Students as partners in the learning process

1. Students as partners in the learning process Dr Ben Brabon

2. E-Gothicist • Overview of presentation: • Project Background: • Pedagogical context, initial data and aims. • e-Gothicist. • Key Themes: • TEL has an important role to play in facilitating effective peer feedback and student mentoring. • Web-based educational resources can help to develop academic communities that draw upon informal learning opportunities to foster mutual responsibility at the heart of the learning process. • The successful development of students as partners in the teaching and learning process is grounded upon a sense of ownership.

3. E-Gothicist • Project Background: • Research and teaching context – Gothic as a research and teaching strength within the English Department at Edge Hill University. • Approximately 250 students each year across levels 4, 5, 6 and 7 undertake taught modules with a Gothic/ supernatural flavour. • Pedagogical context: • Gothic identified as a literary form that invokes ‘threshold concepts’ that are ‘transformative’ (Wisker 2007). • As Hoeveler and Heller note in Teaching Gothic Fiction, more needs to be done to share good practice in the teaching of Gothic texts/modules.

4. E-Gothicist • Initial Data: • 67% of students surveyed thought that the VLE is an integral part of the teaching and learning experience for all of their modules. • 25% of students surveyed thought that the VLE is an integral part of the teaching and learning experience for some of their modules. • 67%of students surveyed thought that the VLE was used to improved their subject knowledge. • 58% of students surveyed thought that more training in the use of the VLE would improve the quality of their engagement. • 33% of students surveyed thought that the VLE is an excellent interactive resource that enhances their learning experience and is integral to their studies.

5. E-Gothicist • Aims: • To enrich the experience of students studying Gothic modules by utilising technology to promote partnership and flexibility in the mode/pace/place of delivery in order to enhance their performance. • To develop and share models of good practice for teaching Gothic Studies in order to improve teaching quality. • To advance pedagogic research into Gothic and e-learning in order to contribute to knowledge and understanding in this area. • A more integrated approach.

6. E-Gothicist • Pilot Study: • One Level 5 module: • LIT2035 Vampire Fictions (47 students) • Expectations • Delivery: Webinar • Assessment: Critical Blog • Formative and summative elements • Partnership • Pilot study developed using Edublogs platform • Online worksheets • Key Concepts • Student blogs • Visiting blogger series

7. E-Gothicist • Feedback: • ‘The Blog was a really innovative assessment – really creative.’ • ‘It has opened my eyes to different ways of reading vampire fictions.’ • ‘I think this module has encouraged my originality through the blog.’ • ‘Loved the course especially the ‘blog’ essay.’ • ‘My skills with Blackboard, the computer and the blog function have improved massively.’ • ‘I thoroughly enjoyed the blog – I thought it was creative and thought-provoking. I will be sad to see the module end.’ • Results: • Over 70% of students achieved at least a 2.1

8. E-Gothicist Recommendations: • Integrated • Expectations Partnership Multimodal Peer Review

9. E-Gothicist The Future:HEA funded Teaching Development Grant

10. E-Gothicist