STUDENT ENGAGEMENT:Locating ourselves and our practice

Vicki Trowler

What does the fox literature say?

Individual Student LearningStructure and ProcessIdentity Issues

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Engaged… or?

Transmission Model

A Working Definition

Student Engagement is the investment of time, effort and other relevant resources by both students and their institutions intended to optimise the student experience, and enhance the learning outcomes and development of students and the performance and reputation of the institution. (Trowler, V. 2010 p6)

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Why do we Engage?

To improve learning (and teaching)To make the curriculum more

relevantTo encourage participation and to

make our practice more democratic and authentic

To foster equality, inclusivity and social justice

What does the University hope to gain from engagement?

Increase throughput and retentionWin the NSSPR / Marketing opportunitiesProvide value-for-money to

customersCompliance with policy directives

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Engagement

Three dimensions:AffectiveBehaviouralCognitive

Two “poles”:CongruentOppositionalThe abyss of disengagement

Multiple dimensions

Congruent Engagement

Disengagement Oppositional Engagement

Affective Interest, identification

Boredom Challenge, rejection

Behavioural Attends class, participates with enthusiasm

Skips class without excuse

Boycotts, pickets, or disrupts class

Cognitive Meets or exceeds assignment requirements

Assignments late, rushed, or absent

Redefines parameters for assignments

Three Students

Real people…Though names have been changed

Real situations…Though identifying details omitted

Not necessarily at LU……but you can’t be sure!

Alex

Bella

Cal

So…

Who is engaged? Who isn’t?How are they engaged? How fully are

they engaged?How might you engage them more

fully?

Reflecting on our own practice…Salience - how important is this project /

initiative in your department / union / location compared to other competing initiatives?

Congruence - why are you pursuing this project / initiative? Is this goal congruent with the values and character of your department / union / location in terms of current practices?

Profitability - what are you hoping to achieve? How would this benefit students? Staff (of all kinds)? “The University”? Would they agree that these benefits matter?

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Resourceshttps://sakai.lancs.ac.uk

username: sakai.guest@gmail.compassword: welcomeselect “student engagement” on

top ribbonhttp://www.nusconnect.org.uk/campai

gns/highereducation/student-engagement/

http://www.heacademy.ac.uk/resources/detail/studentengagement/Research_and_evidence_base_for_student_engagement

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