A student–staff partnership approach to course enhancement: Principles for enabling dialogue through repurposing subject-specific materials and metaphors

ABSTRACT

Mechanisms for listening and responding to students need to offer space for diverse voices and meaningful dialogue for greater student–staff partnership. This study explores the beneficial impacts and challenges of using creative pedagogical methods to support rich dialogue for module evaluation. A variety of evaluation activities were embedded throughout a postgraduate module, using creative materials and metaphorical reflective questions. Whilst there are logistical and perceptive barriers to adopting creative approaches, this paper demonstrates the beneficial impacts on both students’ and staffs’ experiences of learning and teaching, and the culture of partnership it develops. Deeper reflection and evaluation from students enabled inclusive student–staff dialogue. More nuanced and richer feedback allowed staff a responsive approach to module design, empowering the students and cultivating trusting student–staff relationships. Supporting the transferability of this practice across non-arts disciplines, principles for using discipline-specific materials and metaphors, for triggering reflection and evaluation are proposed.

KEYWORDS:

• Student–staff partnership
• student-engagement
• evaluation
• inclusive practice
• creative methods

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Lucy Chilvers

Lucy Chilvers Senior Lecturer in Learning Development, Centre for Learning and Teaching, Brighton. Lucy’s role encompasses developing practice and research across academic development, peer learning and student–staff partnership.

Alice Fox

Alice Fox Deputy Head of the School of Art at Brighton and founder/leader of the pioneering MA Inclusive Arts Practice. Alice is also Director of the learning-disabled Rocket Artists Studios and works internationally, training cultural, health and education sector professionals.

Sarah Bennett

Sarah Bennett During this project Sarah studied MA Inclusive Arts Practice, based in the School of Art, Brighton. Sarah has since graduated and now works as a freelance Artist, Facilitator and Consultant.