Students as Partners in Teaching and Learning
The Student as Partners in Teaching and Learning initiative aims to create a student-centred culture and partnership approach to teaching and learning (T&L) development and enhancement. “Students as Partners” (SaP) in higher education re-envisions students and staff as active collaborators in teaching and learning.
The initiative, facilitated by UCD Teaching & Learning in partnership with UCD Students' Union (UCDSU), seeks to move beyond capturing the “student voice” and student representation towards achieving meaningful student engagement. It focuses on developing a two-way dialogue between staff and students in relation to T&L activities complementing other existing student engagement practices across the University. Student Partners in Teaching and Learning (Student Partners) work collaboratively with members of the UCD Teaching & Learning team on a range of activities, enabling them to bring their perspectives and lived learning experiences to support work activities led by the unit. In the academic year 2024/25 we have five Student Partners.
Aims
The overarching aim of the Student Partners in Teaching and Learning initiative is to create opportunities for students to engage in educational development and enhancement activities, and further support student-centred approaches to teaching and learning at UCD. The initiative will focus on developing a two-way learning and teaching dialogue between staff and students in relation to T&L development and enhancements. More specifically the initiative aims to enhance:
- student and staff relationships through collaborative working
- sharing of knowledge and experiences between students and staff and between students and students
- the provision of student perspective on enhancements of learning and teaching
- the transferable skills of students
- the sense of belonging by students within the UCD community
Guiding Principles
- The values of trust and respect are central to developing a meaningful partnership where students and staff contributions are given equal consideration.
- It is recognised that students and staff bring different perspectives and expertise to the partnership and can learn from each other through meaningful collaboration.
- Partnerships are inclusive and value the diverse and unique experiences, background and knowledge of all parties.
- It is important to ensure clarity around the role of the different parties and these are clearly stated and understood.
- Staff and students will work collaboratively and share responsibility for the development and implementation of T&L activities.
- The initiative will be flexible and open to new ideas which can bring change and enhancement to teaching and learning initiatives.
Students as Partners 2024-25
Kaila Graham
Master of Library and Information Studies
Kaila is a master’s student in Library and Information Studies. She became a Student Partner in Teaching and Learning because she is passionate about training and education, and about the importance of collaboration in effective and meaningful learning. The educational environment is ever-changing and we need to be innovative and adaptable to the evolving needs of educators and learners to provide the best experience for all.
Niall Daly
MSc in Management Consultancy
Niall is a postgraduate student undertaking an MSc in Management Consultancy at the UCD Smurfit Graduate Business School. His decision to become a Student Partner in Teaching and Learning is driven by his background in student representation and his belief that, while lecturers are experts in teaching, students are experts in learning. Niall aims to strengthen student partnerships at University College Dublin and make a lasting contribution to the wider university community.
Sabina Adriani
MSc in European Governance
Sabina is a first-year Master’s student in European Governance, a double degree between UCD and Utrecht University. She previously obtained her Bachelor’s Degree in Global Governance from the University of Rome Tor Vergata. She is passionate about promoting innovative and inclusive educational strategies for students and staff. She joined the Student as Partners project to explore innovative teaching and learning methodologies and to understand how education is evolving with the development of new technologies such as AI.
Staffin Thomas Shabu
MSc in Business Analytics
Staffin is currently pursuing an MSc in Business Analytics at the UCD Smurfit Smurfit Graduate Business School, having completed his B.Tech in Information Technology in India. He has always been fascinated by academia, and the Student Partner in Teaching and Learning initiative has provided the perfect opportunity for him to contribute to the continuous development of teaching and learning. He believes that student involvement in enhancing these processes, in collaboration with faculty, offers a balanced perspective that benefits both groups and enriches the learning experience in the long term. He is particularly excited about collaborating on initiatives such as exploring the ethical use of Generative AI in education, and ensuring its integration supports academic integrity. This initiative enables him to work towards creating a more collaborative and innovative teaching and learning environment, where the perspectives of both students and faculty are equally valued.
Ananya Singh
MA in Education
Ananya is a postgraduate student at UCD, pursuing MA in Education. She comes with a Bachelor’s degree in Human Resource Management and Physical Education from Delhi University, India. A founder of an NGO in India, she is passionate about creating inclusive learning environments that empower both students and educators. By joining as a Student Partner in Teaching and Learning initiative, Ananya has the opportunity to coalesce her academic expertise with the dedication to advance equitable and innovative teaching practices. She is particularly interested in exploring pedagogical innovations that supports the needs of diverse learners and inspire them to champion an active role in impacting the global community and purposefully contributing to the global workforce at large.
Student Partner Activities
Partnership Activity & Output |
Student Partner/s |
Staff Partner/s |
|
Active and Collaborative Learning Resource Development ‘Grand’ Designs for Collaborative, Group and Team Work: Contribution to web content |
Ananya Singh
|
Geraldine O’Neill
|
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Active and Collaborative Learning Spaces: Student advice for students webpage: Interviewed UCD students and contribution to the content Active and Collaborative Learning Spaces: Student advice for students VIDEO conversation |
Staffin Thomas Shabu Kaila Graham
|
Geraldine O’Neill |
|
Active and Collaborative Learning: Interview with staff (Dr Anshu Suri) Active and Collaborative Learning: Interview with UCD staff (Nicola Dervan) Active and Collaborative Learning: Interview with UCD staff (Dr Mark Pickering) Active and Collaborative Learning: Interview with UCD staff (Associate Professor Neal Murphy) |
Ananya Singh |
Geraldine O’Neill |
|
Active and Collaborative Learning: Interview with UCD staff (Dr Sherry Ishak)
|
Kaila Graham
|
Geraldine O’Neill |
|
Teaching and Learning Conversations Podcast |
Sabina Adriani
|
Leigh Wolf |
|
Student Voice Symposium Video Set Project overview https://drive.google.com/file/d/1pZRDRC0T3PaoXLkcBwd5ubDmjIyHcbHM/view?usp=sharing Videos: |
Sabina Adriani Niall Daly
|
David Jennings
|
|
Exploring Generative AI (GenAI) tools for Learning |
Sabina Adriani Staffin Thomas Shabu Niall Daly
|
Leone Gately Leigh Wolf
|
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Teaching Toolkit Thursdays Cultivating Belonging in the Classroom
|
Staffin Thomas Shabu Kaila Graham
|
Leigh Wolf David Jennings
|
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HybridE Dynamic Handbook Preparation Data sets created from project outputs, including: Technology Glossary, Case Study analysis
|
Staffin Thomas Shabu Niall Daly
|
David Jennings
|
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Reflecting and Sharing Student and Staff Partnership Experiences : ‘Reflecting Together: The value of a structured reflective process in a student-staff partnership initiative’ This paper is being co-presented at the 12th Change Agents' Network (CAN) Conference: The impact of student–staff partnerships on learning in an ever changing higher education environment, University of Plymouth, UK. (27th May 2025)
|
Sabina Adriani Staffin Thomas Shabu Kaila Graham Ananya Singh
|
Leone Gately Geraldine O’Neill
|
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Student-Led Teaching and Learning Activity Group Work Roadmap Resource |
Kaila Graham Staffin Thomas Shabu Sabina Adriani
|
Leone Gately
|
Previous Students as Partners
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Prachi GargMSc Human Computer Interaction |
Myia HarringtonBSc Social Sciences |
Alice O'DonnellMA in International War Studies |
Rida SayyedahBA in English and Creative Writing |
| Partnership Activity | Student Partner(s) | Staff Partner(s) |
|---|---|---|
| Co-creation of the guide: Empowering Students Through Assessment: Snapshot of the Student Voice (part of Inclusive Assessment Project) |
Myia Harrington | Geraldine O’Neill |
| Co-creation of student guide: Student Survival Guide for Managing Assessment Load (part of Inclusive Assessment Project) |
Prachi Garg Rida Sayyedah |
Leigh Wolf |
| Student Voices Podcast Series on Generative Artificial Intelligence (as part of the Teaching and Learning Conversations Series) |
Prachi Garg Myia Harrington |
Leigh Wolf |
| Webinar presenter to Teaching Toolkit Thursday Series - Supporting Student Learning | Alice O’Donnell | Leigh Wolf David Jennings |
| Development of a self-evaluation tool (part of Inclusive Assessment Project) |
Rida Sayyedah | David Jennings |
| Co-creation of resource: Assessment maps; addressing key issues (part of Inclusive Assessment Project) |
Alice O’Donnell Prachi Garg | David Jennings |
| Midterm Reviewers of SATLE Funded Projects | Prachi Garg Myia Harrington Alice O’Donnell Rida Sayyedah |
Aine Galvin |
| Exploring Generative AI (GenAI) tools for Learning (part of the Teaching and Learning Conversations Series) |
Myia Harrington Alice O’Donnell | Leone Gately |
| Co-creation of student guide: Enhancing the Student Role in Mastering Feedback |
Rida Sayyedah | Geraldine O’Neill |
| TEL All Series Organisation Committee Member | Prachi Garg | Leone Gately |
| Student-Led Teaching and Learning Activity - Creation of Guide for Faculty: Students’ Perspectives on Group Work |
Prachi Garg Myia Harrington Alice O’Donnell Rida Sayyedah |
Aine Galvin Leone Gately Geraldine O’Neill |
Learn More
- UCD Student Partners in Teaching and Learning Role
- Review the activities of the 2023/24 cohort of Students as Partners
- The initiative team consists of staff from UCD T&L (Leone Gately & Geraldine O’Neill) and student representatives from UCDSU (Tia Cullen) who will oversee the initiative design, implementation and evaluation in the academic year 2024/25. For further information please contact the initiative lead:
Leone Gately, Educational Technology Coordinator, UCD Teaching & Learning: leone.gately@ucd.ie
References
- 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). https://doi.org/10.15173/ijsap.v1i1.3119
