Student Experience Proceedings (LJMU)
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Session 23: Workshop: Improving impact reporting: a gameplay approach to understanding theory of change
No full textThis workshop offers an opportunity for colleagues involved in Access and Participation Plan (APP) and broader student experience activities to engage with the game ‘Change Busters’. Through gameplay, participants will enhance their understanding of the stages of a Theory or Change (ToC). The game aims to facilitate better intervention and evaluation design, ultimately contributing to better student outcomes.
Regulation of equality of opportunity, as mandated by the Office for Students (OfS) through the new wave of Access and Participation Plans (2024-2029), emphasises the importance of clear and robust evidence of which interventions are working, and why. Additionally, providing impact evidence of initiatives aimed at enhancing the student experience is also a critical component of the Teaching Excellence Framework (TEF). Our recent excellent TEF score indicated that providing more robust impact evidence could lead us to achieve a gold rating. Thus, it is evaluation must form an integral part of interventions designed to enhance the student experience.
A key tool to support intervention design and impact evaluation is the Theory of Change (ToC) model. A ToC provides a structured approach to outline how specific interventions are expected to lead to desired changes. It helps to define the challenges being addressed, the intended outcomes, and the activities planned to achieve these outcomes. Integrating both process and impact evaluations, and establishing measures of success for each stage, ToC can significantly strengthen the design and evaluation of an intervention.
Over the last 12 months, the Student Voice & Evaluation Team, situated within the Teaching and Learning Academy has worked with colleagues across professional services to ensure that staff are equipped with the knowledge and skills required to develop a ToC. This has been driven largely by the interactive game called ‘Change Busters’, developed by colleagues from Sheffield Hallam for Advance HE.
Improving impact reporting: a gameplay approach to understanding theory of change PowerPoint. Only LJMU staff and students have access to this resource
Session 33: Fostering inclusive and supportive communities of international students on MSc Management programmes though peer mentoring
No full textThe challenges facing international students in UK higher education institutions have been well-documented. They can experience culture-shock, loneliness and isolation, financial difficulties, and outright racism, all of which can compound the difficulties of operating in a new academic environment. Peer mentors can play a pivotal role in creating a supportive atmosphere, helping international students integrate into the academic and social fabric of the institution. The mentors themselves can also use the experience for their own professional and personal development.
In an ever-changing international market, we regularly welcome students from more than 20 countries to our MSc Management programmes. To address the diverse needs of these cohorts, we implemented a student mentorship initiative, selecting mentors from students who had completed a year of study at LJMU. As well as providing one-to-one peer support to new students both pre-and post-arrival, the mentors were encouraged to recommend and lead activities and social events during induction and the initial weeks of the semester.
Delivered by students experienced as both mentors and mentees, this presentation provides authentic insider perspectives into the journey of international students transitioning onto MSc Management programmes at LJMU. The student mentors will discuss their roles in supporting peers and reflect on their experiences. They will explore the significance of social events in cultivating a sense of belonging to both the academic programme and the university and reveal ways in which the initiative enhanced their leadership and other transferable skills.
Beyond highlighting positive outcomes, the presentation will provide practical insights and strategies for educators seeking to enhance the academic and experiential journey of international students.
Fostering inclusive and supportive communities of international students on MSc Management programmes though peer mentoring PowerPoint. Only LJMU staff and students have access to this resource
Session 38: HR Resourcing team in the community and promoting inclusion
No full textFor the past 18 months the HR staff resourcing team have been establishing links with local community groups to talk about the roles we recruit to within the university and how to apply for them. We want to expand this outreach work to as many groups as possible and share the benefits of working for us to breakdown some of the preconceived ideas about what working in a university is like and reach as diverse a candidate pool as possible.
In our session we will discuss the work we have done so far to promote LJMU as a welcoming, inclusive and supportive employer in the region and reinforce our commitment to being an active community partner. We will showcase the community contacts made so far – we have engaged with the Job Centre, Transform Lives, the Growth Company, and Mersey Care to name just a few of the organisations in the Liverpool City Region. Our wider engagement has also extended to attending various job fairs and we were the only Liverpool based university to have a recruitment stand at Pride 2023. We have held sessions on application and CV writing for individuals returning to work, survivors of domestic abuse and for new mothers who hope to get into part time work.
We want to share the work we are doing with the wider university, and we would love for all students and employees to be ambassadors for the university as an employer to attract as diverse a candidate pool as possible. The employee attraction strategy is an important part of the People Plan and as a major employer in Liverpool, we want to authentically demonstrate our commitment to the community we work and live in.
HR Resourcing team in the community and promoting inclusion PowerPoint. Only LJMU staff and students have access to this resource
Session 40: Students as agents of change: integrating the UN SDGs in Business School curriculum
No full textThis project reviews, maps and monitors the representation of the UN SDGs in the Business School curriculum. In doing so, it collaborates with students as agents of change to improve teaching and learning experiences. The project challenges the traditional approach of a one-way educational system where tutors have knowledge that can be seamlessly transmitted to students. Instead, students are partners who hold an active role and have a voice in the curriculum design.
The project adopts an action research method to explore the integration of the UN SDGs embedded in the curriculum in a meaningful and inclusive way (Astin and Astin, 2000). Data has been collected with the use of a digital tool that has been designed as a reflexive guide for further integration of SDGs into your curriculum, e.g. assessments, learning outcomes and action-oriented pedagogies.
The project outputs will be used to create a map that exhibits best practices in teaching sustainability and the UN SDGs in business education. Findings will be used as foundations for further reviews in different disciplines and Faculties across the university and, within the sector. Therefore, mapping the UN SDGs in the Business School curriculum is a ‘living lab’ (Rosenberg Daneri et al., 2015) that aligns with the civic agenda of the university and provides benefits for the faculty, the student community, and the wider institution and local communities.
Astin, A.W. & Astin, H.S. (2000) Leadership Reconsidered: Engaging Higher Education in Social Change. Michigan: The Kellogg Foundation.Rosenberg Daneri, D., Trencher, G. and Petersen, J. (2015), “Students as change agents in a town-wide sustainability transformation: the Oberlin project at Oberlin college”, Current Opinion in Environmental Sustainability, Vol. 16, pp. 14-21.
Students as agents of change: integrating the UN SDGs in Business School curriculum presentation. Only LJMU staff and students have access to this resource
Session 69: Building communities of practice through your module
No full textImagine!
The programme validation is complete, and your new module awaits creation! Faced with a blank canvas with learning outcomes, a myriad of considerations hover around your creative muse. Student voice, graduate employability readiness, current content, effective use of contemporary technology (AI and VR), critical thinking, a sense of belonging in an inclusive community, transformation of lives and futures, all whilst providing an excellent education and student experience beyond the curriculum and supporting communities. Where to start and where to finish?
Come and listen to the tutor and supporting students talk about how these considerations were brought to life via a museum, and practice insights, all wrapped into formative activities informed by student choice. Listen as the students share their reflections on how this led to the enhancement of personal development and evolvement of communities of practice, Wenger and Lave (1991), through group work and individual contributions.
Teaser comments include this module provided a “great way to expand my network”, our “opinions were valued” and heard, enjoyed a “real insight to real-life issues” and real “student co-creation”.
Further comments around impact included how the module helped extend networks with professionals, bridged divisions between senior practitioners and students looking to start their careers, built student confidence within a supportive and inclusive environment incorporating the student voice, all contributing to the harnessing of a LJMU community.
Imagine!
As a tutor and/or researcher, you are welcome to share and pick up tips on building communities of practice through co-creating module content, with students, widening networks and employability skills, and having some fun in class!
Building communities of practice through your module PowerPoint. Only LJMU staff and students have access to this resource
Session 72: Development - a community approach supporting individual achievement
No full textIncreasing pressures on resources and demands of metrics alongside the cultural shift in technology and AI, can leave colleagues without the time and resources to maintain their own development and reflective practice. Feelings of isolation may result and this model of encouraging developing practice encourages a safe learning environment and curates time and space for experimentation. Initially, peer support sessions where the use of Canvas tools, for example, could be enhanced by understanding how others were engaging with the technology were the bedrock of an effort to increase and improve digital capacity to create a stronger student experience. This early use of peer exchange was the model drawn upon to create a set of all staff Development Days. Institutional changes and technological innovations supported an evolution whereby support from expert colleagues worked alongside the peer led sessions. The days were a smorgasbord, an eclectic mix of enhancement and governance, informative and discursive sessions all designed to support the student journey. From being an annual event, the pace of change and the communication gains from the Development Days led to a structure where 3 times a year a collaborative mix of elements impacting teaching and learning were drawn together without losing the essence of peer support and enhancement of capacity. The culture was inclusive, using accessible language when discussing IT interventions, for example, and drawing in those who had no previous experience of presenting to peers and colleagues. The impact can be seen in the embedding of the events within the calendar and expectation that these will take place and be part of the review and evaluation of practice. The session will invite discussion about contextualising the process and building a roadmap to support and give confidence about changing practice in a volatile environment
Session 78: White, male and first-in-family: understanding student experience and helping them to succeed
No full textWhite working-class males remain most academically disadvantaged in our country, and many of those who progress into higher education continue to underperform (Hillman and Robinson, 2016). Inequality is often hidden behind ‘white privilege’ discourse, and literature shows that a focus on other marginalised demographic student groups at the expense of this group has resulted in them feeling forgotten (Cotton et al., 2016).
This presentation will share outcomes of a project, supported by LJMU Diversity and Inclusion Fund, on understanding barriers to academic achievement of white, first-in-family male students. The overarching aim of the project was to explore to what extent approaches to learning, patterns of decision making, seeking support, and beliefs about succeeding at university differ within this demographic group, and how various student groups could be supported in their university journey.
The study design consists of three parts: (1) semi-structured interviews with academic and professional services staff; (2) online survey of the student population, and (3) analysis of individual students’ experiences, using Q-methodology. Based on results of the staff interviews (19), student questionnaire (1300 first-in-family male and female students responded) and literature review, a ‘concourse’ was compiled representing different views, experiences, and behaviours of being a first-in-family university student, which was refined into 60 discrete statements. Q Methodology was then used in workshops with students to gain an in-depth understanding of subjective experiences of individual students, revealing areas of consensus and variations between their collective beliefs and views. The methodology is based on correlation and factor analysis of the ranked statements, and interpretation is supported by student commentaries during the sorting exercise and their demographic profile, reported separately.
The presentation will include insights from all stages of the research and proposed recommendations. The discussion will be focused on how the potential of white male students could be enhanced, by both academics and colleagues from professional services.
ReferencesHillman, N. & Robinson, N. (2026). HEPI Report 84, Boys to Men: The underachievement of young men in higher education: and how to start tackling it.Cotton, D.R.E., Joyner, M., George, R. & Cotton, P.A. (2016). Understanding the gender and ethnicity attainment gap in UK higher education. Innovations in Education and Teaching International, 53(5), 475-486, DOI: 10.1080/14703297.2015.101314
Session 29: How supported do students with disabilities feel at LJMU?
No full textRecent studies carried out in the UK show that the number of people with mental health conditions is increasing, with approximately 16% of adults suffering from symptoms of depression, and approximately 25% of people aged 17-19 suffering from a mental health disorder (Parliament, House of Commons, 2023). In a similar vein, conditions such as autism and ADHD are becoming better understood, and there is a rise in people who are receiving diagnoses for such conditions or suspect that they may have them, as our knowledge of neurodiverse traits in men and women becomes more complete.
As increasing numbers of students with mental health conditions and disabilities arrive at universities, the onus is on all universities to provide additional services to support students that they may not have traditionally done (e.g., providing in-house counselling services) and on staff to ensure that relevant sources of support are signposted to students so that they know how to access it.
This talk will discuss the findings of a recent project that aimed to determine how well supported students with disabilities feel at LJMU. A questionnaire was designed and disseminated university-wide to ensure that both those who have formally declared a disability to LJMU and those who haven’t could respond and give their views. The results we will present show a significant discrepancy in responses between faculties at LJMU and, in some cases, between students with different disabilities. They indicate that while the overall picture is positive from a university perspective, there is more that needs to be done to support these students to ensure a successful passage through their degree.
How supported do students with disabilities feel at LJMU PowerPoint. Only LJMU staff and students have access to this resource
Session 37: Utilising ‘Feedback fruits’ to enhance counselling and psychotherapy students understanding of contact work
No full text‘Psychological contact’, one of the six ‘necessary and sufficient’ conditions proposed by Carl Rogers in 1957, is fundamental to the practice of person-centred counselling. However, there may be times when a person may be in a pre-expressive or ‘altered’ state; for example, some people with Learning Disabilities, Dementia, or experiencing psychosis may struggle to achieve psychological contact.
Contact Reflections (CR) were developed by Garry Prouty as a way of developing and maintaining contact with clients by making explicit about something that is taken for granted. They are contact-orientated responses of the therapist that point to the most concrete elements of the shared world, behaviour, and experience of the client.
The development of the resource was prompted by feedback from students who noticed that some of their peers struggled with the concept of pre-therapy and contact reflections and were uncomfortable being introduced to pre-therapy as a role play because either they did not have the experience of people with learning disabilities or found the concreteness of contact work a bit patronising of the other.
Together, the two students, Maddie Hall and Ann-Marie Wilson, and the MA Counselling and Psychotherapy programme lead, Lesley Dougan, explored possible ways of enhancing the teaching of contact work. Maddie and Ann-Marie suggested developing a video with examples of the different CRs. The video was scripted and acted by Maddie and Ann-Marie and filmed in the counselling practice suites.
The short video allowed us to demonstrate not only the different types of CR but also the changing nature of the relationship between client and counsellor because of the use of CR. In the video, the counsellor\u27s use of CR facilitated psychological contact with the client, who was able to move closer, make eye contact, relax, acknowledge, and be in closer proximity to the counsellor.
Concurrently, the Faculty of Health TEL team was trailing Feedback Fruits and suggested that this could provide us with the structure to support students\u27 engagement with their learning.
Lesley filmed an ‘explainer video’ and written instructions to prepare students for watching the CR video. The CR video pauses at key points for ‘in video activities’, prompting students to ask, ‘What type of contact reflection was used here?’ and only proceeds once a response is submitted by the student. Students are given feedback about the accuracy of their answers in real-time and then offered an opportunity to reflect on the material and how it has impacted them.
Year One counselling and psychotherapy students were able to access the resource before the lecture on Pre-Therapy and Contact Work. Students who accessed the resources commented on its positive impact on their understanding of contact reflections.
Utilising ‘Feedback fruits’ to enhance counselling and psychotherapy students understanding of contact work PowerPoint. Only LJMU staff and students have access to this resource
Session 46: Lightning talk: Collaborative learning in a multilinguistic and cultural space
No full textThe session will explore the learning from a multicultural, multidisciplinary European project working with Armenian partners to build a shared knowledge base relating to pedagogic design of teaching. In sharing understanding about teaching practice and the governance of achievement within a module framework the session will review the process of achieving engagement with staff in diverse institutions to achieve collaborative goals. Drawing both on the development of international community building and improving practice in diversity the session will encourage thinking about lessons from the project which can have cross discipline application. The session will highlight the pathway to achieving collaboration and diversity in a complex environment and suggest tools to engage fellow teaching staff in preparing for and responding to times of uncertainty and rapid change.
Collaborative learning in a multilinguistic and cultural space PowerPoint. Only LJMU staff and students have access to this resource
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