Projects for students to partner with staff in the design and realisation of new and improved learning spaces in the College
A StudentShapers Space design project is an opportunity for students to work in close partnership with staff involved in the design and refurbishment of new learning and teaching spaces across the College. To compliment the Learning and Teaching Strategy a significant programme of works is envisaged in order to facilitate new pedagogies and updated curricula. This represents a significant investment and as key end-users of the space, students are well placed to work in close partnership with staff during the design phase.
Students engaged on Space Design projects may undertake a broad range of activities. From scoping examples across college and externally of key design features to bring into the project as well as undertaking a research role into the opinions and perspectives of staff, students or other end-users of the space. Students will use their expertise of how they use learning spaces and interact with their peers and staff during teaching and learning activities. They may also adopt a student-researcher role, going clearly beyond that of student representation to gather an in-depth understanding of opinions across the full spectrum of end users of the space. Working in partnership, designs will then be brought to a final stage and thus be strongly student led, whilst staff continue to contribute logistical and practical bounds to design.
Students typically engage with the workflow following the initial scoping and background infrastructure design completions, and thus are engaged on the design and creation of the visible and functional space that end users directly interact with. Students may also engage in the design and delivery of activities related to keeping end-users of the space informed of progress and any hand-over or ‘grand-opening’ events.
Partnerships may often adopt a range of time commitments, both during term-time (up to half a day per week on average) and during vacation time, depending on the broader work-flow of the project. Whilst students are on vacation they can engage in projects on a full-time basis, and immerse fully into partnership and project.
Proposals for StudentShapers funding and support should be made through the main How to get involved page. Further details of example projects can be seen below.
