Resources

The value of the learner voice

Fiona Colligan

Can you imagine that anyone would actively ignore a new learning strategy that would improve results, improve the learner's school experience, make learners more fit for the modern workplace, benefit the institution and also stimulate teachers themselves? No? Well, it's happening - right now. Educators are doing no more than paying lip service to one of the most fundamental facets of a successful education system - the learner voice.

We've been talking about personalised learning for long enough. There has been no step change towards this goal simply because we have not acknowledged the value of listening to the learner voice, and we have not put in place changes that will enable the learner voice to be heard. Now it must be time to act.

The needs of our job market and our economy have changed dramatically in recent years, as has our whole education system. However, learners are still rarely consulted; decisions are made which affect them and their education but take little account of their individual strengths, weaknesses, interests, goals or opinions. This is despite the acknowledged fact that when people have a voice and an influence on decisions and outcomes they are more likely to participate and to learn through participation.

The education system must be reshaped around the needs of the learner rather than the learner merely conforming to the system. In the world of Further Education, many colleges and work-based learning providers have already realised that in their incredibly competitive marketplace, listening to the learner voice is not just commendable, but is the difference between success and failure. The recent Foster Review acknowledged this and urged still further and faster change.

The Academy of Live and Recorded Arts (ALRA) is a prime example of an education institution reaping the benefit of giving the learner a voice. As a result of a range of mechanisms for ensuring students' views are heard, the Academy has made significant changes to its timetable, research and homework practices. It has also been able to use valuable information on how teachers can improve their effectiveness and, in some cases, whether a visiting teacher or director should be used again.

The students know that their opinions are heard, considered and acted upon. Consequently, they take the opportunity very seriously. Clive Duncan, Director of Acting Courses at ALRA, explains:

'We want students to know they have an effective voice. They must feel ownership of both the course and the college. These opportunities to offer feedback also help break down the teacher-pupil relationship that some students bring with them from school.

'Fear can easily creep in to any student facing a new environment like college, and with fear comes resistance. Therefore it is in the tutor's interest to take away the fear, thereby removing barriers to learning.

'All the feedback from learners keeps us on our toes - it's a rigorous examination of everything we do. In addition, it is a good opportunity for us to look into the classrooms and see what's been working and what needs to be changed.

'We are accountable to our students, some of whom pay substantial sums to be here, so we have to make sure we put together the best experience possible. Having this kind of scrutiny means we need good grounds for all our decisions. We recognise that we may know more than our students but we certainly don't know everything.'

Like me, you may have winced at the suggestion that school sets young people up to have essentially confrontational relationships in education. What a triumph it would be if we could make classrooms places where young people are motivated, engaged, aspirational, optimistic and willing to collaborate.

Giving the learner their voice also means learning is not confined to the classroom. Once they are engaged in the process and once they understand more about how they learn best, they are more likely to learn at home, in a museum, on the internet. The location isn't important. At the heart of all learning are the learners themselves and it is only by focusing on them that we will be able to enjoy a mutually pleasurable learning experience.

Teachers start teaching because they want to share a love of their subject, to see the pleasure that their subject brings to students and, perhaps, to be intellectually stimulated themselves. These early desires can easily be lost under the weight of day-to-day problems and bureaucracy. A willingness to hear the learner voice is a golden opportunity for teachers to feel challenged, energised and stimulated again. You and your pupils could be learning together towards a shared goal rather than pulling in opposite directions. You could use your professional skills as an educator to foster and support the development of responsible and active learners.

Schools and teachers should take a lead in developing ways to enable the views and opinions of learners to be expressed and bring about change. Although instances are few and far between, it is happening in some schools already.

At Eggbuckland Community College, an 'Access Manager Programme' was introduced to develop leadership and management skills in young people. Now students as young as 12 are taking control of ICT facilities at lunch and break-times. Learners manage rooms for others and operate lessons. They assess the ability of other students and mentor them. The ethos of the college enabled such a scheme and it has now developed to provide alternative student roles.

Showing an even greater commitment to the learner voice is Sands School, a democratic school promoting learner participation and the voice of learners in the management and day-to-day running of school life. Students have the right to choose what to study and to challenge the relevance of anything they are studying in dialogue with staff. There are ongoing discussions between staff and learners, stemming from a belief that young people want to develop their skills and be actively involved in organising their own education.

Students simply must be involved in their own learning because ultimately, it will affect their lives and the lives of those around them. This requires significant changes in the culture of education and the relationships between schools, teachers and learners. However, although the full extent of pursuing this agenda could result in a radically different education system, no-one is asking for educators to change overnight. It's simply a matter of taking determined steps towards that goal of personalised learning. It's time we all took our first step - are you ready to start listening to your learners?