Collaboration and Co-Creation of Knowledge

Many university classes rely on lectures, textbooks, readings or other material that students are expected to “digest.” The instructor/student relationship has often been described reductively to privilege the lecturer construed as the active knowledge-holder over the student construed as  the passive receiver of knowledge. However, learning is a much more complex process that reveals that the student is active as well. Analytical skills and classroom interactions or discussions can create a collaborative learning environment since feedback from students can generate more questions and inform the presentation of an instructor, thus contributing to the co-creation of knowledge. In comprehensive co-creation models, the students may participate in a variety of ways in the design and decision-making processes of the course. In an online environment, instructors rely on the knowledge of technical experts who can inform the choices an instructor makes in designing a course. The creative spatial arrangement of material in a learning environment like Moodle/moodle.unbc.ca and the asynchronous possibilities of an online course may also allow for the relaxing of hierarchical perspectives. The involvement of guest speakers, information technology specialists, teaching assistants and students (whether face-to-face or online) contributes to the co-creation of knowledge and reflects a community effort in the teaching and learning environment.

INQUIRY

The following are questions for each of us to consider, because there are no set definitions of what collaboration or the co-creation of knowledge entail in envisioning meaningful pedagogy in critical moments of emergency e-learning such as these or even for the long duration of time:

  • How do we shift our thinking away from the view that the course instructor is the “expert” and the sole creator of knowledge and that the student is primarily the recipient of this knowledge?
  • How do class size and highly specialized subject matter have an impact on the ability for collaboration or co-creation to take place?
  • What kinds of collaborative activities and examples of co-creation can take place in a course? (faculty/faculty; faculty/TA?;  faculty/technical experts; faculty/registered students)
  • What does collaboration/co-creation of knowledge look like in an online environment?’
  • Is there a potential for collaboration to dismantle power asymmetries and hierarchical pedagogical practices and thus meaningfully add to teaching and learning? 

RECOMMENDED LINKS:

“Co-Creation of Research on Co-Creation of the Curriculum,” U of Edinburgh (A very good, readable overview of co-creation including definitions, student feedback, assessment of benefits and challenges):

“Students as Partners: developing a culture of co-creation at the University of Adelaide” (A brief discussion of the Students and Partners model in 3 case studies):

“P.O.W.E.R. – A Reflective Framework for Students-as-Partners Practices and Processes,” BC Campus, Heather Smith et. al. (This is co-authored by a UNBC prof and student.)

OTHER RESOURCES:

“A co-creation of learning and teaching typology: What kind of co-creation are you planning or doing?, International Journal for Students as Partners, 3(2). https://doi.org/10.15173/ijsap.v3i2.3953 

“Addressing potential challenges in co-creating learning and teaching: overcoming resistance, navigating institutional norms and ensuring inclusivity in student-staff partnerships.”Higher Education, published online May 2015

“An introduction to student and staff co-creation of the curriculum,”Teaching Matters Blog, 8 January, 2019 (A very good overview with definitions, graphic models for visualization and additional resources):

“Students as Partners Guide: Student Engagement Through Partnership A guide to the Advance HE Framework” (Mick Healey is the main figure in this area of study and many of the other works included here refer to his work):

 “We Are the Process”: https://mulpress.mcmaster.ca/ijsap/article/view/3176

Chemi, T., & Krogh, L. (Eds.) (2017). Co-Creation in Higher Education: Students and Educators Preparing Creatively and Collaboratively to the Challenge of the Future. (1 ed.) Brill | Sense. Creative Education Book Series, Vol.. 6

https://hybridpedagogy.org/do-you-trust-your-students/ An essay about moving toward self-assessment based on trust:

https://minerva-access.unimelb.edu.au/handle/11343/217993  A PhD thesis from the University of Melbourne (Australia) on Co-creation in Higher Education:

https://www.qaa.ac.uk/scotland/focus-on/technology-enhanced-learning/student-participation-in-co-creation  A useful site that explore the issue of student participation in knowledge/curriculum co-creation (with general guides, best practices, and specific videos):