- We will prepare for, engage with, and contribute to learning at Leeds
- We can expect each other to think critically and independently
- Students can expect students to broaden each others’ learning experience
- Staff can expect students to engage in autonomous and collaborative learning
High on the list of skills that employers look for in graduates is the ability to work both independently and as part of a team. The School of Politics and International Studies (POLIS) has developed a way of fostering both skills at the same time as improving academic performance: the POLIS student-led discussion (SLED) network.
The network began back in 2007/08 with a pilot for first year students. Led by second and third years, who all receive a day’s training in how to facilitate group discussions, students met once a week to explore topics covered by a particular course module. They were so enthusiastic about the benefits of the sessions that they took the idea and ran with it. The network has now expanded to cover all three year groups and now includes, in the third year, outside speakers, off-campus visits and film screenings, as well as a student-written online journal. The latest development, new for 2011, was a series of sessions in which students could discuss their dissertation ideas.
The discussions allow students to work collaboratively in a relaxed atmosphere, to test ideas, take on responsibility and improve their organisational and leadership skills. They have also proved to be a useful source of feedback for lecturers, with suggestions from the groups being incorporated into course modules.
Read more about the SLED network
Dora Meade, one of the SLED co-ordinators, explains, “The discussions give students a space to discuss and debate and allows them to learn from their peers without feeling that there has to be a right and wrong answer.
Dora Meade, SLED co-ordinator
It is the enthusiasm of the volunteer SLED group leaders that has made the network so successful.
Tom Dunn, one of the leaders, says, “I enjoyed being able to work with other students in a much more personal manner than just being another face around the seminar table. I was very nervous before my first session. I had visions of it all going horribly wrong, but it went fine. You’ll be nervous for the first ten minutes and then it will take off and the session will conduct itself. If you put the effort in to make it exciting and constructive, everyone benefits and it’s a lot of fun.”