Discover how to hear your students’ voices more effectively in 2023
If you’re looking to set up and run a student research group in your school or college so that learners can suggest new initiatives and feedback on their learning and development, look no further! We can help…
Together with three other Uni Connect partnerships across the country, have created a brand new set of Future Focus Uni Connect resources dedicated to setting up and running effective student-led research programmes.
Running peer led research initiatives has been proven to have multiple benefits including:
- Increased student engagement
- Enhanced student satisfaction with learning and development programmes
- Stronger school cultures, with students valuing being heard and feeling part of decision making processes
- Enhanced skills and confidence amongst student researchers
To discover the brand new Making Student Voices Heard resources just click here.
The free resources give you and your students access to everything you need to create and run effective peer led research programmes in your learning environment including:
- Tailored guides to running groups in both school and college environments
- Suggested templates for student workshops
- Example recruitment flyers and posters
- Suggested questions and feedback guidance for students to adapt and use
- Example research programme timelines
The resources also outline key insights from pilot initiatives run by each of the Uni Connect partnerships involved, to give you a head start when you’re thinking about setting up your own research programme. For instance pilots discovered that:
- Utilising badges gives student researchers a recognised identity and authority and helps reassure participating students
- Flyers, posters and social media significantly boost student participation rates and research engagement rates
- Having a designated staff member of staff to turn to is key to the success of the programme
- Setting up a dedicated online forum such as MS Teams helps student researchers stay on track and support each other
Speaking about the pilot run in East Sussex College Group, Katherine Fry, Uni Connect ‘Go Further’ Liaison Coach, commented:
“I’ve been so impressed by the impact of the Young Researchers’ programme. The students who took part proved to be excellent at engaging with their peers. Initially many found the prospect of interviewing daunting, but they rose to the challenge and participating helped them develop strong communication skills that will be invaluable in the future.
“The students told me that they enjoyed having the autonomy to have their own say about how the project should be run and their fresh perspective has proven to be really valuable. They have secured useful insights that have given me a completely fresh perspective on what events and activities students will find interesting and rewarding.”
The new Making Student Voices Heard resources have been created as a result of a unique Uni Connect collaboration between:
- Sussex Learning Network – projects, partnerships and practitioners’ resources dedicated to supporting young people to discover and progress onto exciting futures
- Future Focus – a centralised hub of impartial advice and information to support young people in Lincolnshire
- Humber Outreach Programme – a partnership of Higher Education institutions, schools and colleges across the Humber region
- Inspiring Choices – a programme delivering impartial careers and progression advice to young people across York and North Yorkshire
We hope the resources get your exciting student voice initiatives off to a flying start in the New Year. We’d love to hear how you’re getting on. To share your experiences or to find out more about the resources or to get further guidance, contact:
Our Schools Liaison Manager, Fay Lofty
Our Post 16 Liaison Manager, Lucy Jenks