In this blog post, three SACHA alumni (Foster Osei, Mtevee Amugune, and Nisha Daniel), who participated in the SACHA programme as online distance learners, discuss the impact of experiential learning on the distance learner experience and share lessons that can be translated to other areas of the curriculum. This post belongs to June-July Hot Topic series: Students as Change Agents (SACHA)↗️.
How was your SACHA experience different your regular curriculum and courses?
Foster: With SACHA it’s not all about what the university can give students through lectures and seminars but what the students can also give back to the university. It is a “give and take initiative” with the aim to involve students in the decision-making process in the University.
While there are other opportunities for interdisciplinary study at the university, what is different about this program is that it doesn’t matter whether you are an undergraduate student or a post-graduate student, we can all work together on a single project to achieve a particular goal.
SACHA also gives students the opportunity to meet online for live sessions every week, have experience about remote work through mural boards, learn about how to design with designing tools such as CANVA, and overall build on employability skills.
Nisha: I completely agree. SACHA’s focus on experiential learning was a breath of fresh air compared to traditional courses.
Instead of just theory, we dove headfirst into practical application, making the learning process far more engaging. This hands-on approach solidified concepts in a way lectures never could. It naturally instilled critical and analytical thinking into the learning process, which is amazing.
Did those experiences impact your connection to the university as online students?
Mteeve: I would definitely say so – as online students, our connection to the university can sometimes feel limited. However, SACHA has played a pivotal role in strengthening our ties to the university community.
Through this program, we had the opportunity to interact and collaborate with diverse student groups, fostering a sense of inclusivity and expanding our network beyond our individual disciplines. By actively engaging with The University of Edinburgh initiatives and working closely with several staff members, we felt a deeper sense of belonging and connection to our institution.
SACHA provided a platform for meaningful engagement, empowering us to contribute to positive change within the university community.
Foster: Yeah, as an online student, sometimes you feel lost and no sense of belonging especially when you are worlds apart from the university. It feels like you are only on a program to obtain a degree but there is nothing that makes you feel a part of the university. All you do is learn, pass your exams or essays and before you realize, you are done with school with a certificate with no interesting story to tell. I wanted a different experience. I wanted an opportunity to meet other students who are not on the same program as myself, meet other faculties and staff of the university, engage in a life-changing activity where I could contribute to the university and its development. I must say that SACHA has given me that connection with the university. At least I know some people in the career services department, other staff on the SACHA program, the opportunities that can accrue to me through this program, meet wonderful people from all over the world who are also having their education at Edinburgh.
In all, I feel I have contributed to the university in some way, and I have something to show for it. If one or two of these initiatives are implemented, I can feel proud that not only did I pass through the university, but the university also passed through me.
Are there elements of SACHA that you would like to see applied within your courses?
Foster: SACHA gives you the opportunity to solve real challenges facing the university in groups and other organizations and it is very inclusive. I would like to see this initiative applied within the curriculum.
We should be able to provide students with real world-challenges in their respective disciplines and give them the room to offer solutions to those challenges. This will add to the practicality of the curriculum that we have all been craving for. Such initiatives shouldn’t also be discipline based but it should have an inter-disciplinary focus where students from different disciplines can come together and work on a particular project. This will promote inclusivity and diversity.
Mteeve: I feel the same – incorporating more experiential learning opportunities, such as group work, practical projects and purposeful discussions, could really enhance the overall learning experience for online students. Facilitating those diverse collaborations and opportunities for deep engagement within the curriculum could foster a sense of community and empower us as students to apply our knowledge in real-world contexts.
Nisha: I think that one of the more specific elements I’d also love to see integrated into the curriculum is the use of tools like MURAL boards for academic brainstorming activities. MURAL boards could be used from a participative lesson planning and curriculum designing to creating a transparent peer review system and/or for receiving constructive feedback. This more interactive format came in handy for the distance learners at least. Perhaps, the Learn page’s discussion boards may take a shift to a MURAL board appearance!
What are the key takeaways?
- Community is key. Providing ways for online students to tap into the wider university community is one of the best ways to make their academic experience meaningful and engaging.
- The desire for practical, real-world skills doesn’t change just because you’re a distance learner. It’s important to find ways for students to simulate ‘hands on’ experience even from a computer screen.
- Be intentional in the online tools you use. A simple change such as moving to a more collaborative learning platform like MURAL can help close the distance between online learners and their classmates.
Foster Osei Junior
Foster is an assistant lecturer at the University of Ghana Business School with an MPhil degree in accounting and currently on the WESAF Doctoral program Part 1 (MSr Sustainable African Futures) at the University of Edinburgh. He is an accountant and academic by profession and he loves working with organizations that advocate for sexual minorities in Ghana. He is passionate about issues on sustainability reporting and education, corporate social responsibility, ethics, and human rights advocacy. He is always willing to contribute to the greater good of society.
Mteeve Brian Amugune
A Clinician from Kenya & a Carl and Gillean Kjeldsberg Master of Family Medicine Scholar, 2023, at the University of Edinburgh. Mteeve has embarked on a journey of continuous learning and growth. With a passion for making a positive impact in healthcare, he eagerly participated in the SACHA program, seeking opportunities to connect with diverse student groups and contribute to meaningful change. Through this experience, he discovered the power of experiential learning and its potential to bridge the gap between theory and practice. Now, Mteeve is enthusiastic about sharing his insights and advocating for the integration of similar elements within the curriculum to enhance the online learning experience for fellow students.
NISHA DANIEL R
Dr Nisha Daniel is a Dentist from India. She is an Edinburgh Global Online Masters scholar(2023),currently pursuing Masters in Data Science for Health and Social Care at the Usher Institute: Edinburgh Medical School. Her interest to recreate reforms in the Global Health sector brought her here into SACHA’24.
The University has a license for all to use Miro https://www.ed.ac.uk/information-services/computing/comms-and-collab/miro
Miro is an online collaborative whiteboard platform. This is a service that allows you to work with others in real-time on a flexible canvas where mind-maps, flowcharts and more can be created.
Your course leaders can recommend this rather than MURAL.