Student
Empowerment

Transforming learning, teaching and assessment through flexible pathways to higher education, empowering students to become agents of change, and building meaningful student-staff partnership across the sector.

We’re doing this through our Student Champions and Fellowships programmes, the N-TUTORR Masterclass series, a sector-wide suite of micro-credentials, My Digital Backpack, and more.

Empowering students to become agents of change, developing flexible pathways to higher education and building skills focussed on global priorities and challenges

A person using a tablet displaying the 'my digital backpack' logo and tagline on the screen.

My Digital Backpack

My Digital Backpack is an online platform developed by N-TUTORR for students across the Technological University (TU) sector to complete short non-accredited courses and earn a Digital Badge.

My Digital Backpack

Key activities
and outcomes

N-TUTORR’s Student Empowerment work stream is divided into three categories: Sustainable Pathways to Higher Education, Empowering Students to Become Change Agents, and the Academy for Sustainability, Leadership and Employability.

Some of the key activities and outcomes across these categories include:

Student Champions Programme

100 student champions have been recruited into paid internships across each of our seven HEI partner institutions. Student champions are involved in a range of activities locally, linked to the overarching themes of the N-TUTORR programme: digital transformation, universal design for learning, education for sustainable development, academic integrity, equality, diversity and inclusion, and employability

Fellowships Programme

Empowering students to become change agents and to build capacity for meaningful student-staff partnership across the technological HE sector. This involves co-creating, with students, inclusive schemes and initiative that support and enhance student engagement and partnership, and developing model of good student-staff partnership practice to support ongoing transformation.

My Digital Backpack

My Digital Backpack is a proof-of-concept project designed to support the development of student skills, related to the core N-TUTORR themes, awarding digital badges to a pilot group of students who undertake the self-directed online badge courses across N-TUTORR's seven HEI partners. Evaluation of this pilot scheme will inform a sector-wide development of the platform into the future.

Student Support Chatbot

An AI-powered conversational chatbot, designed to provide student support , is being developed and tested within a pilot group of students across several campuses. An evaluation of this pilot project will feed into the further development and implementation of an AI Student Support Assistant across all seven N-TUTORR HEI partners, subject to resourcing.

Student Competency Framework

Based on a review of existing frameworks related to digital literacy and sustainable citizenship, and alongside the development of the curriculum framework under N-TUTORR's Staff Development stream, a student competency framework for digital literacy, including generative AI, and sustainable citizenship, is being developed for rollout across the technological HE sector.

Micro-credentials for Regional Needs

A high-level report examining opportunities for meeting regional skills needs through microcredentials has informed the ongoing development of a suite of microcredentials across all seven N-TUTORR HEI partners, rolled out on a pilot basis. An evaluation of the pilot project will provide insights for the further development of skills-boosting microcredentials for the sector into the future.

Supporting Access

A pilot HyFlex AccessHE programme, based on a high-level consultation report assessing needs and capabilities across N-TUTORR partners as well as international good practice, is being tested among a focussed group of students across a number of N-TUTORR's partner institutions. An evaluation of the pilot, including an EDI impact assessment and the cost/value balance of implementation, will inform a model for the potential rollout of a similar programme into the future.

Research Papers

FAQ's

Staff Development under N-TUTORR includes professional learning opportunities, collaborative projects, and resources designed to improve teaching practices and foster a culture of continuous improvement among educators.

N-TUTORR supports the development and implementation of digital strategies within higher education, including the use of innovative technologies like AI, blended learning, and open education practices to enhance teaching and learning experiences.

Students, educators, and stakeholders can engage with N-TUTORR through various projects, fellowships, and digital tools. For more information, you can visit the Transforming Learning website.

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