It can often be true that in the daily grind of teaching, preparing and assessing, we often lose sight of the personal experience each student is having. Their connections with peers and teachers can be profound, even in times of COVID, online delivery and Zoom.
If you haven’t already done so, reading MQScoop is a brilliant way of reconnecting and reflecting on how our interactions with students shape their experience at Macquarie and their longer term success.
How Scoop provides a platform for students to write about life at Macquarie
The changes to learning and teaching in Session 1 created an opportunity for new ways to connect and engage with our student population, outside our virtual classrooms. To share our students’ journey and reflect their experiences to their peers, the Student Engagement Team created MQScoop, an online blog.
With topics ranging from ‘Preparing for a new semester’, ‘Support networks’, ‘Day in the life’, and ‘Why I chose my degree’, the blog posts are unedited and deliver the student journey in a genuine and honest voice.
The impact of COVID-19 on students’ academic coursework
For example, some students wrote about how well Macquarie responded to COVID-19 and the challenges of moving learning and teaching activities off campus and online.
The changes made to incorporate meaningful learning and teaching practices into an online environment has been appreciated by the MQ Scoop bloggers, with one writer talking about their education being a platform for solving future world problems. Another described Session 1 this year as topsy-turvey.
The importance of the connection between academic staff and students is critical to the motivation and enthusiasm of the MQScoop bloggers, with students touching upon the idea that when the world stops, it’s an excellent time to invest in their future.
Why students keep learning, studying and adapting to new technologies
A recent MQScoop student blog topic asked our students why they continue studying. With everything happening in the world now, why don’t they just drop out? Their posts were inspiring and humbling and serve as a timely reminder of how privileged we are to be their teachers.
The virus may have invaded the whole world and ruined the year, but it should not stop us from following our [educational] dreams … Macquarie changed me into an ambitious, curious and bright individual. It has filled my life with colour and meaning as it showered me with opportunities to become the best version of myself.
Rania Renno, studying for a double degree in science and education.
Other students talked of why they optimistically press ahead, because they feel things will inevitably get better.
The student journeys represented in MQScoop are diverse, with students from many different cohorts represented in the student contributors. Students write about the power and value of education and reaching their full potential through transformative learning experiences at Macquarie.
Read more MQScoop here or tell us on email via studentHQ@mq.edu.au what you’d like our students to write about.
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