Students as Bridge Builders
Various students shared their unique experiences as active participants in feedback groups, program committees, student representation councils (FSR), and other education-related positions. It became evident that students are not just recipients of education but are actively involved in shaping and improving the learning process. By participating in, for example, feedback groups, they become bridge builders between fellow students and teachers, gathering valuable insights on diverse topics: from specific course content and classroom experiences to broader aspects such as the clarity of online learning platforms, the effectiveness of various teaching methods, and overall academic workload.
“Encourage your students to take responsibility for their own learning process, not just to be 'present' in the lecture hall. Cultivating a sense of responsibility is crucial to effectively engage your students in education. This includes shifting programs from purely knowledge-focused content to an emphasis on interpersonal skills, learning abilities, and social responsibility.” - Teacher during an inspiration session.
Challenges within faculty culture: Why hierarchy doesn't help
In particular, the Law-in-Society program stood out as a shining example of effectively incorporating student perspectives. The program not only has a robust system, including feedback groups where students collect diverse feedback and a program committee that evaluates and selects this feedback, but it has also demonstrated that this input is integrated constructively into their teaching.
The importance of an open dialogue between students and teachers was prominently emphasized, along with some inspiring success stories. The challenges that students face in initiating changes, especially in integrating into larger faculties with their unique cultures, were also highlighted.
“An open dialogue between students and teachers is crucial for engagement, but this remains marginal, even within our faculty. To effect change, students need to feel valued, and this appreciation must be sustainably anchored at the organizational level within the faculty culture. A bureaucratic and complex hierarchy makes it very difficult for students to know where to start.” - Teacher during the inspiration session.
In addition to the successes, this also underscores the essence of organizational culture change, open dialogue, and ongoing constructive communication. Initiatives like the Students as Partners program serve as catalysts for awareness of these challenges and emphasize the need to enhance the connection between students and teachers.
“Building good education is a collaborative effort. By giving every voice a place in the dialogue on education, we create the space needed for taking responsibility and ownership of learning.” - Sjirk Zijlstra, education specialist.
Students as Teachers: The StuKO Project
In addition to the concept of students as partners, “Students as Teachers” was also explored with teachers. In a conversation filled with success stories, challenges, and research, led by Klaas de Zwaan (lecturer-researcher in Media Studies and project leader at VU CTL), the StuKO project was examined. This project aims to contribute to the professionalization of student-teachers.
“Enhance education by making more use of near-peer teaching, where senior students act as teachers. In certain situations, they can identify bottlenecks with their fresh perspective, as teachers sometimes quickly pass over knowledge they have mastered for years, and it may also escape them in the lecture hall. It's about the unique value of near-peer teaching, where students operate as complements rather than substitutes, especially in an ever-changing educational landscape.”
The event was an inspiring platform where students, teachers, and education experts came together to explore the role of students as partners in education. The common thread was clear: an engaged, open dialogue between students and teachers contributes to a dynamic and enriching educational landscape.