A Model for Academic EngagementCross Team Working to Enhance the Student Learning Experience

Jason Boulter

LJMU

Working With Academics

Who Do You Work With?

Why Do We Want To?

• A group of Programme Managers but specifically with no

management responsibility

• Disparate individuals in terms of experience, skills, motivation

• Sense that senior management wanted us to tell them what to

do – “Fix” the problem for them

• Individual DNA’s completed to determine focus of programme

• Focus on the Programme Managers working as a team and

taking control of their roles

Example One – Where They Were

Example One – What We Did

• Built up confidence of the team

• Encouraged them to focus on what they can do, not what they

can’t

• Took control of the role and look after each other

• Created Programme Managers forum

• One to one support ongoing

• Some have changed roles

Example One – What’s Happened

Example Two – Where They Were

• Wanted to build up student identity

• Wanted to improve student experience

• Wanted to address NSS results

• Lots of good things done already but needing focus

• All issues tied into design of the programmes

Example Two – Where They Were

• Stage One – Programme Leader focus group

• Stage Two – Peer focus group

• Stage Three – Student focus groups

Example Two – What We Did

• Stage One – Programme Leaders focus group

• Ideas

• Requirements

• Ambitions

• Motivation

• Commitment

Example Two – What We Did

• Stage Two: Peer group

Example Two – What We Did

• Stage Three: Student focus groups

• Likes / dislikes

• Want more / less of

• Delivery options

• Faculty based Skills Support Officers

Example Two – What We Did

• Student focus groups currently taking place

• Findings from all three stages to be presented to the

wider programme teams,

• Commence the rewriting of programmes

• Continued involvement and coordination

Example Two – What’s Happened

• Additional Faculty wanting combination of

both approaches

Next Up – Example Three

• Brought together our own team

• Encouraged the view of ourselves as ‘there to

help’

• Focused more on facilitating & developing

What We’ve Gained

Cautionary Tales