“It’s become our home”: A student-centred understanding of campus and social learning
Dr Gemma Jackson from the University of Bradford
Universities spend millions on their estates and while some aim to create ‘sticky campuses’, others plan for more online delivery. There is a need to understand how students benefit from using campus throughout their degree and how they engage with online teaching. A qualitative longitudinal approach addressed questions of how students socialise and learn on campus, and what changes occur over time. Innovative place-based methods of walking interviews, participants photography and mapping were used to explore students’ experiences. This research has identified:
- physical and social preferences which influence students’ choice of space
- complex social structures and routines which change over time
- ownership of space and the spatial presence of institutional structures
- the impact of COVID-19 and campus closure on students’ learning and identity
It highlights the role campus has in supporting the wider student experience and its value as both a social and a learning space. There are implications for how Estates manage a campus and for the delivery of group assignments and online learning.
This is a hybrid seminar. Click here to join on Teams.
(Part of the PsyCen Seminar Series, in association with the Culture, Diversity and Social Behaviour Research Programme at Leeds Beckett University)
