Student experience and digital storytelling: Integrating the authentic interaction of students work, life, play and learning into the co-design of university teaching practices

Abstract

Designing strategic pedagogical change through the lens of a student experience that is yet to be experienced offers a critical frame for embedding the impacts of transition, uncertainty, belonging and the complexity of the student journey into the co-design of teaching and learning. A digital storytelling approach extends the notion of the student experience beyond the singular and metricised descriptions common in online student satisfaction survey instruments into a rhizomatic, resonant living community that resides in the intersecting spaces of work, life, play and learning. This paper describes an ethnographic-like model of collecting and evaluating the student experience through a semi-structured digital storytelling methodology that supports both co-design and cogenerative dialogue as a form of curriculum enhancement. The paper outlines how the Student Experience Digital Storytelling model was iteratively designed, deployed, and then evaluated through participatory action research-informed case studies at the University of Sydney Business School (Australia) and the London School of Economics and Political Science (United Kingdom) that embedded the student experience into the co-design of curriculum and assessment interventions.

Blocked out: reflections on the potential of intensive modes of teaching to enhance post-COVID-19 graduate employability in large-scale educational settings

“…This is alongside a commitment to the expansion of student support services, which can play a crucial role in mitigating the kinds of issues posed by the need to integrate student employability skills within large-scale teaching contexts (Bouchey et al, 2021;Lauridsen, 2017). At the same time, business schools have begun to place much greater emphasis on the integration of innovative pedagogical approaches into their curricula (Bryant, 2023;Petrovi c and Pale, 2021). In particular, technological solutions offered by the expansion of access to VR, AR and generative AI have begun to be leveraged to create more personalised learning experiences, from virtual business simulations and using principles of co-design, to online internships and digital storytelling, enhancing engagement and promoting interaction within large cohorts (Allen et al, 2021;Bryant, 2023;Petrovi c and Pale, 2021;Wilson et al, 2021).…”

“…At the same time, business schools have begun to place much greater emphasis on the integration of innovative pedagogical approaches into their curricula (Bryant, 2023;Petrovi c and Pale, 2021). In particular, technological solutions offered by the expansion of access to VR, AR and generative AI have begun to be leveraged to create more personalised learning experiences, from virtual business simulations and using principles of co-design, to online internships and digital storytelling, enhancing engagement and promoting interaction within large cohorts (Allen et al, 2021;Bryant, 2023;Petrovi c and Pale, 2021;Wilson et al, 2021). It is within this context that the consideration of switching to blocked or intensive modes of teaching is gaining popularity too.…”

Learning design ecosystems thinking: defying the linear imperative and designing for higher education at-scale

“…Scale is a complex ecosystem of multipliers and influences that define how it is experienced and the impact it has on the design of teaching and learning. Education at-scale can change the social experience and materiality of learning, relocating it to learning spaces inside and outside the campus, where self-directed learning and the intersections of life, work, play and learning reside (Bryant, 2019(Bryant, , 2023b.…”

Striking gold: navigating the education massification maze for work readiness

“…While addressing these challenges, it is also crucial to consider emerging strategies in large-scale teaching. Recent literature, including Bryant (2023), generally underscores the importance of addressing social isolation in large and scattered student cohorts and advocates for connected learning environments and a sense of belonging, aligning with the need for educational approaches that foster student engagement and active learning.…”

“…In exploring strategies for enhancing large-scale teaching, insights from recent literature offer valuable context. Bryant (2023) emphasises the need for connected learning environments to address social isolation in large cohorts. Huber et al (2022) discuss the transformative potential of connected learning in large classes, while Mantai and Huber (2021) highlight the shift in the educator's role from a directive role to a facilitative one in large-scale settings.…”