Each term, the Students as Partners Program (SaPP) facilitates paid partnerships between students and staff for pedagogy and course design projects. Working directly with students to develop courses helps support the implementation of innovative teaching practices and fosters student-centred teaching.
Partnerships supported by SaPP contribute to valuable resources that support student success. Through SaPP, students have been involved in researching, sourcing, and organizing course materials, developing experiential learning opportunities and more. Partners have been involved in co-designing curriculum and incorporating innovative educational technologies into the classroom.
SaPP, along with the I-CUREUS Program and FUSION Skill Development Program are part of Teaching and Learning Services’ Future Learning Lab, which is both a physical space and a set of programs designed to foster innovation and incentivize student-centred ways of teaching.
Carleton’s Students as Partners Program is the largest program of its kind in Canada.
The program provides undergraduate students with hands-on work experience by collaborating with instructors, librarians and teaching support staff on course design projects.
In a single term, students work on various projects and activities, including developing curriculum, preparing assessments and incorporating educational technologies. At the end of the term, they either submit a Capstone, or present at the Annual SaPP Showcase, as well as receive a stipend for their work!
SaPP empowers students to engage in their academic experience and empowers instructors to innovate and implement ideas that support student success. This promotes relationship-rich learning and offers unique opportunities for students to develop transferable skills.
The Impact
Over 200 students have participated in SaPP since May 2022, soon to be joined by a new cohort of Student Partners, currently working on Fall term projects.
At the most recent SaPP Showcase in March 2023, fourth-year Biomedical and Electrical Engineering student Nikita Yovchev presented a project that involved creating a shared Brightspace template to meet the needs of the different engineering departments. Yovchev who partnered with Professor Robert Langlois in the Faculty of Engineering and Design, shares that SaPP was a great way to establish a relationship with instructors.
“So much innovation comes from students, but they don’t know where to direct it. SaPP allows students to sit down with someone on the other side of the table and discuss the limitless possibilities that can come from their education.”
Through SaPP, Students can work within their own department, or can connect with folks in other fields to offer their perspective and provide opportunities for cross-descipline collaboration.
Fifth-year Health Sciences student Zaineh Harahsha partnered with Professor Romola Thumbadoo on a complementary workbook to a book by Thumbadoo on the teachings of Elder William Commanda, Learning from a Kindergarten Dropout. Moved by the teachings from the book, Harahsha pitched the project intending to help readers reflect and internalize those teachings. Have a look at Zeineh’s project!
“Being able to reflect on these teachings was different and very enlightening. [A workbook] is a good tool for professors to use in different courses or projects to help students to take away something from their teaching,” says Harasha.