By Isabelle Ford – 5 Minute Read
On the 10th of July 2024, the Bristol Institute for Learning and Teaching held their annual conference. This year the theme was ‘Voice and Choice – Student Agency, Empowerment and Co-Creation.’ This theme clearly resonated with research interests across the university and struck a chord with academics, with 250 individuals in attendance. Attendees were spoilt for choice with over 90 presenters across 16 sessions running through four concurrent streams.
This year’s theme held particular significance for our increasingly diverse learning community, underscoring the need for a platform where students can voice their concerns and experience an inclusive academic environment. Both keynote speakers highlighted the importance of this. Tansy Jessop emphasised the necessity for academic institutions to transition from student alienation to active engagement, maintaining high standards while ensuring assessments are accessible and meaningful to motivate students. Jason Arday affirmed this, emphasising the need for an inclusive learning environment. Acknowledging the progress that has been made in recent years, Arday challenged us to continue pressing for change to mobilise equality and inclusion.
This Conference was certainly a testament to BILT’s commitment to tackle the challenges Arday was referring to. With presentations, discussions and workshops spanning from the importance of ‘Student Partnership’ to the opportunities and obstacles presented by ‘Digital Learning;’ BILT effectively gave a voice to those researching the pressing pedagogical challenges faced by academic institutions in the aim of highlighting the cruciality of inclusivity, engagement and accessibility.
As a student, there was a clear messaging that resonated with me throughout the day, reflected by my experience as a learner at the University of Bristol.
- Voice enhances accessibility.
- Choice enhances engagement.
Voice Enhances Accessibility:
Presentations throughout the day showcased the benefits of student consultation in identifying pain points and crafting effective solutions. The success of these tailored accommodations depended on understanding the nuanced needs of diverse learners within our academic community. This understanding required providing a platform for individuals who have been traditionally excluded, such as neurodiverse students and international students.
This was exemplified by Bronwen Burton, Caroline McKinnon, and Oliwia Jachowicz from the School of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, who partnered with five neurodiverse students. This collaboration revealed how certain teaching and assessment practices could be exclusionary. Feedback is now being used to create guidance for staff, fostering a more inclusive learning environment. Similarly, the BILT Associate Project, led by Maxine Gillway and Kevin Haines, focused on the challenges faced by international students. Student insights on pedagogical, language, and intercultural obstacles were gathered to provide staff with evidence-based guidance to enhance the experience of international students.
This actionable guidance paves the way for a more accessible and inclusive learning environment. Dawn Davies furthered this effort working with students to co-create solutions for auditory hypersensitivity in her innovative Neuroscience and Biomedical Science module. Students developed design solutions to present to building and facility stakeholders, raising awareness of conducive learning environments for all.
These examples, discussed at BILT’s conference, underscore the importance of elevating the student voice, especially those traditionally marginalised, to drive the change needed for accessible and inclusive educational environments.
Choice Enhances Engagement:
The second theme that pervaded the conference was the correlative relationship between student choice and subsequent engagement. Attributing students with relative agency to direct learning objectives, research areas and assessment processes has motivated learners.
Catriona Johnson highlighted that students prefer choice and agency, even when it involves higher cognitive demands. Educators often try to ease pressures of studying in a new cultural and academic context for international students by setting strict boundaries for assessments – a practice coined the “benevolent conspiracy.” However, students have shown a preference for co-creating assessments, leading to greater engagement driven by genuine interest. This aligns with Tansy’s keynote, emphasising the balance between motivated student engagement and maintaining institutional standards.
A similar approach was discussed by Kirsten Harris in her talk on the innovative module “Utopia: Text, Theory and Practice.” Harris allowed students to decide the weekly schedule through a consultative process. Based on this student-created schedule, students were posed with a problem and tasked to collaboratively respond, forming the basis of seminar discussions. Promoting the collective interests of students positions them as co-creators of knowledge, attributing them with a sense of ownership, moving away from paternalistic teaching methods. Unsurprisingly, this unit design won the Roemer Award for Innovative Design in 2023.
As a student at the University of Bristol, I would love to see unit design follow such a framework, augmenting students’ agency within their studies. The ability to pursue my own research interests within the ambit of a module would enhance my engagement, as I would appreciate the recognition as a co-producer of knowledge and the value attributed to my areas of interest.
My Personal Reflections:
As a neurodiverse student with experience studying abroad, the themes of accessibility and inclusivity resonated deeply with me. The BILT Conference was particularly moving in this regard, showcasing the dedicated efforts of staff to create a learning environment for all at the University of Bristol. Elevating the voices of traditionally marginalised groups is crucial for dismantling barriers that hinder their potential. For me, amplifying the student voice is essential for enhancing accessibility and enabling everyone to thrive, a link clearly emphasised at the conference.
While I am totally in awe of the current work showcased at the Conference, as Jason Arday pointed out, the journey is not yet complete. Further progress is needed, and I eagerly anticipate the new projects from the next cohort of BILT Student Research Fellows and what future conferences will bring.
