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Designing and Facilitating External Partner-Based Pedagogy in Higher Education: Implications for Authentic Learning, Student Engagement, and Perceived Relevance (107732)
Session: On Demand
Room: Virtual Video Presentation
Presentation Type:Virtual Presentation
Higher Education institutions are under increasing pressure to design learning experiences that engage students and demonstrate relevance to professional and societal contexts. Traditional classroom-based pedagogies have been criticised for limiting authentic learning and reinforcing a divide between academic knowledge and professional practice. External partner–based pedagogy, in which students collaborate with industry, community, or professional partners, offers a means of bridging this gap. Grounded in experiential and constructivist learning theories, such approaches require educators to act as designers, facilitators, and boundary-spanners between institutional and external contexts. This reflective study draws on the design and delivery of external partner–based learning activities across ten postgraduate life sciences courses in Scotland. Using reflection from staff observations, we examined student engagement during the course, the provision of authentic learning scenarios, and perceived relevance to learning outcomes. External partners contributed specialist expertise, real-world problem-solving activities, and employability-focused sessions, supporting a Trilateral Model of Benefits in which students, educators, and partners benefit reciprocally. Findings indicate that student motivation and attendance were highest when external sessions aligned clearly with module learning outcomes and assessments. When external speakers challenged students with real-life problems, engagement, participation, and depth of discussion increased. Exposure to diverse professional perspectives enhanced confidence, informed career decisions, and strengthened perceptions of curricular relevance. Overall, engaging external partners provides powerful opportunities for authentic learning and sustained engagement in postgraduate life sciences education. However, engagement becomes harder as cohort size increases, requiring integration, communication, and innovative approaches to scaling across programmes.
Authors:
Ana Da Silva Costa, University of Glasgow, United Kingdom
Rachel Masson, University of Glasgow, United Kingdom
Jed Lennox, University of Glasgow, United Kingdom
About the Presenter(s)
Dr Ana Da Silva Costa is a Lecturer in University of Glasgow.
Connect on Linkedin
https://www.linkedin.com/in/ana-da-silva-costa-10423183/
See this presentation on the full schedule – On Demand Schedule
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