Posted on 13 June 2012
Student engagement is continually developing within higher education as universities recognise the positive influence an active and engaged student body has on the student learning experience. For instance, higher education institutions in Wales are required to put in place a Student Charter this summer.
The University of Wales is dedicated to enhancing its student engagement, ensuring students are ‘at the heart’ of everything it does. It recognises students as the experts of learning and as part of efforts to support them in shaping their education, and has recently developed the ‘Student Representative Training Handbook - Trainers’ Guide’ (the Guide).
The Guide has been produced to assist and enhance student engagement within the University’s Affiliated/Accredited Institutions and Collaborative Centres. It is a resource for supporting the delivery of training for student representatives; explaining ‘what the trainer is expected to do’ and ‘what they can expect from the student representatives’. It provides a range of possible training sessions and exercises, based on the experiences gathered from student representatives across the University’s current provision. Training materials required for each session, along with their learning objectives are provided as part of this guide. The sessions cover key themes which include:
- Institutional Structure: Students will discuss and consider the academic infrastructure at their institution, and consider how the student feedback mechanisms form part of this.
- Role of the Student Representative: Students will work in groups to discuss the purpose of a Student Representative, considering what makes for an effective and efficient discharge of a Student Representative’s responsibilities.
- Rights and Responsibilities: Students will work in groups to discuss and consider the rights and responsibilities of a Student Representative
- Your Course: Students will reflect on their learning experience, considering how this can impact on the feedback process at their institution. Students will also consider how the feedback process can assist in developing their course of study.
The Guide will be rolled out through the 2012/13 academic session, with the Student Engagement Team available to hold practical workshops for staff at individual institutions. If you are interested to learn more about this guide or would like our help with any training events at your institution, please contact either Ben Gray (b.gray@wales.ac.uk) or Rhys Parry (r.parry@wales.ac.uk) of the University’s Student Engagement Team.