Transcript Intro CRT Presentation

Introductory Level
Course Rep Training
name of trainer
associate trainer | sparqs
sparqs
 student participation in quality scotland.
 Aim: to improve student engagement in quality enhancement.
 2549 reps trained in the academic year 2010-11.
 89% found the training useful or very useful.
 Funded by the Scottish Funding Council since 2003.
Learning outcomes for today
Session aims:
 Develop your understanding of the course rep role.

Discuss the student learning experience and explore how you
can use it to improve your course’s collective experience.

Develop some of the skills you will use as course rep.
Exercise 1- Your course of
study…
Task
 In pairs, discuss the following questions:
→What course are you studying?
→What do you hope to get out of your chosen course of study?
→What do you like most about it?
→What would you like to change about it?
Exercise 2- Your rep role
Task
 What do you think the purpose of the student rep is?

What do you think some of the tasks will be?

What skills do you think you will need and develop as a rep?

How do you think being a rep will benefit you?
The rep role
Purpose

To continuously improve the student learning
experience in partnership with the institution and student
association by helping create solutions to problems.

To represent your fellow classmates’ views and opinions on
all matters relating to learning and teaching.

To provide both positive and negative feedback to staff.

To act as a communication channel between staff and
students.
The rep role
Tasks
 Introduce yourself to your
class.
 Gather student opinion.
 Provide feedback to staff
and students.
 Present student views at
meetings.
 Attend meetings.




Speak to people outside of
meetings.
Develop solutions to issues.
Pass issues onto students
association.
Contribute to institutional
activities.
The rep role
Skills developed
 Communication.
 Listening.
 Networking.
 Relationship building.
 Reflection.
 Presentation.






Organisation.
Report writing.
Diplomacy.
Negotiation.
Research.
Time management /
prioritisation.
The rep role
Benefits to you
 Learn new skills.
 Looks good on your CV.
 Networking opportunities.
 Background for future representational roles.
 Good experience for future employment.
 Can be validated on student transcripts.
 Make a difference.
Why is representation important?
Improved learning
experience
Dialogue
with staff
Student
views
YOU ARE
THE
EXPERT!
The Student Learning Experience
Short break
Exercise 3- Gathering student
opinion
Task
 Look back to Exercise 1 and, in groups, pick one of the
elements you like most about your course and one you would
like to change.
 Think how you would find out whether or not your fellow
classmates agree.
Gathering student opinion




Hands up before/after class.
Emails.
Face to face chats.
Online spaces:
→Facebook.
→Twitter.
→Virtual Learning
Environments.



Surveys.
Post it notes in tutorials.
Comment boxes.
Effective feedback
The A,B,C,D of Effective Feedback
Accurate
Depersonalised
Effective
Constructive
Balanced
Exercise 5- Developing solutions
Task
 Taking the negative element from the ‘Gathering student
opinion’ task, we want you to develop a solution to the
problem.
 You need to think about:
→What resources the staff have access too.
→How realistic your solution is.
→How creative your solution is.
Exercise 6- Getting your
problem fixed
Task
 There are no meetings for the next four months.
 How are you going to try and get the staff running your
course to take on your solution to the identifies problem?
Exercise 7- Attending studentstaff meetings
Task
 You can now pick either:
→You problem is fixed or;
→You problem is not fixed.

Now think about what you would do:
→Before you to go to the meeting?
→During the meeting?
→After the meeting?
Student-staff meetings
Before
 Where and when is the meeting going to take place?
 Find out what your classmates think about their learning
experience.
 Is there anything you want to put on the agenda? Get in touch
with the Chair/Secretary.
 Read any of the papers that have been sent round, including
the previous meetings minutes.
 Speak to other course reps.
Student-staff meetings
During
 Always be on time, if you are going to be late let the
Chair/Secretary know before the meeting.
 Take a pen and paper for notes.
 Sit where the chair can see you and raise your hand to
indicate you want to contribute.
 Remember the A, B, C and D of effective feedback.
 Ask questions if you do not understand anything.
 Support other course reps in the meeting.
Student-staff meetings
After
 Report back to your classmates.
 Check the minutes.
 Do anything you have been asked to do.
 Follow up any areas of concern.
 Did you achieve what you wanted to achieve? If not what are
you going to do about it?
Exercise 8- Closing the loop
Task
 How would you let students on your course let you know
what you have achieved?
Closing the loop





Stand up before/after class.
Emails.
Face to face chats.
Surveys.
Online spaces:
→Facebook.
→Twitter.
→Virtual Learning Environments.
Your future rep career

Additional training courses are available for students engaged
in quality enhancement include:
→Intermediate course rep training.

Online training resources are available via www.sparqs.ac.uk

If you’re interested in becoming a sparqs Associate Trainer,
recruitment days will be held in March/April 2011.

For further info about any of these opportunities, contact Iain
Delworth at [email protected] or phone 0131 622
6599.
NUS Scottish Executive Committee
President:
Depute President:
Women’s Officer:
Black Students Officer:
Disabled Students Officer:
LGBT Officer:
Mature Students Officer:
International Students Officer:
Block Members:
Robin Parker.
Graeme Kirkpatrick.
Kelley Temple.
Surya Prakash Bhatta.
Jay Wakefield.
Nathan Sparling.
Sheila Josey.
Nikki Holder
Correen Dickson; Gordon Maloney;
Beneta Brown; Stefani Millar; Paul Murphy
& Charandeep Singh.
Contact them by emailing:
[email protected]
Learning outcomes for today
Today we have:
 Explored your understanding of your role as a course rep.

Discussed the student learning experience and explore how
you can use it to improve your course’s collective experience.

Developed some of the skills you will use as course rep.
Thank you for attending Introductory
Level Course Rep Training!
Please fill in your evaluation forms and hand them in.
name of trainer (INSERT EMAIL
ADDRESS)
associate trainer | sparqs