Students as Co-creators Symposium: Student mattering

Overview

Join us for the 3rd annual symposium on Students as Co-creators, where this year’s theme, Student Mattering, will take centre stage. Building on the success of our previous symposium, which explored “What works?” in co-creation, this event will showcase groundbreaking practices that highlight the vital role of mattering in the student experience.

While student belonging is widely recognised as crucial to success in higher education, student mattering adds an associated and vital dimension. Mattering is the personal significance students feel within the university – the knowledge that their presence, efforts, and contributions are truly seen, valued, and celebrated by staff, by peers and by the institution. It’s about more than just fitting in; it’s about knowing that what you do makes a difference, it matters!

Themes:

1. Peer learning and mentoring: How do mentoring relationships, including upward and reverse mentoring, foster a sense of mattering?
2. Co-teaching and co-research: In what ways can students and staff collaborate on teaching, research and knowledge transfer that amplify and celebrate the impact of student contributions?
3. Community service: How does students’ engagement in volunteering, environmental advocacy and/or social justice projects affirm their value within and beyond the university?

Event information

29 January 2025, virtual

Programme and Abstracts

Who is facilitating the event?

Keynote Speakers

Keynote title: Beyond the Grade: Making Assessment Matter

Traditional assessments can feel outdated and disconnected from real-world needs, frustrating students and stifling growth. This keynote highlights innovations from the Applied Humanities team at Birmingham Newman University, including ipsative assessments and Academic Life Coaching. We prioritise personal development, critical thinking, and lifelong learning. Join us to
rethink assessment for meaningful, engaged learning that ensures every student matters.

Panel Discussion

Panel title: An exploration of student mattering

Who should attend?

Teaching practitioners including: heads of departments, academic programme leaders and developers, lecturers, professional services staff supporting teaching and learning activities, widening participation and access staff, equality diversity and inclusion practitioners and learning technologists. 

A digital badge award will recognise presenters at this event.

Event Mobi

At Advance HE our conferences and events are powered by a platform called Event Mobi. Event Mobi can be accessed via any web browser or an app two weeks prior to events, and provides great opportunities to interact with other delegates, presenters and speakers. You also have the ability to personalise your own event agenda and many more things prior to, and on the day of the event.

Key features of Event Mobi include:

• Easily accessible: Via their app on the go, or on any web browser
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