Student participation in the design of learning and teaching: Disentangling the terminology and approaches.

Students are ever more involved in the design of educational practices, which is reflected in the growing body of literature about approaches to student participation. Similarities and differences between these approaches often remain vague since the terms are used interchangeably. This confusing and fragmented body of literature hampers our understanding the process and outcomes of student participation and choosing the most suitable approach for it.

Evaluation of a pilot peer observation of teaching scheme for chair-side tutors at Glasgow University Dental School.

Aim: To introduce and examine a pilot peer observation of teaching (POT) scheme within the Department of Paediatric Dentistry at Glasgow Dental School and its associated outreach centres.

Methods: All tutors teaching paediatric dentistry were invited to be involved in evaluation of the POT scheme. Participants were randomly paired with a peer, who then observed their teaching and provided constructive feedback.

Student perceptions of syndicate learning: tutor-less group work within an undergraduate dental curriculum.

This paper describes the implementation of syndicate learning (tutor-less group working) to teach the basic principles and skills of removable partial denture design within an undergraduate dental curriculum at the University of Glasgow. Student perceptions of syndicate group learning were collected through using questionnaires with Likert scales and through focus group interviews. The majority of students expressed positive views of syndicate learning that focused on the following themes: the added value of the group in terms of learning and in terms of social cohesion; the sense of responsibility to peers that led them to work harder; the autonomy of tutor-less groups that led them to improve their ability to justify their work; and the effectiveness of the syndicate groups in comparison with other learning methods.