Students as Partners

Students as Partners is a collaborative pedagogical approach that pairs faculty and students to improve teaching and learning. Bovill, Cook-Sather and Felten define student-faculty partnership as a “reciprocal process through which all participants have the opportunity to contribute equally, although not necessarily in the same ways, to curricular or pedagogical conceptualization, decision-making, implementation, investigation, or analysis” (2014, p. 6-7). This kind of partnership repositions students and faculty as teachers and learners and ultimately redefines their traditional roles in relation to one another and to the institution (Mercer-Mapstone, 2017). Matthews describes a ‘student’ and ‘partner’ metaphor that, ‘imagines and makes way for respectful, mutually beneficial learning partnerships where students and staff work together on all aspects of educational endeavours’ (2017). 

The Student Voice

ASSETT used the "Students as Partners" framework to develop the Student Technology Consultants (STCs) program. The STCs are undergraduate student employees who partner with faculty to integrate the use of innovative technologies and pedagogies into their curricula. Given the success of this program, ASSETT has placed intentional efforts into elevating the student voice that is diverse, equitable, and inclusive. The use of the Students as Partners framework to elevate the student voice seemed appropriate as these names, ‘signal the inclusion of a group of people traditionally excluded from educational analysis and practice’ (Cook-Sather, 2018). 

Students as Pedagogical Partners Initiative

In fall 2023, ASSETT piloted a Students as Pedagogical Partners initiative. For this pilot, we hired three equity-seeking undergraduate students, Justin Dasher, Abi Horton, and Aneesh Waikar. These Pedagogical Consultants worked with Jacie Moriyama, ASSETT’s Student Services Manager to develop curricula for a formal Students as Partners initiative.  The curricula will guide student and faculty pairs through a semester-long seminar that provides foundational knowledge about the Students as Partners framework.

In spring 2024, ASSETT will launch its inaugural Students as Pedagogical Partners program.  We will be working with a small cohort of student and faculty pairs on projects around curricular design, assessment design, and project-based learning.

The goals of this program are to:

  • Improve teaching and learning through a shared partnership.
  • Challenge deeply held beliefs about the traditional roles of teachers and learners.
  • Provide spaces for equity-seeking individuals to improve teaching and learning. 

If you’re interested in learning more about this initiative, contact Jacie Moriyama moriyama@colorado.edu. 

Current Students as Pedagogical Partners

References

  • Bie, D. A., Marquis, E., Cook-Sather, A., & Luqueño, L. P. (2021). Promoting equity and Justice Through Pedagogical Partnership. Stylus Publishing, LLC. 
  • Cook-Sather, A., Bovill, C., and Felten, P. (2014). Engaging students as partners in learning and teaching: a guide for faculty. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.
  • Cook-Sather, A., Bovill, C., and Felten, P. (2014). Engaging students as partners in learning and teaching: a guide for faculty. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.
  • Cook-Sather, A., Matthews, K. E., Ntem, A., & Leathwick, S. (2018). What we talk about when we talk about students as partners. International Journal for Students as Partners, 2(2). https://doi.org/10.15173/ijsap.v2i2.3790 
  • Matthews, K. E. (2017). Five Propositions for Genuine Students as Partners Practice. International Journal for Students As Partners, 1(2), 1–9. https://doi.org/10.15173/ijsap.v1i2.3315
  • ​​Mercer-Mapstone, L., Dvorakova, S. L., Matthews, K. E., Abbot, S., Cheng, B., Felten, P., Knorr, K., Marquis, E., Shammas, R., & Swaim, K. (2017). A Systematic Literature Review of Students as Partners in Higher Education. International Journal for Students As Partners, 1(1), 15–37.