In this blog, Prof. Louise Taylor at Oxford Brookes University, describes an activity that she developed, which is well suited to personal tutoring sessions. It is grounded in social-psychological theory and aims to increase students’ sense of belonging by strengthening their identity as a member of their discipline. The activity creates an essential space for students to learn about the impact of identities on their learning, reflect on their own identities, and engage in research-informed activities for strengthening their own discipline identities. By creating this space during personal tutoring sessions, students will be supported to enhance their university student identity, which will underpin improved academic outcomes.
Towards Inclusive Tutoring: Elevating Student Voices and Empowering Knowledge Co-Creation
As higher education (HE) strives for inclusivity and equity, rethinking the tutor-student dynamic is vital. Tutors, advisers, and support staff are central to creating a respectful, collaborative academic environment where students feel heard. David Ausubel aptly observed, “The most important single factor influencing learning is what the learner already knows.” This highlights the importance of valuing students’ prior knowledge in the advising interactions aimed at empowering students' educational development.
The Power of the Micro-Connection
In the hectic world of universities, we sometimes overlook or take for granted the human need for connection and the value of connections in shaping and moulding our experiences, relationships, and our wellbeing. Interactions with those around us can have a lasting impact, it can make your day, open lines of communication and create lasting bonds. For staff, connections can enhance our communities of practice which has been shown to be a powerful tool for professional development (MacPhail, 2014), reveal surprising links across institutions and encourage us to work in different ways. For students connections can create a sense of belonging, noted as critical to student retention (O'Keeffe, 2013), support wellbeing and make the learning experience more valuable and memorable.