Sometimes Students Make the Best Teachers: Developing and Enhancing Graduate Skills

This paper will provide a discussion and demonstration of an experimental implementation of a new approach to fostering graduate skills and enhancing the learning experience of final year's students in Digital Media and Information Studies (DMIS), an undergraduate degree at the University of Glasgow. Teaching staff in the subject area worked collaboratively with students in a Peer Assisted Learning (PAL) study to develop a training programme for student demonstrators for the computer-based lab sessions that are a requirement in the DMIS level 1 courses. The process enabled the development of training in practical and critical thinking skills for the students, and developed a two-way process of mentoring and feedback that allowed both staff and students to learn from the process. The evaluation of the programme has indicated that involvement in this project has had a number of positive outcomes for students. Most significantly, it has enhanced and developed student graduate attributes, making a contribution to an excellent student experience. This initiative used existing methods in peer learning, and built on research such as Student Peer Learning & The AALL Professional Evolution, Equity & innovation Students Supporting Student Learning (SSSL) Symposium 2012. This paper will be delivered by teaching staff involved in the project, supported with video contribution from students taking part in the scheme as supporting evidence of their experience of the effectiveness of the activity on student learning experiences and employability beyond graduation. Evaluation at the end of the project evidences the positive effect for both sets of students, with qualitative feedback overwhelmingly positive. The University of Glasgow has developed Graduate Attributes as a core objective of student learning: "core attributes are valued and developed across academic, social and professional settings". This paper will reflect on the success of embedding defined UofG Graduate Attributes into this scheme: these include Subject Specialist, Confident, Effective Communicators, and Resourceful, and Responsible. Our project, has shown that these attributes are achieved not only through the classroom activities but also through application of training and accreditation, from participation in UofG GTA training, Subject meetings, and support to apply for UofG accredited Recognising Excellence in Teaching (RET) scheme. This in turn is aligned to Charted Institute for Library and Information Professionals (CILIP) professional accreditation for the single honours DMIS degree, ensuring our demonstrators graduate with a firm set of graduate attributes and employability skills.