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Peer Partnerships: Creating Collaborative Communities - multi-site teaching initiatives employed by Academic Skills, COR109 and the Library to progress institution-wide learning and teaching experiences
Conference presentation

Peer Partnerships: Creating Collaborative Communities - multi-site teaching initiatives employed by Academic Skills, COR109 and the Library to progress institution-wide learning and teaching experiences

Marama Liebergreen, Peter A Cahill, Sue Svensen, Beth Crawter, Johanna T Einfalt and Janet Turley
Learning & Teaching Week, 2017 (Sippy Downs, Australia, 25-Sep-2017–27-Sep-2017)
University of the Sunshine Coast
2017
url
https://www.usc.edu.au/View
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Abstract

Specialist Studies in Education
The forging of enduring professional peer partnerships creates collaborative communities which enhance both learning and teaching outcomes. First year support activities in higher education have consciously shifted from the deficit model of student support (Lawrence 2005) to embrace more holistic approaches and collaborative support models (Einfalt & Turley 2009; 2013) in an aim to promote positive student experiences, facilitate successful transition and widen student participation to strengthen responsiveness to emerging student need (Kahu & Nelson 2017; Nelson & Kift 2005). A lack of self-efficacy and preparedness contributes to first year students discontinuing university study (Kift, Nelson & Clarke 2010) and low academic self-confidence is a strong predictor of students not returning for semester two (Wilson 2009). The multi-level approach adopted by Academic Skills, COR109 and Library staff scaffolds from Kahu's (2013) framework to actively promote the scholarship of engagement. The co-developed initiatives reflect the research of Leece and Jaquet (2017) which suggests cross-institutional partnerships stimulate discourses of engagement. Collaborative modelling of professional peer partnerships encourages students to connect and share knowledge with their peers (Meer & Scott 2009) to promote lifelong learning for both students and staff (Boud & Falchikov 2006). The workshops, faculty drop-ins and blended learning resources developed and designed in consultation with Academic Skills and the Library are constructively aligned to COR109 curriculum and informed by scholarly transition research and relational pedagogy for first-year university experience (Nelson & Kift 2005; Peace & Down 2011), which aims to promote the scholarship of engagement (SoE) (Kasworm & Abdrahim 2014). The collaborative partnership strategically embeds academic and information literacies within COR109 lectures, tutorials and Blackboard resources which promotes teacher-student dialogue relating to assessment expectations while supporting student academic efficacy and learning transformation (Nicol 2010; Sadler 2010). This dynamic partnership ensures consistency of message and enables timely implementation of student-focused solutions. The holistic approach encourages students to connect with and learn from their peers through multi-site channels. These include the promotion and integration of support for learning services and resources within COR109, embedded Academic Skills workshops alongside COR109 curriculum activities and drop-ins where COR109 and Academic Skills staff provide an integrated model to support firstyear student needs and experiences. Further, Academic Skills, COR109 and Library staff partner to provide out-of-class collaborative support model at three separate Faculty and discipline Drop-ins: BUdi, PASSdi and HEIdi (Einfalt & Turley 2013). Moreover, a shared responsibility between Academic Skills, COR109 and the Library responds to diverse student needs across five campuses resulting in a suite of coordinated face-to-face and online supports and the awarding of a USC L&T exploratory grant to develop four interactive online resources to support students by providing a multi-dimensional learning platform. This involved Academic Skills, COR109 and Library staff developing digital objects, with the support of C-SALT, that provide students with blended learning activities to enhance academic and information literacy knowledges for the first-year university experience. These activities develop around transition practices that consider the cognitive and emotional processes experienced by students when confronting new academic expectations and skill development, and assist students in gaining a sense of belonging (Christie et al 2007; Stephens, Leach & Zepke 2015). The collaborative relationship between Academic Skills, COR109 and the Library align teaching, learning and assessment activities to systematically scaffold student knowledge and application of communication, academic and information literacy skills by integrating non-deficit, inclusive support strategies for positive student experience. This professional partnership continues to evolve in response to the University's student engagement strategies and student needs.

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