Dunn (Centre) 
and Deputy Head of School Dr Beth Dickson (Right) at the launch event. 
GUSTN and the partnership upon which it is built are 
innovative. We have been recognised nationally by 
individuals from Education Scotland4 and The     
Scottish Government5 and we have also seen early             
collaboration with students from other HE institutions, 
across degree programmes and between year 
groups. A seminar, for example, may be delivered by 
a student who knows sign language or perhaps has 
returned from an international exchange in Spain. 
3 Glasgow University Student Teacher Network at 
www.twitter.com/BEdGlasgow (last accessed 25/04/13). 
4 Education Scotland at www.educationscotland.gov.uk (last accessed 25/04/13). 
5 The Scottish Government at www.scotland.gov.uk (last accessed 25/04/13). 
6 Facebook at www.facebook.com (last accessed 25/04/13). 
7 Twitter at www.twitter.com (last accessed 25/04/13). 
8 Pedagoo at www.pedagoo.org (last accessed 25/04/13). 
For further information, scan the QR code opposite or contact the authors 1,2 
1Lee Dunn (Twitter @leeandrewdunn) 2Marc Andrew (Twitter @MarcooseA) 
The Next Steps 
Dunn (2013) describes the benefits of such           
interaction between students and staff (and peer-to-
peer) as: 
 Increased student motivation and engagement with course 
material; 
 Increased student-to-student collaboration; 
 Enhanced interaction between the student and the lecturer /
teacher; 
 Accelerated data and information sharing for the purposes of 
study and research; 
 Removed barriers to self-expression and contribution; 
 Provided students with 21st Century skills which could aide 
their employability and increase levels of satisfaction. 
 
The partnership is committed to widening              
participation and establishing mechanisms of support 
for all students. The retention and success of learners 
during the course of their studies is important to us 
and this is realised through our partnership. Through 
social functions, recreational events and professional 
development seminars, the work led by students will 
continue to play a strategic role in how the SofE will 
progress as an institution. GUSTN is seeking     
recognition from the Student Representative Council 
and senior leaders beyond the SofE have expressed 
an interest in establishing similar staff and student 
partnerships elsewhere within The University. 
Longitudinally, our partnership will become stronger 
and we will continue to enhance the student          
experience, so that they may benefit from the       
connections and rapport that we have built. Based on 
honesty, the approachable and dedicated staff and 
the enthusiasm of our students represent a model of 
good practice for the HE sector. Our powerful       
partnership realises career long professional learning. 
Fig.2 Marc Andrew delivers a seminar which focusses on the power of the 
partnership, the role of staff in a support capacity and the leadership of the 
network: by students for students. 


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