“We have untapped data and insight at our fingertips; isn’t it time we embraced student voice to improve inclusivity and innovation?” suggests Kristen McCartney from Northumbria University. Here she makes the case that students can help inform and improve higher education
The future direction of Higher Education lies in the hands of students. Offering vastly different insights than university staff and alumni, to meet the needs of all students, not just those in marginalised groups, it is important to gather insight and consider the perspectives of all students.
We have around 38,000 students at Northumbria University who are independently surveyed by Ipsos’ National Student Survey, which is commissioned by the Office for Students (OfS), on behalf of the UK funding and regulatory bodies. Students are asked about the quality of their courses and their experiences of studying at their chosen university. This is important as it demonstrates that student voice is integral to the planning and decision-making of the university.
Digital learning fast-tracked following the pandemic
Over 332,200 students with declared disabilities entered UK universities in the academic year 2019/2020 – a figure that has grown 46 per cent in the past five years. Education leaders have entered a new phase where student opinion should be at the core of every action that affects the university.
The pandemic fast-tracked the world into an era where digital learning is now widely accepted, extending beyond learners with declared disabilities. Regulations such as The European Accessibility Act (Directive (EU) 2019/882) referred to as the “AAD”, based on the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (“WCAG”) framework, introduced additional digital accessibility directives for public sector bodies, including institutions of higher education, in a bid to grow the UK’s domestic talent pool and close disability employment and attainment gaps.
While the regulatory landscape was coming to terms with accessibility advocacy, the way students were being taught was shifting at a spectacular pace. The most significant change was the move into virtual learning environments, becoming the new normal for all students.
In the 90’s the use of technology for teaching was as sophisticated as an overhead projector, feedback was a show of hands in the lecture room or a paper questionnaire, and course handouts were photocopies. Fast forward to today, when more universities are listening to what students want, and digital transformation has changed the face of learning. Applied to the student voice, modern technology gives universities the ability to ask student opinions with ease and at pace. But it is more than this, it also demonstrates to students that their chosen higher education provider cares about what they think because they are proactively reaching out to ask them.
The importance of student inclusion
Higher Education leaders recognise the importance of student inclusion and making sure everyone feels like they belong and that they can be heard and engage with classmates. The undertaking of which is anything but easy.
More and more universities, including Northumbria, are turning to digital tools as a tactic to improve student inclusion. Engaging with our students and making digital course content more accessible using Blackboard Learn Ultra from Anthology combined with Ally helps us create more inclusive learning communities. These deliver multiple benefits for the university, and our students.
From the delivery of accessible course materials for all students to a staff digital induction and mentoring programme to improve their digital content delivery, the technology has enabled more insight-driven decision-making.
Another tactic higher education institutions can try is to build their education inclusion plans into their education and university strategies. This puts projects front and centre to leadership so that discussions and budgets can be allocated.
Inclusion projects that centre students’ voices
Some activities we’ve introduced at Northumbria that are worthwhile considering for your university are:
- Using Student Inclusion Consultants for projects brings partnership and the student’s voice in improving inclusion in all areas. Two of those projects reviewed courses for accessibility and inclusive learning content. The report was then shared with the relevant departments, and workshops were developed to support staff to design inclusive learning materials.
- VC Diversity and Inclusion Fund projects encourage staff and student engagement with Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion (EDI) across the University. We are working with students to improve the consistency of courses (to improve the navigation and signposting) as well as working with our technology partners and providing them with student feedback on how the products can be improved. One of our suggestions has already been given a place on the product roadmap for development.
- Another area to consider is collaborating with the Student Accessibility and Inclusion Teams to build staff and student accessibility toolkits. These toolkits provide information and guidance on assistive technologies and how to create inclusive and accessible learning content.
These activities can help steer universities to support the dedicated research and delivery of projects which has notably made us look at the accessibility of learning materials for students by department. This type of technology enables universities to design student support for students with diverse learning needs.
Delivering learning that is collaboratively produced
Astin’s theory of development from 40 years ago is still as true today, “The amount of student learning and personal development associated with any educational program is directly proportional to the quality and quantity of student involvement in that program.” As key stakeholders, student inclusion should also extend to the co-creation of curriculums, inviting students to share decision-making about course design and the format of course materials, including teaching and assessment.
Delivering learning that is collaboratively produced with staff and students will not only produce a thriving place of education but also thriving students and that is worth the time and effort.
This piece was written and provided by Kristen McCartney, Technology & Enhanced Learning (TEL) Manager, Impact and Engagement at Northumbria University
