An Action Plan for Student Engagement.

In UK higher education, student engagement, or the lack of it, has become the subject of much debate. While levels of engagement have clearly been impacted by the pandemic, this could have been a catalyst rather than the cause, as factors such as the spiraling cost of living, changing student demographics, and students juggling both education and work have also played a major role.  Although the reasons are multiple, it is important that educators do not throw up their hands in despair, but rather focus on practical strategies and techniques they can utilize to foster better engagement and therefore improved learning and outcomes.

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At Queen Mary University of London, participants on the Postgraduate Certificate in Academic Practice (PGCAP) Programme have parallel roles as students and educators. This makes them uniquely placed to gain a real insight into their students’ lives, as they too struggle to balance their work commitments and their coursework.  Many of them may struggle to engage fully with all aspects of the course, which offers them opportunities for learning and reflection on how to better facilitate engagement among their own students.

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This presentation will introduce an action research project co-created by PGCAP educators and participants at Queen Mary University of London.  It will discuss the findings of a participant survey, and present the subsequent action plan for student engagement, designed in collaboration with participants.  The three-step action plan, which can be adapted to use in any context, includes methods of measuring engagement and participation; strategies to increase students’ sense of belonging and ownership; and evidence-based teaching techniques proven to stimulate engagement. The implementation and evaluation of the plan will also be discussed.