Future of student learning

All UK HEIs have to do a Corporate Plan for the funding council (a strategic document that sets direction for next five years). Please forgive the corporate language a necessary element of the piece. Here are some things we are kicking around in our drafting group comments/ observations welcome - Does it reach as high enough, too high, too tame, too jargony, ???

Firstly sometimes the most basic assertions can be the most powerful:
Students are our core business. Enhancing the student experience, with learning and teaching at its heart, is the foremost strategic priority of the new Corporate Plan.

What might it look like:
Engaging with the learning process
Learning opportunities are most effective when they are authentic to the relevant discipline or profession, underpinned by research and requiring active engagement by students. Wherever possible the curriculum design should encourage social and collaborative learning, recognising the importance of the cohort/course experience and the opportunity to learn, not just with, but from peers. The learning experience should be rich and distinctive, providing students with opportunities to engage in the process of enquiry and participate in a vibrant academic community.

Becoming effective learners
Successful study in higher education is primarily about engaging with learning and scholarship. Students will be supported to develop the skills and attributes of learner autonomy and digital fluency that enable them to engage actively and creatively with their learning. The University's pioneering learning centres serve students' needs, delivering access to books, journals and online information sources. The University will continue to respond to the changing balance between information sources providing a rich range of resources in a variety printed and electronic formats.

Exploring the hypothetical...

A while ago we were tasked with exploring the perspectives of students in the (not too distant) future and express our thinking as a poster. A group of us worked on a expression of “What will students of 2012 expect to see?” The poster was a excellent feat of expression (due entirely to the rest of the group, not me!) but the comments within did not provoke the debate I would have liked so I am going to “replay” them here for the purposes of documentation and capture…and to invite the views of readers.

“What will students of 2012 expect to see?” focused on three strands:

Learning Opportunities - Personalised Curriculum - Staff of the Future

Learning Opportunities
Authentic learning activities designed to interweave students and staff prior experience and knowledge with high quality resources across a wide range of formats. They encourage engagement, collaboration and student empowerment.

Hypothetical examples of discussions via the "virtual learning environment" allow staff and students interaction:

“Please share your digital portfolio with your tutor and your peers through the course wiki, this is a perfect time to explore how each of you have approached selecting, reflecting your learning so far”

“Your level 4 critical thinking group will meet at our Crucible Campus in Second Life every Tuesday evening. Come and join in the discussion, guest lecturer this week Professor Lord Robert Winston.”

“OK, it’s my turn to facilitate the online discussion this week. The background reading is online and I've provided a “mini case study” from my own work context as the focus for discussion.”

“Have you agreed your negotiated assessment criteria yet with your tutor, these need to be fixed by 1 July; remember formats for this assessment are optional.”

“Sign up for your multi-disciplinary groups and add your profile to the group page by way of introduction. Peer assessment starts in two weeks time.”

"Hi, I use statistical analysis a lot in my work, but can't get my head around Harvard referencing at all! Anybody out there want to buddy?"

Personalised Curriculum
As learning becomes increasingly personalised, the University will need to offer a flexible curriculum that fit with learners’ needs and reflect the growing market for employer-led curriculum development.

So what is the role of the traditional degree in this context – can we move beyond business as usual? Hypothetal example questions from prospective students:

“To accommodate my work I may want to study my degree faster – 6 semesters in 2 years to minimise costs, or slower, with a combination of full time, part time and distance at the same time with pauses in the middle. Is this possible?”

“You do some good modules at Sheffield Hallam, but there are some elsewhere that look good too, can I pick and mix my degree - accumulate modules from different institutions into a single award?”

“I want to take a vocational course but my interests are eclectic, can I major in the vocational course and minor in a general interest course, or vice versa?”

“My employer has negotiated with the University to set a series of assessments, completion of which will lead to an accredited award. What study support can I expect from Sheffield Hallam?”

“I want to keep up to date in my profession, can I subscribe annually to the University for a programme of non-credit bearing professional development?”

“Can I take a generic undergraduate degree that gives me employability skills without having to choose a particular discipline to study?”

Staff of the Future
A committed and highly skilled workforce is essential to delivering a high quality and cutting edge learning experience. There is a broad range of staff contributing to that experience and we see professional development as vital to success.

Hypothetical extracts from the student charter 2012 demonstrate our commitment to this:

At Sheffield Hallam University you will engage with staff who are:
Commercial Consultants sharing their real world experience through dialogue and engagement in business and social enterprises
Academic facilitators focused entirely on designing and facilitating your learning
Cutting edge researchers within their discipline

Hypothetical student feedback from 2011/12:

“Working with staff who are keen for me to maximise my potential gave me great confidence to explore and take risks. It really surprised me that the staff had taken the time to get to grips with digital resources and our technology.”

“Working on my dissertation with a leading UK athlete, who is competing in the London Olympics, was exhilarating”

“Communication with other students and staff was great even thought I didn’t go into uni – shuspace was a lifeline”

“Talking online to the guy from America who wrote the book was great.

“I never thought I would be learning from a Chief Executive”