Journal of Academic Development and Education JADE Issue 11 Summer 2019 | Page 26
Collaborative Cross Sectional Partnerships in
Europe (Erasmus +)
Ian Crawford ([email protected])
Abstract:
Over the last 5 years I have been fortunate to
participate in a number of Erasmus + Educational
Partnerships covering areas such as NEET, Gifted
and Talented, STEM, Teacher Improvement and
currently Women in STEM. These partnerships offer
key insights into European approaches and solutions
to many of our own priorities. This presentation will
hopefully provide insights to colleagues and look
ahead to future projects in light of BREXIT.
Teaching Students to Learn
Michele Bourne ([email protected])
Abstract:
Students arrive at university with existing knowledge
and learning strategies which have worked for them
in the past. The culture of learning at a university is
often very different and requires different strategies.
In order to be successful, students need to adopt a
new role within their own learning. Which practical
steps can educators take to help students through
this process and to explicitly facilitate it?
Over the past eight years, I’ve used an action
research approach to change the way that I teach
students in their first year at university so that in
addition to learning module specific material, they
can develop their autonomy, proactiveness and
awareness of their own role within their learning.
This harnesses the power of each student within
the classroom, making learning far more effective
and enabling students to transfer their existing
knowledge into the ways in which they manage their
learning in both this module, other modules and their
future learning throughout life.
26
SwattUp - The Social Learning Network *
Jayne Eagles ([email protected])
Abstract:
SwattUp (The Social Learning Network) has evolved
from concept to launch with the support of Keele's
KRISP program. The platform is now live, housing
students and tutors from more than 12 different
universities.
Our aim was to understand how students learn most
effectively and the University environment they
are operating in – in order to co-develop a peer-
to-peer learning solution that supports the student
learning journey. Our team interviewed students
and university staff through focus groups, online
surveys and one-on-one sessions which resulted in
the understanding that collaborative learning can
help students to close the achievement gap on their
peers, not only because it gives all students a voice
(including those left behind) but also because the
ever increasing information available to students is
making ‘thinking and forming answers’ exponentially
harder.
Since launching SwattUp, we have discovered
a multitude of ways in which the platform is
benefitting students and we are proud that the
connections being made online are being carried
through to the physical world through offline
learning collaborations, catalysed through the
platform.
Today a large number of students are not asking
questions and are falling behind - SwattUp gives
them a platform to re-engage and keep up with their
peers.