In a survey of students on campus, several undergraduates shared their experiences at Deakin. Among some challenging experiences with tutors, students generally felt that most of their teachers genuinely cared about their progression and wellbeing. One stated the “majority of teachers…really care”, especially when they get to know students “on a personal level”. These students not only appreciated this personal approach, but also expressed a desire to connect with their teachers as they felt supported and valued, and this pushed them to do better.

Ever wonder what your unit would look like if students designed it? That’s a pretty radical idea – staff expertise and guidance is essential to the learning experience. But it is possible to partner with students to co-create and co-design your curriculum – what might that look like? In the CloudFirst CoDesign Project, we worked in partnership with Prakash, a Master of Business Analytics student, to identify opportunities for student involvement in curriculum design.

How do students feel about their learning experience at Deakin University? I’m Ella, a third-year communications student currently working as a communications support officer and student partner intern in Deakin Learning Futures. I went out and interviewed students on campus to hear about their experiences whilst studying here and how they feel about their learning at Deakin.