In this blog post, Pooja and Ankita, SACHA alumni discuss co-creation and collaboration in course design. Pooja Suresh Kumar is pursuing her Master’s degree in Public Health. Ankita Chattopadhyay is a recent graduate with an MSc by Research (MScR) in Infection Medicine (Biomedical Sciences). This post belongs to June-July Hot Topic series: Students as Change Agents (SACHA)↗️.
Understanding Co-creation and Collaboration
Co-creation in education is all about making teaching and learning a two-way process, where the voices of both students and academic professionals are considered to design engaging and comprehensive courses (Bovill et al., 2011↗️). It’s not limited to just students and staff; collaboration with industry professionals, community organizations, parents, and alumni helps ensure the curriculum meets real-world needs↗️, enhancing the holistic and impactful nature of education (Yostrakul, 2021↗️).
However, implementing co-creation faces hurdles like students’ reluctance to participate (Cook-Sather & Luz, 2015↗️; Mapstone et al., 2017), faculty time commitments, some faculty hesitating to give up control over teaching methods, along with issues such as institutional policy limits, resource gaps, and promoting inclusivity in student-staff collaborations (Bovill et al., 2016↗️; Mapstone et al., 2017↗️).
Navigating Gaps and Strategies for Effective Co-Creation
Pooja: In my experience, student-staff partnerships in curriculum design can profoundly enhance the learning experience and boost engagement. Co-creating the curriculum allows students to have a voice, increasing their interest in the education material. But getting students to actively participate can be challenging. Many might feel they don’t have enough expertise or unsure about their contributions.
Ankita: I agree. Students can identify unclear areas in courses that instructors may overlook, while instructors can bring their expertise to meet current educational and technological demands. I reckon this can result in courses that are relevant, up-to-date, and engaging! However, it’s tough to ensure all voices are heard and issues like coordinating meeting times and balancing everyone’s input, can create barriers to proper co-creation.
Pooja: True, time constraints are a major hurdle. Faculty are busy with teaching and research, making it hard to find time for collaborative curriculum design. Some staff fear losing control over curriculum and teaching methods.
Ankita: Exactly, students are juggling coursework, assignments, and part-time jobs too, which limits their availability to course design. Moreover, there are institutional norms which favour hierarchy over collaboration, hindering staff-student partnerships.
Pooja: To address these issues, we should set clear objectives, hold regular meetings, and leverage virtual tools to manage time efficiently among students and staff.
Ankita: Right! Providing staff with relevant training and fostering open communication with students can build trust and create an environment where co-creation in curriculum design can thrive. I believe platforms like SACHA help students to contribute confidently and gain valuable experience in co-creation.
Engaging with staff members
Pooja: Through SACHA, students collaborated closely with faculty and data coaches to ensure curriculum relevance. Sessions with Aidan and Emma used Mural to bridge theory and practice effectively. Challenge hosts encouraged student engagement through surveys and feedback, enhancing curriculum engagement. Collaborating on surveys with fellow students, guided by my coach Thomas, turned daunting tasks into enjoyable experiences.
Ankita: Absolutely! The engagement extended beyond our peers, with unwavering support from our coaches and the SACHA team enhancing the experience. During my group discussions, one standout idea that resonated with me was the suggestion to allocate 3% of a student’s semester grade based on their submission of a course feedback form.
To gain deeper insights into the co-creation process, I had a chat with my group coach, Lesley Kelly, about her experiences collaborating with students in the SACHA programme.
Lesley Kelly’s Perspective
“Working with students on ‘Co-creation and collaboration in Course Design’ was particularly rewarding. It aligns with my work at the Institute for Academic Development (IAD). The students in my group were committed and motivated, developing innovative ideas and high-quality outputs. It was gratifying to see their contributions shape course design and curriculum development.”
Lesley emphasized the importance of student involvement: “Effective courses cannot be designed without meaningful student involvement.”
She found the proposal to use existing structures popular among students compelling, noting that Student Representatives could play a crucial role in new developments. Lesley concluded that while there are excellent practices at the University, involving students more meaningfully is a common goal despite time and resource challenges.
Impact on Learning Experience
The impact of student involvement on the overall learning experience has been profound. Changes and improvements in course design, because of student input, have made the curriculum more relevant and engaging. For instance, based on feedback, certain modules were modified to include more practical applications and real-world examples, enhancing the learning experience by making it more applicable to students’ future careers (Bovill et al., 2011↗️).
Pooja: In a session on data visualization techniques using the Mural illustrates how student involvement in curriculum design empowered us. Initially, the session was too theoretical, but with guidance and hands-on use of Power BI, it became more practical and enjoyable. This change boosted my confidence in presenting data. Feeling heard and valued significantly increased my engagement and commitment to the session.
Ankita: That’s great, Pooja! I feel that I can have a voice in shaping my curriculum. Furthermore, the SACHA challenge helped me refine my organizational skills and gave me the confidence to solve problems systematically. I’m sure these skills will help me in my future studies and career prospects.
Pooja: My SACHA experience taught me the importance of student-staff partnerships in curriculum design. Collaborating with peers and faculty enabled meaningful contributions to course development, ensuring relevance and engagement. It emphasized clear communication, flexibility, and adaptability in overcoming technical and scheduling challenges, reinforcing my belief in co-creation’s transformative power in higher education.
Ankita: I too had a remarkable experience through SACHA which highlights the immense value of student-staff partnerships within the process of designing curriculum. I feel that when we harness collective intelligence across our learning communities, our university has the potential to transform lives and shape a better future.
Key take-aways
- Experiential learning programmes like SACHA offer meaningful and easily accessible ways for students to gain practical experience in co-creation.
- Participating in co-creation exercises enhanced our understanding and fostered ownership of our education, thereby making learning enjoyable and captivating.
- Small group coaches facilitate bridging the staff-student gap during co-creation and collaboration.
Conclusion
Our SACHA journey showcases how co-creation and collaboration can transform higher education. Engaging students as partners in curriculum design fosters relevance, engagement, and impact. Our experience emphasized empowerment and ownership through collaboration. Looking ahead, we urge students and faculty to embrace co-creation for innovative, student-centred learning environments.
references
Pooja Suresh Kumar
Pooja Suresh Kumar is an aspiring public health researcher and an enthusiastic change-maker pursuing Master’s in Public Health at The University of Edinburgh. Pooja combines her clinical audiology background with emerging public health expertise to address real-world challenges. Her passion lies in driving positive change through data-driven approaches, with the goal of improving global health outcomes and promoting health equity. She is always excited to take on new challenges that can make a meaningful impact.
Ankita Chattopadhyay
Ankita is a recent graduate with an MSc by Research (MScR) in Infection Medicine (Biomedical Sciences) from the University of Edinburgh. As a student change agent, she has developed valuable skills in design and innovative thinking. Combining these skills along with her research background in Microbiology and Biomedical sciences prepares her to address real-world issues. Her goal is to devise affordable strategies and diagnostics for infectious diseases. She is also passionate about simplifying complex research into digestible insights for everyone, promoting scientific literacy and healthy living. She is seeking opportunities to pursue doctoral studies and explore roles in science outreach and public engagement to work towards these goals.
