Co-creation gives students agency over their education by inviting them to shape curricula, classroom activities, course materials and more. By drawing on student perspectives, lived experiences and aspirations, co-creation can result in more authentic and inclusive learning experiences and has the potential to boost engagement. But, while many academics and educators recognise the possible benefits of co-creation, fewer are confident about how, on a practical level, to make it work. Co-creation is not without its pitfalls. As a lecturer, it means giving up an element of control over your teaching, which can be challenging. But as this collection shows, you can start small – co-creation can range from co-designing entire curricula to asking students to help craft a single assignment. Below, you will find guidance on partnering with students to refine courses, enrich research and even influence assessment, from academics who are successfully using co-creation and seeing positive learning outcomes as a result.
Why centre the student voice in higher education?
Co-creation places the student voice at the heart of the educational experience, giving them a say in how and what they learn. Teachers who acknowledge students as partners and contributors to the learning process create a culture of respect for students and prompt valuable and diverse contributions that enrich curricula and build belonging. Read about best practices in co-creation and how to find the balance between encouraging self-direction while guiding students where needed.
Co-creation as a liberating activity: How to use student co-creation to bring active participation and collaboration into the learning experience, based on insights from the Liberated Learners open educational resource, as outlined by Terry Greene from Trent University.
Principles and practicalities of partnership working with students: For effective co-creation with students, university leaders need to move beyond surveys and get them involved in decision-making, write Deborah Gill from the University of Southampton and Simon To from UCL.
Co-creation does not need to stop because we’ve moved online: Co-creation is far more about mindset than suitability for a particular setting, and the evidence demonstrating its benefits is growing, says Catherine Bovill of the University of Edinburgh.
Co-creating with students: practical considerations and approaches: How to develop meaningful learning experiences by collaborating with students, rather than determining for them, by Stacy Katz from Lehman College CUNY.
Find a balance with student-centredness: Student-centredness has become hugely popular in higher education over the past decade, but it has downsides as well as benefits. Can it truly be applicable across higher education, regardless of context? Read insights from Arina Ziganshina of Dubai Medical University.
Partner with students to co-design university courses and curricula
How can educators collaborate with students to shape courses that truly meet their needs? Explore the ways in which technology and everyday practices can help you work in partnership with students, online or in person, to co-create curricula that are accessible, meaningful and relatable.
Co-creation that treats students as collaborators, not consultants: When students believe their opinions matter, their creativity, confidence and sense of belonging grow – and so does the impact of your work. Melissa Gerrior from Georgia Tech’s Center for 21st Century Universities and Jennifer Graham from Georgia College and State University offer five practical ways to bring students “behind the camera” in co-curricular programme design.
Three ways to use co-creation to embed critical thinking: Students need critical thinking skills to deal with the challenges the future holds. Moonisah Usman from the University of Westminster explains how co-creation in the classroom can help prepare them.
How to reimagine an existing subject: Immersive technology and student co-creation allowed educators to revamp a general education course. Kai Pan Mark and Wai Chi Rodney Chu from the Hong Kong Polytechnic University explain how they did it.
Co-creation of curricula with students – a case study: A method to enhance student learning through the co-creation of new scenarios for curriculum development, as outlined by Eric Tsui from The Hong Kong Polytechnic University.
Make co-creation accessible and inclusive
A one-size-fits-all approach to curriculum design does not suit increasingly diverse student cohorts. Drawing on a wide range of perspectives and experiences ensures content is meaningful and relevant to students. Read about structural support and approaches that make co-creation accessible so that all students can contribute.
How can Jenga build course co-creation?: Questions about accessibility led to events management students and educators using block towers to foster discussion of lived experiences and a sense of belonging. Here, Katy Proctor and Nick Davies from Glasgow Caledonian University offer their insights on co-creating module content.
What does it take to encourage students to use their voice?: The National Student Survey tells us students want their voices heard, but what if they don’t take up opportunities for feedback? Sam Perry from the University of Southampton looks at challenges of integrating student input (and wonders if chocolate is the answer).
Co-creation in experiential learning
When faculty serve as facilitators, mentors and mediators, they leave space for student-led innovation. Explore the opportunities and challenges that come with co-creation of experiential learning - and the practicalities of giving students a say in the objectives, outcomes and assessment in this context.
Enabling staff-student co-creation of experiential learning at scale: A reflective learning and assessment framework for staff and students to co-create experiential learning that is scalable and effective, as outlined by Simon Riley and Gavin McCabe from The University of Edinburgh.
Shape the next generation of project managers with co-creation: A cross-disciplinary, student-led project to design a simulation tool helped students find a safe environment in which to practise their workplace skills. Ralitsa Arnaudova and Pablo Salva from the University of the West of Scotland explain how it worked.
Embracing co-creation through experiential learning: Co-creation cultivates skills and mindsets that traditional classrooms may not be able to provide. For instructors, sharing control with students can result in a richer, more dynamic educational experience for all, writes Ed Berger of Virginia Tech.
Co-creation to foster belonging
Find out how the student voice can help decolonise and diversify university reading lists, widen participation in self-development schemes and co-create inclusive and accessible communities of practice.
Students as partners in diversifying reading lists: Bringing the student voice into the creation of a toolkit to decolonise and diversify university reading lists was a key purpose of a library project. Here’s what a team from the University of Chester learned about working in partnership with students.
Co-created research to boost a student mentoring scheme: A foundation mentoring scheme helped students widen their networks. But how to increase participation? Amy MacLatchy from the University of Westminster explains how involving students in a co-creation research project provided the answer.
Partnering with students to build belonging in a blended learning environment: A sense of belonging and community plays a major role in maximising student engagement. But how can educators cultivate an authentic community? Reimala Sivalingam from the University of Manchester explains.
Partner with your students to build belonging on campus: By actively fostering belonging, universities can cultivate a more holistic and supportive environment where all students can thrive, both academically and personally. Read advice from Tom Ritchie and Adam Alcock from The University of Warwick.
Use student feedback to improve the learning experience
Students’ insights can greatly improve future courses and initiatives. But how can feedback be meaningful if it comes from a small proportion of students? Learn how to boost student participation in surveys and to use resulting feedback effectively to shape learning experiences.
You said, we did – now what? Why student voice initiatives need a rethink: “Student voice” initiatives tend towards changes that can be easily packaged and publicised rather than those that demand time, resources and deeper consideration, say academics from Leeds Beckett University and Edge Hill University.
Want to know what the future of HE looks like? Ask your students: It’s time to embrace the student voice to improve inclusivity and innovation, and digital technology can be a massive help, writes Kristen McCartney from Northumbria University.
How to systematically improve your teaching using student feedback: A simple but effective tool for gathering student feedback that will help educators cement strengths and reduce weaknesses in their teaching, as explained by Jochen Wirtz from the National University of Singapore.
How a festival makes student surveys fun: A festival-style event can boost survey participation and show students that their feedback leads to change. Here’s how to run one, by Emma Craigen at the University of Edinburgh.
Give students a say in how they are assessed
When students have a choice in assessment, they are empowered to demonstrate their learning in various ways. Learn the benefits of giving students options and how to balance choice with academic integrity.
Democratic assessment: why, what and how: Five ways educators can embody democratic principles through their assessment practices to help students learn civic-minded values and behaviour, from Divya Bheda.
Negotiated assessment in online teaching – the same learning outcomes measured in different ways: Authentic assessment is one of the biggest challenges associated with online teaching and learning. Here Katherine Baverstock from RMIT University explains why negotiated assessment engages remote students and lowers the risk of cheating.
Make feedback a conversation to empower the student voice: Nurture feedback literacy through collaborative evaluation. Frederik Dahl Madsen and Kay Douglas from the University of Edinburgh show how a new approach works in two contrasting courses.
On students’ terms – offering options in assessment to empower learning: By giving students some control over how they are assessed, educators are likely to see a marked increase in engagement and motivation, writes Paul McFarlane from UCL.
Empower the student voice in community engagement
Co-creation can transform students into agents of change. Read about key lessons from two projects designed to give students first-hand experience of serving communities.
Fostering student co-creation to give back to the community: Engaging in local civic projects offers students meaningful learning opportunities, fosters co-creation and supports the community at large. Here, Martha Sullivan from Virginia Tech outlines the benefits of working with the Empty Bowls project.
Lessons from an interdisciplinary community engagement course for engineers: STEM curricula in the US don’t often expose students to perspectives on culture, history and power nor equip them with effective community engagement skills. Here, an instructor and students from Georgia Tech’s Center for 21st Century Universities share lessons from designing and teaching an interdisciplinary course that sought to address that gap.
How co-creation can benefit research
When academics invite students into the research process as equal partners, they can develop the skills to solve real-world challenges and enhance the quality of research outputs. Explore how to create opportunities, find the right partners and how to involve collaborators beyond the institution. And learn how co-creation between PhD candidates and supervisors can create more equitable postgraduate research practices.
How to collaborate with students on research projects: Students and academic staff collaborating on research projects offers many benefits for everyone involved. Louise Owusu-Kwarteng from the University of Greenwich explains how to do it.
How to find the ‘super’ in supervision: Co-creation can bring together research supervisors and doctoral students to unpick the tensions and challenges in the supervisory relationship and seek solutions, researchers from the University of Warwick explain.
Reflections on impact and co-creation in academic podcasting: What are researchers to do when conversations around vital topics such as the future of democracy are not reaching beyond academia? An academic podcast launched by staff at the University of Warwick has proved effective in taking the conversation to the public and policymakers.
Using co-creation to make young people equal research partners: Based on her experience developing a youth panel, Kathryn Woods-Townsend from the University of Southampton explains how her team collaborated with, employed and learned from the teenagers who are their lived experience experts.
Thank you to all who contributed their expertise to this guide.
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