Student Engagement

Student engagement encompasses various ways in which students become active partners in shaping their learning experience. The Higher Education Academy has developed a spectrum to illustrate the dimensions of engagement. The UK Centre for Bioscience is piloting a student network. We have also produced webpages for students to help students in their learning

Examples of the different types of student engagement are illustrated below (courtesy of the Higher Education Academy Student Engagement Group).

Individual learning

Students engaged in their own learning through formal academic study. For example

• Self-reflection about their own learning
• Participation in extra-curricular activities
• Learning with and from their peers
  • Creating reflective videos during practical classes

Curriculum design and delivery

Students involved in the design and delivery of their own learning. For example

• Evaluation during course with rapid feedback and response
• Students participating in research projects
• Students generating materials for others to use
  • The Essay Writing Guide: Written by Students, for Students, produced as part of the Students as Agents for Change project at the University of Exeter
  • Development of Enquiry-Based Learning for Undergraduates
  • A virtual laboratory for bioscience e-learning projects
• Post graduate students who teach

Discipline level

Student membership of discipline focused student networks. For example

• Membership of professional body, subject centre or discipline advisory groups
• Subject in discipline-specific pedagogic research, focus groups and surveys
• Student Award
• Bioscience student network

School / departmental level

• Staff - Student Liaison Committees
• Evaluation (usually questionnaires) at programme and course level
• Student involvement in internal subject review

Institutional level

Student representation on institutional bodies. For example

• Students engaged in institutional quality processes
• Student Union Activities
• Institutionally relevant items on NSS / questionnaires
• Student involvement in university governing bodies

UK policy level

Student membership/consultation on cross-sector working groups or projects. For example

• National representation on NUS
• Membership of National Student Forum (NSF)
• Representation on SPARQS steering committee (Scotland)

Additional information

The Higher Education Academy has recently published research on student engagement by Paul Trowler and Vicki Trowler. The research describes, analyses and condenses the international literature around student engagement. It provides information about a range of issues including: differing conceptions of engagement, the benefits of engagement, the range of possible motivations for attempting to improve engagement, and practical ways of making those improvements.

• An evidence summary, which distils the key statements that can be made about student engagement based on the available evidence. The document includes references to the relevant literature;
• A literature review, which describes and maps the international literature;
• A Framework for Action, providing a briefing for institutional decision-makers regarding the complexities, benefits and practicalities of improving student engagement; and
• A set of case studies, describing UK-based engagement initiatives in action.

Further information about the Academy's Student Engagement work