{"id":2203,"date":"2021-03-29T11:31:14","date_gmt":"2021-03-29T10:31:14","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/microsites.ncl.ac.uk\/casestudies\/?p=2203"},"modified":"2025-07-16T09:47:07","modified_gmt":"2025-07-16T08:47:07","slug":"students-as-partners-in-learning","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/microsites.ncl.ac.uk\/casestudies\/2021\/03\/29\/students-as-partners-in-learning\/","title":{"rendered":"Students as partners in learning"},"content":{"rendered":"

With Mark Jackson<\/strong><\/h4>\n

\"Photo<\/a><\/p>\n

School of History, Classics & Archaeology<\/strong><\/h4>\n

Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences<\/strong><\/h4>\n
\n

What did you do?<\/strong><\/h4>\n

Used student generated content to focus seminars; negotiated essay questions with students and offered a choice of format for a creative project.<\/p>\n

\n

Who is involved?<\/strong><\/h4>\n

Dr Mark Jackson, Senior Lecturer Archaeology.<\/p>\n

\n

For my 20 credit final year module ARA3016 (The Archaeology of Byzantium and its Neighbours) I have always built the seminars around student presentations.\u00a0 I divide students into groups and each week the groups cycle between different roles.\u00a0 One week a group will be asked to give a presentation, the next week they will be asked to take notes and lead questions, the next to critically assess the content of the presentation the next to provide an informal summary. This works well because it means that while one group is presenting all the students in the room have to be engaged and have a contribution to make.<\/p>\n

We cover different topics each week and I provide the groups with reading and resources to underpin their presentations.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
<\/td>\nPresent paper<\/td>\nThis group will take notes and lead the questions<\/td>\nCritical feedback<\/p>\n

on the\u00a0delivery<\/em>\u00a0of the presenters<\/td>\n

Critically assess the\u00a0content<\/em>\u00a0of the presentation<\/td>\nCritically assess the\u00a0layout of the slides<\/em><\/td>\nProvide an informal summary<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Presentation 1 – Amb\u00e9li a modern Greek village: life, cosmology and folklore<\/td>\nGroup 1<\/td>\nGroups 2,3,4,5<\/td>\nGroup 6<\/td>\nGroup 7<\/td>\nGroup 8<\/td>\nGroup 9<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Presentation 2 – Byzantine \u2018Magic\u2019. Powerful signs and apotropaic amulets<\/td>\nGroup 2<\/p>\n

 <\/td>\n

Groups 3,4,5, 6<\/td>\nGroup 7<\/p>\n

 <\/td>\n

Group 8<\/p>\n

 <\/td>\n

Group 9<\/p>\n

 <\/td>\n

Group 1<\/p>\n

 <\/td>\n<\/tr>\n

\u2026..<\/td>\n<\/td>\n<\/td>\n<\/td>\n<\/td>\n<\/td>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

As we have been unable to meet in person in 2020\/21 I adjusted this activity, requiring the presenting students to create videos of about 10 minutes in length.\u00a0 These were uploaded to a page on Canvas before the seminar.<\/p>\n

Until now the module has been assessed with an essay and an examination. For the essay, students can use the background research for their presentation to generate an essay question with my help, giving them an opportunity to look in more detail at aspect that is of interest to them.\u00a0 They have to agree this question with me in advance and the negotiation process here models the type of conversations we will have later around a suitable dissertation question.\u00a0 I help them adjust their questions to suit their ability to provide a critical approach based on available literature and wordcount.<\/p>\n

In 2020\/21, in place of the usual examination, I have substituted a \u201cCreative Project<\/em>\u201d \u2013 students had a wide choice of formats – infographic, video, tourist brochure, creative writing etc.\u00a0 For this assignment I emphasised the importance of making academic content accessible to a wider general public.\u00a0\u00a0 Students were marked against a version of the standard rubric that we use in Archaeology with additional criteria for creativity and technical skill.<\/p>\n

\n

Does it work?<\/strong><\/h4>\n

The videos were almost all without exception extremely high quality and I think achieved the learning outcomes very well. I could have delivered them, but I think it will have benefited those presenting to have done the work themselves and for the others I was able to explore any points missed in the presentations or which I wanted to bring out more or question in the seminars \u2013 so I thought the videos worked very well and made effective use of the time.<\/p>\n

For their projects,\u00a0 I was impressed both with the creativity that most of the students demonstrated and the way they underpinned their work with scholarly sources. As I plan the module for next academic year, I have opted to retain the creative project as it has worked well.<\/p>\n

There were a few learning points for us:<\/p>\n