Introduction
In 2023-24, we worked with colleagues and students across a range of disciplines, roles and environments to explore experiences of teaching, learning and assessment at Cambridge. This work contributes to commitments to understand and address inequities in educational experiences and outcomes as set out in Cambridge's Access & Participation Plans.
Students as Partners Guidance
Working with students to co-create, co-teach, co-research and co-develop their educational experiences has become an increasingly common practice in higher education in the UK and internationally. In Cambridge, over the past five years over 120 students have contributed as co-researchers to our Access & Participation Plan Participatory Action Research Project, generating rich insights and helping to identify ways of developing more inclusive practices.
We developed new guidance to respond to growing interest from colleagues seeking to engage or partner with students in educational enhancement projects. The 'Students as Partners' guide offers practical support and resources for staff in setting up and implementing partnership projects, with case studies and examples of practice.
During 2023-24, we directly supported the University Counselling Service and Cambridge Zero among others in devising student partnership projects, so that they could learn more about students' experiences of their provision and about students' ideas for further improvements.
For more information, contact Dr Cassie Lowe (cvl29)
“We found the 'Students as Partners' guidance invaluable in supporting student projects on climate and sustainability education within undergraduate curricula this year. I definitely plan to use it to guide future collaborations, as it offers a helpful framing for both staff and students to feel supported.”
Curriculum Review in Engineering
We were invited by the Department of Engineering to co-lead exploratory research into their undergraduates' learning experiences, with a particular focus on a persistent gender awarding gap. Working in partnership with the Deputy Head of Teaching and Student Academic Reps, the research sought to understand the enablers and barriers to students' academic success in Part I.
Staff and students contributed their insights and experiences through focus groups, questionnaires and individual interviews. The findings have led to Department-wide reflections on how the curriculum, teaching, assessment and supervision processes can be enhanced; contributed to plans for reforming Engineering Part I; and fostered wider discussions on inclusive educational practices across the whole Tripos.
Aakash Gupta, final-year undergraduate at the Department, received the internationally-recognised 'Student Partnership Impact Award' from the Staff & Educational Development Association and JISC (Joint Information Systems Committee) in recognition of his work and impact as co-researcher on this project.
For more information, contact Dr Kamilah Jooganah (kj388)