Session 2 - Strand 2 (Online)

Abstract:

On the MSc and BSc social work degree programmes, we are supported by an Experts by Experience Group (EBEG) which is a long-established group of adults who have experience of social work intervention and/or social issues such as disability, domestic abuse, and mental health difficulties. EBEG is involved in a range of aspects of course design, development, and delivery. One such way is through an assessment called CREATE, which members of EBEG participate in with students. The premise of the assessment is for students to reconceptualise their understanding of creativity by learning about an individual person’s needs and experiences – in this case with a member of EBEG – and then presenting their learning to their peers. Students work in group to learn about a member’s story, through which they enhance and diversify their communication skills, before ultimately sharing their learning with the whole student group. The manner and method of this delivery is co-produced with the EBEG member and therefore requires careful listening as well as a deliberate effort to share power. This innovative assessment sits outside of traditional forms of teaching and learning and demonstrates how meaningful it can be to diversify teaching methods. Such an approach has a meaningful impact and legacy for learning, with students remembering the assessment and often commenting on it long after it took place. As part of this submission for the Learning and Teaching Conference, we wish to share our learning from these experiences, and we wish to do so in collaboration with members of the Experts by Experience Group.