Design communication
Sarah Hand discovered one way in which to use Research-informed teaching (RIT) to expand the student’s learning experience.
Sarah set up a forum for level four students for the Design Communication unit. The students were divided into
seven groups and asked to contribute to the forum regularly, with weekly themes based on that week’s lecture themes.
Each week the students were expected to write an A4 report outlining the key topics discussed, their own contribution and a conclusion.
Sarah says, “The concept behind this was to expand the student learning experience and encourage independent and group research and exchange of ideas. It was also to enable/encourage distance learning by
tapping into something students are already familiar with – social networking.”
Each week the forum was closed prior to the start of the next, but remained viewable. This was to make sure that students posted on a weekly basis. The forum was monitored on a daily basis and the final forum presented a set of feedback questions for the students.
Intervention to promote good learning
Scholarship of learning and teaching can directly inform the overall learning experience of students within a programme of study. Current understandings of student learning in higher education have led the collaborative development of a systematic and curriculum-wide intervention to promote ‘good learning’.
Southampton Solent University’s Mark Udall says, “The goal of this intervention is to promote autonomous and self-regulated learning through the development of student reflection. The work draws on key learning theories and has resulted in a range of publications based on this research. In this sense, research into pedagogic practice impacts directly on the student experience through enhanced learning opportunities and outcomes.”