Without the student voice, education research risks answering questions that matter more to institutions than to learners. This is particularly important in an environment where measures such as the Teaching Excellence Framework (TEF) and the National Student Survey (NSS) place increasing emphasis on student engagement, satisfaction and partnership in learning. Low levels of student engagement or a perceived disconnect between staff and student priorities can negatively affect these outcomes. We began co-creating our education projects with student interns to address this problem.
What is co-creation?
Co-creation is the collaboration between students and staff. Projects involving co-creation draw on the expertise of staff and students, facilitating shared responsibility for the work and the benefits that result.
“Co-creation allows students to feel involved in their course and confirms that their opinions are incredibly valuable,” said a student intern.
How to implement co-creation effectively
Start collaboration early
Co-creation begins with the identification of a problem, not when we are already seeking a solution. Involving students early allows their perspectives to shape priorities and prevents collaboration from becoming a post-hoc exercise.
We included our student interns in brainstorming and bid writing for our education projects. One said: “From the start of the projects, we felt included and valued.”
Tackle hierarchy explicitly
For genuine co-creation, we must actively dismantle hierarchy rather than assume it will disappear on its own. Since students typically see academics as authority figures, early meetings can feel uncomfortable and inhibit open discussion.
“At the start of the first project, it felt odd to sit in a meeting with academics and feel completely on a level with them,” said a student intern.
One practical way to address this is to design meetings that prompt contribution rather than observation. In our projects, students initially found it difficult to move from listening to speaking, particularly when working alongside academic staff. That changed once we encouraged students to share their views, even when they felt unsure.
“The more the projects went on, we became more open with each other and, we believe, worked increasingly well as a team,” said another student intern.
Finally, tackling hierarchy means recognising different kinds of expertise. Academics on our team often led on formal outputs such as conference presentations or writing, while students took the lead on communication, design and student outreach. Playing to these strengths not only improved the quality of the work, it also allowed confidence to grow naturally across the team.
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Build confidence through structure, recognition and reward
Support confidence through clear roles, visible responsibility and meaningful recognition. We also advise recruiting students from different years of a programme to foster vertical mentoring. In our projects, we saw the biggest shifts from passive participants to active contributors when students had ownership over defined tasks.
Paying students for their contribution was also essential. Compensation signalled that their input was valued as professional work rather than voluntary goodwill, helping students see themselves as legitimate partners in the research. This, in turn, supports confidence and open discussion.
“Overall, we really enjoyed seeing some members growing in confidence as the projects went on,” said another intern.
Inclusion has to be visible in outcomes. Students helped lead events, developed systems and presented work beyond the institution, including at an Advance HE conference. Seeing their ideas taken seriously in external academic spaces reinforced the value of their contribution.
If you want students to speak with confidence, give them influence, responsibility and visible impact, not just a seat at the table.
Communicate in the students’ language
Effective co-creation requires communicating in students’ language, not institutional shorthand. When we trusted students to lead on how we shared messages (and where), engagement improved significantly, highlighting the importance of recognising student expertise in communication as well as content.
Within the project team, we also used communication to address hierarchy. Keeping language informal and discussion focused helped ensure that students and staff contributed as equals and did not reproduce academic power dynamics. If communication feels hierarchical, collaboration will, too. Use language, formats and platforms that support equality as well as engagement.
Co-creation, while perhaps daunting to academics and students alike, can help provide the answer to difficult questions. By involving academics and students, institutions can give both groups a sense of satisfaction and validation.
If you are in a position to set up a co-creation project for your institution, do it!
This piece was co-created with student partners, whose perspectives and experiences shape the examples and reflections throughout.
Jenny Harris is a senior lecturer, Federico Palmisani is a lecturer, and Greg Collinson and Zoe Mia are student interns, all at the University of Exeter.
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