FROM STUDENT VOICE TO CO-ENQUIRY - 2024/5

Module Overview

The importance of the student voice has grown within universities in recent years. Not only are students’ views and opinions now sought, but students are playing an increasing role in the decision-making processes in universities. The view of the student as a customer is now being replaced with the view of the student as the ‘co-enquirer’. This is linked to ideas about student learning and the transition from the view of students as ‘receivers of information’, to students as ‘producers of knowledge’. The implications and emerging issues and possibilities will be explored in this module. In addition to enhancing practice, the action research project may help participants to think about potential perspectives for their MA dissertation.

Module provider

Surrey Institute of Education

Module Leader

MAHON Dominic (Sy Inst Educ)

Number of Credits: 15

ECTS Credits: 7.5

Framework: FHEQ Level 7

Module cap (Maximum number of students): N/A

Module Availability

Semester 1

Prerequisites / Co-requisites

N/A

Module content

Indicative content includes:

TOPIC 1: Accessing and acting on the student voice (why are we interested in what students think?).

TOPIC 2: What do we mean by student engagement?
TOPIC 3: Learning from teaching vs. learning through research

TOPIC 4: Considering co-enquiry (research as pedagogy)

TOPIC 5: Designing the fit between the ‘expert student’ and the curriculum.

Within the timeframe available for a 15 credit module, we have to acknowledge that the extent of any action research will be limited. The focus in the module assessment is to appreciate the process as much as to gain significant research outcomes.

Assessment pattern

Alternative Assessment

N/A

Assessment Strategy

The assessment strategy is designed to provide students with the opportunity to demonstrate their achievement of the learning outcomes.

Thus, the summative assessment for this module consists of:

A written or oral assignment requiring a critical evaluation of a small action research intervention undertaken in collaboration with one or more students (LO 1 – 3).  This will include a critical evaluation of the process. Examples of the type of assignment topic that might emerge from the seminars could be:

• Evaluating student perceptions of feedback mechanisms and their need to respond


• Student understanding of their role in the learning process (why should we engage?)


• Effectiveness of mechanisms to enhance student perceptions of curriculum structure


• What do assessment methods say about the ‘implied student’?

Participants  have the option to present the results of their project as wither a written piece in the style of a journal article or an oral piece in the style of a conference presentation.

Formative assessment and feedback:

The formative assessment will be a written proposal for the action research project, encouraging participants to find a topic that is of interest to them; is achievable in the time available and is ethical in its implementation.

Each seminar will be informed by the results of fieldwork and independent study tasks, which will be posted prior to the seminar and on which peers will be encouraged to reflect and comment.

Module aims

• Encourage a reconsideration of the student role in higher and/or professional education.
•  Appreciate the student perspective of the curriculum (e.g. consumer, customer).
• Formulate approaches to increasing teacher-student dialogue.
• Challenge the teaching-research dichotomy.
•   Encourage active co-enquiry between students and practitioners.

Learning outcomes

Methods of Teaching / Learning

The learning and teaching strategy is designed to:

Challenge some of the dominant notions of students as passive consumers of information. Moving from the position of accessing and acting on the student voice as a democratising influence on the university, we will explore the notions of ‘research as pedagogy’ and the ‘expert student’. Participants will undertake a small scale action research project to test these ideas.


The learning and teaching methods include a total of 150 hours of study. This will include:

• (guided study) – including fieldwork


• (synchronous seminar)


• (independent study)

The fieldwork component of this module will require participants to engage with students in their own institutions or professional contexts in order to gain first hand data on the student experience and to engage in an aspect of student co-enquiry. The fieldwork may be embedded within the participants’ normal interactions with students.


Synchronous seminars will reflect the module content outlined above and there will be a guided study task for each seminar, the results of which will be posted and discussed online.

The learning and teaching methods employed in this module are strategically designed to embody the values of the SIoE:

• Integrity: Participants are encouraged to engage in authentic and ethical small-scale action research projects, fostering a commitment to sincerity and accountability in their academic endeavours.


• Respect: The module recognizes the diversity of experiences and contexts among participants, creating an inclusive space for open dialogue and shared learning, aligning with the value of respecting the equality of all contributors.


• Dialogue: Emphasising respectful and open dialogue, the synchronous seminars and online interactions facilitate critical engagement with diverse ideas, fostering an environment where differences are acknowledged, and mutual development is encouraged.


• Honesty: The commitment to sincere and frank feedback aligns with the value of honesty, providing participants with opportunities to critically examine the values and beliefs underpinning their educational practices.


• Challenge: By offering opportunities to engage critically and creatively with complex ideas and disrupt traditional pedagogic practices, the teaching team encourages participants to embrace the value of challenging entrenched norms in education.


• Trust: The cultivation of a supportive learning environment promotes collaboration through positive relationships, building trust based on integrity and respect among participants and the teaching team.


• Open-mindedness: The module aims to embrace diverse opinions and practices, fostering a commitment to mutual lifelong learning, aligning with the SIoE's value of open-mindedness in education.

Indicated Lecture Hours (which may also include seminars, tutorials, workshops and other contact time) are approximate and may include in-class tests where one or more of these are an assessment on the module. In-class tests are scheduled/organised separately to taught content and will be published on to student personal timetables, where they apply to taken modules, as soon as they are finalised by central administration. This will usually be after the initial publication of the teaching timetable for the relevant semester.

Reading list

https://readinglists.surrey.ac.uk
Upon accessing the reading list, please search for the module using the module code: GCAM008

Other information

The MA in Higher and Professional Education is committed to developing graduates with strengths in Employability, Digital Capabilities, Global and Cultural Capabilities, Sustainability, and Resourcefulness and Resilience. This module is designed to allow students to develop knowledge, skills, and capabilities in the following areas:

Global and Cultural Capabilities: The module encourages participants to engage in co-enquiry, which may involve collaborating with peers from diverse cultural backgrounds. Additionally, considering students as co-enquirers reflects a global shift in higher education towards recognising the importance of diverse student perspectives.

Digital Capabilities: Participants engage in online discussions, research, and potentially use digital tools for their action research projects.

Employability: The module requires participants to think critically and engage actively in their learning. These are transferable skills, valued in the job market. Moreover, the emphasis on engagement and co-enquiry prepares participants for collaborative work, which is another key skill.

Resourcefulness and Resilience: The module has a practical assessment. Engaging in action research, critically evaluating processes, and conducting small-scale projects require resourcefulness and resilience. Participants will have to navigate challenges and adapt to unforeseen problems. The practical assessment in the module therefore requires participants to demonstrate resourcefulness by creatively employing available tools and methodologies, while resilience is crucial for navigating challenges, adapting to uncertainties, and persisting in the face of setbacks during small-scale action research projects.

Sustainability: The module promotes quality education which is one of the UN SDGs. The module contributes to the UN SDG of quality education by fostering a dynamic learning environment, emphasising critical thinking, and encouraging participants to engage in collaborative action research. This approach enhances the quality of education by empowering educators to continually refine and adapt their practices, promoting a sustainable and effective learning experience.

Programmes this module appears in

Please note that the information detailed within this record is accurate at the time of publishing and may be subject to change. This record contains information for the most up to date version of the programme / module for the 2024/5 academic year.