Students seizing responsibility: A revolution of collegiality Amie Speirs, Zoe Welsh, Julia Jung and Jenny ScolesIntroduction: In our project Students as Colleagues in the Review of Teaching Practices, students were tasked with professionally reviewing the teaching practices of a paired volunteer staff member from a different discipline. This innovative project aimed to:

•Transition students into the role of colleagues.•Revolutionise the peer review process.•Allow students and staff members to work together in a professional, co- productive relationship.•Enable students to provide staff with an authentic insight into student perspective and practice. •Encourage students to take responsibility for developing professional capacities.

Method: In academic year 2014/15, 18 staff members and 18 students volunteered to participate in this pilot project. In Trimester 1, students attended collaborative training workshops and were encouraged to discuss and debate issues around teaching practices, learning, and feedback. During Trimester 2, each student was paired with a staff member and engaged with reviewing different aspects of their teaching practice through the following four review exercises:

1. Review associated online material and course documents2. Observe lectures, workshops and/or tutorials3. Conduct a focus group with staff member’s students4. Review feedback from assessed coursework

Conclusion: The project Students as Colleagues in the Review of Teaching Practices opened up a new dimension of self-awareness for all participants. It has increased the students’ employability skills and provided valuable feedback for the participating staff members. Both staff and students were able to gain a valuable understanding about each other’s experiences at university and were able to establish a professional rapport. The training and review exercises encouraged enriched and detailed feedback that provided refreshing and often different insights into teaching practices than a traditional peer review process. Through students taking responsibility for their relationships, their environment and what they say and do, a project such as this would positively contribute to continuing standards of excellence in teaching practices.

Personal skills: Students get the chance to develop professional capacities going beyond those traditionally learned at university by working in an unique relationship.

Personal attributes: Students can develop their tools of visibility, communication and trust in order to learn how to speak and listen as professional colleagues.

Intellectual skills: Students learn how to observe and evaluate professional teaching practice and give constructive feedback.

In this meeting we seemed to take our relationship to a new

and what felt, more equal, level of partnership. Sarah is very easy to talk to and enthuses

others with her ideas and future thoughts. I feel that I now have a vested interest in Sarah’s future within Edinburgh Napier and am

beginning to consider that we won’t end our partnership at the

end of this project. – A member of staff

I certainly came out of it with a more positive opinion than I went into it with. Most of my fears had

been allayed and it had been made clear that Laurence could potentially have a very valuable

input. Overall I could see the benefit of having a student as a colleague. – A member of staff

I have generally identified very positive teaching practices in all

aspects of Helen’s work and been very impressed by her commitment to her own CPD

and supporting her students. –A student

I was quite surprised how many small things stood out to me –

positive, negative and just neutral facts – which I will be able to give feedback upon. I thought it would

be more difficult.- A student

I was surprised about how good it felt that she was not

only open to my suggestions but had

already done something about it. – A student

I was surprised how open and interested Delia was in my feedback about my past

experiences with the Confident Futures workshops and online courses. This made me very happy and encouraged me in

thinking taking part in this study is a really good and useful idea.

– A student

Taking Responsibility: In order to become colleagues and conduct these review exercises, students had to develop themselves, overcome new challenges, and take responsibility. We see the acceptance of responsibility here as: 1. Responsibility for our relationships.2. Responsibility for our environment.3. Responsibility for what we say and do.

These responsibilities also represent crucial capacities inherent to professionalism and are key for effectively transitioning into employment.

For example, professions such as teaching will benefit from graduates being able to reflect upon a variety of different teaching practices as well as engaging in critical thinking and evaluations. Skills developed to conduct focus groups could be useful for those interested in business and marketing as well as numerous other professional settings. These skills can be mapped onto the four areas highlighted in the Conscious Employability Model (Edinburgh Napier University, 2012), as shown below:

Academic Strategy and Practice at Edinburgh Napier

Understanding of professional practices:Students have professional networking opportunities with meeting other staff and students, as well as developing an understanding for professional ethics like the importance of trust and confidentiality.

Quotes from participants’ reflective diaries about their participation in the project:

For more information, please contact Jenny Scoles:j.scoles@napier.ac.uk