Developing an adaptable approach to integrating students as creators of knowledge as an engaging pedagogy; opportunities and challenges in adopting this philosophy.
Doctor Barry Ryan
Technological University Dublin
In an era of increasing metrification of learning; combined with a drive to centralise the student within their learning, is there space to firstly consider and, secondly, use alternative teaching and learning approaches? In the constantly evolving higher education ecosystem, students have been incorporated and integrated in the learning process through many emerging and evolving pedagogical approaches. However, successful centralisation of students often relates to the level of authenticity of their involvement in their own learning (Trowler, 2010).
In this active lecture, the integration of student designed research and research-like activities will be explored from a science context, however, the active lecture will be applicable to all disciplines and across all levels of undergraduate learning. Over a decade ago Neary and Winn (2009), through the ‘students as producer’ philosophy, suggested the positive effect on student learning through the inclusion of real-life, complex and unstructured research-like activities at the core of the undergraduate curriculum. In this approach to learning, students are encouraged to develop their understanding by carrying out research, or research-like, activities early and throughout their undergraduate studies.
Throughout the active lecture, evidenced based research, combined with practitioner-based experience, from the last ten years will be examined and used to underpin a discursive exploration of this teaching and learning approach. Hands-on activities will focus on supporting and enabling attendees to adopt a ‘students as producer’ approach to their practice. Specific areas of development include technology enabled synchronous and asynchronous learning in large class, as well as developing dialogic and synergistic pedagogic styles. Healy and Jenkin’s ‘research teaching nexus’ model (2009) will be used as a framework to understand the type of learning experiences the ‘producing’ students encounter; it will also be used as a springboard for participants to consider their own teaching and learning practice. Potential barriers and challenges to adopting new, or adapting current, practice will be unpacked, and recommendations detailed, so as to provide an enabling resource for participants to bring away with them after the active lecture.
Doctor Barry Ryan
Technological University Dublin
In an era of increasing metrification of learning; combined with a drive to centralise the student within their learning, is there space to firstly consider and, secondly, use alternative teaching and learning approaches? In the constantly evolving higher education ecosystem, students have been incorporated and integrated in the learning process through many emerging and evolving pedagogical approaches. However, successful centralisation of students often relates to the level of authenticity of their involvement in their own learning (Trowler, 2010).
In this active lecture, the integration of student designed research and research-like activities will be explored from a science context, however, the active lecture will be applicable to all disciplines and across all levels of undergraduate learning. Over a decade ago Neary and Winn (2009), through the ‘students as producer’ philosophy, suggested the positive effect on student learning through the inclusion of real-life, complex and unstructured research-like activities at the core of the undergraduate curriculum. In this approach to learning, students are encouraged to develop their understanding by carrying out research, or research-like, activities early and throughout their undergraduate studies.
Throughout the active lecture, evidenced based research, combined with practitioner-based experience, from the last ten years will be examined and used to underpin a discursive exploration of this teaching and learning approach. Hands-on activities will focus on supporting and enabling attendees to adopt a ‘students as producer’ approach to their practice. Specific areas of development include technology enabled synchronous and asynchronous learning in large class, as well as developing dialogic and synergistic pedagogic styles. Healy and Jenkin’s ‘research teaching nexus’ model (2009) will be used as a framework to understand the type of learning experiences the ‘producing’ students encounter; it will also be used as a springboard for participants to consider their own teaching and learning practice. Potential barriers and challenges to adopting new, or adapting current, practice will be unpacked, and recommendations detailed, so as to provide an enabling resource for participants to bring away with them after the active lecture.
