Winners of the new SEDA Student Partnership Impact Award were congratulated at the MEd ULT prize-giving event on 22 November.

Six Imperial students won Staff and Educational Development Association (SEDA) awards for their work this year. The recent MEd ULT Presentation and Prize-Giving event provided the perfect opportunity for Imperial to celebrate the students’ achievements, and three of the award winners were in attendance to receive their SEDA certificates from Professor Alan Spivey (Associate Provost (Learning & Teaching)) and Dr Mike Streule (Director, Imperial StudentShapers).  

SEDA Awards

The SEDA Student Partnership Impact Award, in collaboration with Jisc, is an international recognition of students who have had impact at their universities relating to Educational Development. Applications for the award are submitted by students across all of higher education.

Student voice, representation and partnership opportunities are becoming increasingly important and students are being given more and more opportunities to support and lead educational change. This year marks the first year of the SEDA award which is awarded to students and student teams who have gone above and beyond their standard institutional role.

The six Imperial award winners won their SEDA awards linked to their StudentShaper projects. StudentShapers is Imperial's programme to support engaging with students as partners in Learning and Teaching.

Promoting students' academic success: evaluation of the BSc Medical Biosciences Academic and Study Skills (ASK) module using a student-centred approach.

Award winner Kate Kirina was involved in this StudentShaper project.

The purpose of the project was to update and develop the current ASK (BMB Academic Skills) module content, structure and modality of delivery, focusing on areas that effectively support student learning and those that could be further expanded or updated. Up until now there had been limited student engagement with module material and the content had been based purely on teachers’ perspectives. Sub-teams were created that reviewed virtual content in MedLearn and also looked at how face to face activities could support students.

Kate said: ‘I was glad to participate in the summer StudentShapers project with my department. I am extremely happy that my efforts and contributions to improvement of student advisory material was externally recognised and acknowledged with the SEDA award. It motivated me to further supervise the development of the project and contribute to its success.’

Co-production of Neuroscience of Learning resources for asynchronous teaching

Award winners George Zou and Jenny Ng were involved in this project.

The aim of the project was to co-produce learning resources to be used asynchronously as part of pre-existing blended learning courses at Imperial and Nanyang Technological University, Singapore (NTU). Students engaged with the project from inception to design, calibration, onboarding and evaluation. They also had the opportunity to engage with international collaboration with their NTU peers.

"The process has not only enriched my skills but has also made a significant contribution to the broader educational community." Jenny Ng

Jenny said: ‘I take great pride in being acknowledged for my contribution to the project "Co-production of Neuroscience of Learning Resources for Asynchronous Teaching in Higher Education," in collaboration with Nanyang Technological University in Singapore. The opportunity to participate in a project outside of my studies has been extremely enriching and fulfilling. The process of developing educational content aimed at enhancing students' learning experiences has not only enriched my skills but has also made a significant contribution to the broader educational community, which is very meaningful. Moving forward, I aspire to apply the critical thinking and collaboration skills honed during this project to further my studies and personal development’.

George said: ‘The Student Partnership Impact Award celebrates a period of great collaboration with my colleagues, from whom I learned many valuable skills and lessons. I look forward to developing collaboration skills further and continue making great impact in my future career’.

Student Impact

"Being externally recognised in this way demonstrates the impact that staff and students working together have on maintaining our world-class provision for education in the STEMMB disciplines". Dr Mike Streule Director, Imperial StudentShapers

Dr Streule said: ‘It was great to congratulate some of our students on their SEDA awards for their StudentShapers projects. Being externally recognised in this way demonstrates the impact that staff and students working together have on maintaining our world-class provision for education in the STEMMB disciplines’.

Staff and students who are interested in future StudentShaper projects can find out more here.

 Image credits: Sheri Djafer.