Today is a big day,
(1 min read) My students will present in a research series at my university. I had the idea last semester when they submitted final essays for my Psychology of Learning and Teaching class. One was so good I found myself taking notes on it, and then I got thinking-
Hey, what happens when you are a student?
Well, you go to class and do the assessment and sometimes that’s it.
*sigh*
It just so happened these essays were due just before the December Holidays and so I usually get a stack of work to take home as my sort of ‘present’ from the students. As I read them I thought it was such a shame if these essays were just for Christmas. You know the RSPCA adverts that say ‘a puppy is not just for Christmas’? These essays should not be just for Christmas either. Learning should never be confined to the box, and even if there are hoops to jump through and different formats that we use to display our comprehension and application of topics, I wanted to go beyond and stretch it – for me and for the students.
So today at lunchtime I am expecting my students to present a speed-dating type version of their essays to the staff and students who attend the session. It’s a first step and I’ll be very pleased to be there listening.
*as a post-event note: They were great! It was a pleasure to see students stand behind their work, present with confidence, and begin conversations with staff and students that sparked genuine interest. Here they are: essays at the ready:
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