NStEP has launch its new Student Portal. The portal is one-stop destination for valuable resources, information, and training/development opportunities to support students involved in engagement and partnership activities. It also plays a central role in NStEP’s enhanced Student Training Programme, which aims to provide a more comprehensive training and development programme for student representatives across the whole academic year.
The Student Portal can be accessed directly from the NStEP homepage at studentengagement.ie. Spread the news about the resources and opportunities it provides by including the direct link to the Student Portal (studentengagement.ie/student-training) in class rep emails or group pages, and directly to reps at meetings, committees or forums.
Features of the Student Portal include:
Student Engagement Recognition Award Information
NStEP is developing a national system of awards to recognise and reward the contribution of students to the enhancement of student engagement and partnerships with staff across Irish higher education. We are excited to launch our first Student Engagement Recognition Award – for Academic Representation – during the 2020-21 academic year. Student Engagement Recognition Awards come in the form of a ‘digital badge’. These badges are verified and portable online, allowing the holder to share them across web platforms (such as LinkedIn) to demonstrate their achievements and the skills they have developed.
This section of the student portal details the 3-step pathway to achieving this award. Over 1,400 ‘milestone awards’ have been released to those who completed NStEP’s Introductory Class Rep Training – the first step toward achieving this award.
Book NStEP Training
NStEP has launched its first ever ‘open’ training sessions as a part of revised Student Training Programme. While the vast majority of class reps who complete our Introductory Class Rep Training attend institution-based sessions, open sessions are centrally organised by NStEP for any class rep across our network who has not been able to participate at a session organised by their college or SU. Using the ‘Book Training’ section of the Student portal, reps can now book their own space on one of our open training modules on a day and time that best suits their schedules. One hundred and eleven reps were able to complete their introductory training by signing up for an open session in in February 2021.
Student representatives can now use the ‘Book Training’ facility to sign up to participate in the pilot of NStEP’s new ‘Representing Diversity’ training in March. Participating in the Representing Diversity pilot is one option that reps can use to earn their second milestone award toward achieving a Student Engagement Recognition Award.
As NStEP works to develop new training options in the future, the ‘book training’ facility will provide greater flexibility and opportunities for student participation in training and development activities.
Online Training Modules
The Student Portal is home to NStEP’s new online self-study training modules. Any student can expand their knowledge and skills by taking one of these modules, which take approximately 25 to 30 minutes to complete. Students are automatically issued with a certificate of completion, which is stored in their own unique learner profile on the NStEP website and can be used as an option for completing the second milestone toward achieving a Student Engagement Recognition Award.
Two modules are currently available. ‘Understanding the Student Learning Experience‘ builds upon introductory training to explore the Student Learning Experience in greater depth. ‘StudentSurvey.ie and You’ was developed in partnership with StudentSurvey.ie to help reps spread the message of the importance of the national survey.
New modules will be developed and launched on an ongoing basis.
Resources for Students
The Student Portal features a dedicated resources hub for students. This page contains news and publications/guides that are relevant to class reps and students involved in partnership and engagement activities. Here students can also access the materials and resources used in all of NStEP’s training modules or ask a question/seek advice using the #AskTeamNStEP facility.