Moving toward student-faculty partnership in systems-level assessment: A qualitative analysis

Nicholas A Curtis,Robin D Anderson

doi:10.15173/ijsap.v5i1.4204

Abstract

Partnership models have been effective across many areas of higher education such as involving students as teaching and learning consultants, in course design and redesign, and as co-instructors. However, there are few systems-level (i.e., entire programs or institutions) examples of partnership work and virtually none in systems-level assessment. Systems-level assessment models, such as program-level assessment in the United States, are used to inform broad changes to academic programs. Thus, student input may be crucial. This study sought to explore the broad factors that underlie potential student-faculty partnership efforts in systems-level assessment. Participants were faculty and staff members based in the United States and the United Kingdom who engaged in student-faculty partnerships at the program and/or classroom level. Qualitative coding and analyses of interviews with participants resulted in seven primary themes. This study examines patterns evident in student-faculty partnership work across several areas of higher education and begins to lay the foundation for a theory of student-faculty partnership in systems-level assessment.

Highlights

Cook-Sather et al (2014) define student-faculty partnership as “a collaborative, reciprocal process through which all participants have the opportunity to contribute not necessarily in the same ways, to curricular or pedagogical conceptualization, decision making, implementation, investigation, or analysis” (p. 6–7)
Student-faculty partnership models diverge from long-standing power structures in higher education, allowing for more equal and effective consideration of perspectives to accomplish more together than is possible alone
This study explored patterns evident in student-faculty partnership work in other areas of higher education in order to begin the process of developing such a theory

Summary

Introduction

Cook-Sather et al (2014) define student-faculty partnership as “a collaborative, reciprocal process through which all participants have the opportunity to contribute not necessarily in the same ways, to curricular or pedagogical conceptualization, decision making, implementation, investigation, or analysis” (p. 6–7). For the purposes of this paper, systems-level assessment refers to the process of organizing the collection and interpretation of data (quantitative and/or qualitative) on the effectiveness of learning in ways that meaningfully inform and inevitably lead to changes to systems of teaching, learning, and development to improve higher education. Such processes go beyond surveying student feedback or listening to the “student voice,” as in the common practice evaluations in the United States (Fisher & Miller, 2008) or the National Student Survey in the United Kingdom (Ipsos MORI & HEFCE, 2018).

Objectives

Methods

Results

Conclusion