Understanding (SaP) Partnerships: evaluating what works!

‘Students as Partners’ (SaP) is a contemporary teaching and learning practice in higher education that has seen growing uptake in universities across Australia, and around the world. As an alternative to conventional models of practice, it repositions staff and students as active collaborators in a process of reciprocal learning and working (Healey, Flint, & Harrington, 2014). These reimagined partnerships are formed across diverse settings and for varied purposes. Students and staff come together as co-teachers, co-researchers, co-creators of curriculum and pedagogy, and co-inquirers within the higher education space (Healey et al., 2014). It is in this final place that this presentation is located. In 2017, 11 SaP pilot projects were implemented as part of a university-wide student strategy at The University of Queensland. Pilot Nine was allocated the task of evaluating the implementation of the program. The evaluation team, consisting of two student partners, two academics and a professional staff member, sought to explore and understand the phenomena of partnerships, and how students and staff perceive the experience of working in partnership. An early review of the evaluation literature indicated that there appeared to be a gap in the reporting of negative outcomes. Consequently, the evaluation team sought to explore both the benefits, and challenges experienced by students and staff throughout the process. A pre-post survey design elicited responses that highlighted both these aspects of the SaP projects. This showcase presentation will outline the evaluation design process, its implementation and the outcomes of the program evaluation. It will also focus on lessons learnt from the perspective of the Pilot Nine evaluation team, which as a result of early interactions within the team, adopted a highly reflective approach to the SaP process and outcomes. The original analysis, aligned with this insight, provides a notably rich understanding of the enabling and constraining mechanisms that may be at work within the SaP context. This presentation addresses the Pathways, Partnerships and Communities conference sub-theme in a literal way. By presenting the findings of an internal evaluation of a SaP university-wide program, it provides multiple insights into the benefits and challenges of students collaboratively working with staff across a number of contexts. As universities adjust to meet the ongoing demands of the 21st century, the Students as Partners strategy appears to support a model of cooperation and teamwork that can be beneficial to higher education. By constantly evaluating the process, new insights and understandings can only improve the practice for both students and staff alike.