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Student Engagement with Learning Resources in Art & Design: Seeding Possibilities

This invited and peer-reviewed chapter forms part of a larger collection of investigations into best practice for creative engagement in learning resources given the common challenges facing “mature universities” in today’s environment, particularly given an general mandate to “empower students” and create “active citizens.” Considered a groundbreaking text, each chapter combines a staff member and a student in equal exchange. This chapter is the outcome of critical reflection and extensive contextual research on a Student Academic Partnership project carried out over 2011/12. The project was informed by practice-led research and archival research methodologies as well as focus groups with students. The written paper was formulated through additional contextual research and the use of secondary literature on educational theory and practice and research methodologies as well as interviews with project participants. Rigour was ensured as the paper was subjected to extensive peer review. Firstly this was through a double blind review of a proposal by an international panel convened by Dr. Professor Claus Nygaard, Professor in Management Education at Copenhagen Business School and then through the presentation of the full chapter at a residential peer review symposium at Wroxall Abbey in October 2012 with the editors and all participating authors in the anthology. This chapter makes a contribution to knowledge in demonstrating the potential of applying the methodologies and conceptual frameworks of a practice-led research approach to student engagement with learning resources. It reveals the inherent attitudinal changes required from academics to facilitate student-led and practice-led research partnership approaches to the exploitation of learning resources in art and design education. It also demonstrates to educators in other disciplines in higher education the nature of practice-led research in art and design. A practice-led research approach to student engagement is novel and its critical reflection provides a significant contribution to the field.