Abstract
This autoethnographic case study examines the experience of managers with hiring student paraprofessionals into various roles within peer-to-peer education models and programmes as a method to increase the diversity in learning development services in the Canadian context. Tailoring learning development through peer-to-peer education models for diverse student groups is an important aspect of how learning development supports students in higher education. Including the knowledge and perspectives of student paraprofessionals who better reflect the diversity of the population we serve has been an important aspect of our practice. Our purpose for this case study is to better understand how our experiences with paraprofessional staff diversity, over a seven-year period (2010-2017), have influenced our practice of learning development in an institutional context focussed on creating a more inclusive and welcoming environment on campus to better support the needs of diverse learners. The knowledge that we gained through this analysis of diversity and peer learning as an approach to learning development may serve as an example of the value of autoethnography as a method to provide useful insight to professionals and leaders in the field.
Highlights
Tailoring learning development through peer-to-peer education models for diverse student groups is an important aspect of how learning development supports students effectively in higher education (HE)
In addition to the enhanced programming and services being developed and implemented in our practice at a Canadian university, we have found as managers of learning support services that employing more paraprofessional student staff who better reflect the diversity of the student body is important for increasing the staff diversity within our department and improving the quality of learning development programmes and services
Our purpose for this autoethnographic case study is to better understand how our experiences with staff diversity, over a seven-year period (2010-2017), have influenced our perspectives on the practice of learning development in an institutional context focussed on creating a more inclusive and welcoming environment on campus that better supports the needs of diverse learners
Summary
Tailoring learning development through peer-to-peer education models for diverse student groups is an important aspect of how learning development supports students effectively in higher education (HE). In addition to the enhanced programming and services being developed and implemented in our practice at a Canadian university, we have found as managers of learning support services that employing more paraprofessional student staff (that is, student employees who receive training to work under the guidance of learning development professionals in supporting students) who better reflect the diversity of the student body is important for increasing the staff diversity within our department and improving the quality of learning development programmes and services Our purpose for this autoethnographic case study is to better understand how our experiences with staff diversity, over a seven-year period (2010-2017), have influenced our perspectives on the practice of learning development in an institutional context focussed on creating a more inclusive and welcoming environment on campus that better supports the needs of diverse learners
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