ACTIVE ENGAGEMENT STRATEGIES: STUDENTS AS CO-CREATORS OF KNOWLEDGE

Students as co-creators of knowledge moves the notion of learning from an acquisition model to one of participation, where the learning becomes part of a community through active engagement and contribution to the development of learning resources (Lee et al 2006). As a group of educators with responsibility for delivering a range of modules in combined subject programmes, that help develop transferable skills within Higher Education, our professional experience tells us that successful learning and teaching occurs when the strategies employed integrate our research interests, teaching practice and student commitment in a collaborative manner. This paper examines the differing methods we employ as individuals within the modules we teach and also discusses commonalities in our ethos as academic practitioners, including the importance of emotional and spiritual intelligence, compassionate leadership and risk taking. By embracing the opportunities we offer, which encourages engagement in meaningful discussions both with peers and tutors, designing personalised learning approaches and influencing the development of the their curriculum, students emerge as active learners and co-creators of knowledge. Our approach is in agreement with Meyers and Jones (1993) who state, "Active learning involves providing opportunities for students to meaningfully talk and listen, write, read, and reflect on the content, ideas, issues, and concerns of an academic subject." Our study expresses the new methods of delivery we are utilising to encourage students to become active participants in the classroom through critical inquiry, research and knowledge creation. It highlights the influential role of our professional expertise for the students' learning and emphasises the need for HEIs to invest in enhancing teacher proficiency whilst embedding teacher learning opportunities in our daily work to promote the development of professional learning communities.