EXPLORING STUDENT PERCEPTIONS OF THE INFLUENCE OF ACTION LEARNING SETS, FOR LARGE LECTURE GROUPS, ON ENGAGEMENT WITH LEARNING

During early module health checks, students indicated they were less engaged in learning when in a large lecture format, leading to a negative influence on their module experience and achievement. Consequently, taking an Action Research approach, intervention took place to alter the mode of delivery from a large lecture to Action Learning Sets (ALS) with pre-lecture online content provided. The notion of ALS as a tool of delivery aimed to facilitate student involvement and active learning. This offered a collaborative platform providing students with the opportunity to reflect on their experiences and learn from others (Head and McGill 2002). This Action Research study explored student perceptions of the influence of ALS on their engagement with learning, via a questionnaire and focus group interviews. Preliminary findings suggest that students welcomed the idea of ALS and they ultimately felt more engaged with the module in a variety of ways. These included; positive engagement with lecture content, improved engagement in assessment and positive relationships with both lecturers and peers. Additionally, students highlighted limitations to the ALS approach to include; decreased contact time and frustration when commuting. Findings indicate several considerations for the use of ALS as an alternative to large group lectures and discussed further during the presentation.