The kick-off session took place on September 17th, in which educators, support staff, and students gathered to share their experiences, explore what responsibility means to them, and highlight inspiring examples from both our university and beyond. Responsibility is a layered concept with various approaches and interpretations, but we identified common patterns. It is closely linked to feeling empowered and motivated to take control of one’s learning process, making informed choices, and self-regulating throughout the journey. A lively dialogue emerged between teachers and students. One of the most insightful reflections from younger participants emphasized the difference between taking responsibility and being given responsibility. They suggested that the learning environment can be designed to scaffold the learning path and build trust between educators and students, allowing them to feel confident and secure in assuming such responsibility.

Key take-aways of this session per 100 DAYS OF... Persona

Students. Understanding responsibility as a shared journey can help students feel empowered to make informed choices and take control of their education. The session highlighted how a supportive environment, designed with trust and guidance, can encourage students to take ownership of their learning, leading to more confidence and independence in navigating complex challenges.

Educators. The reflections from this session offer educators insights into how to promote responsibility for students. Designing environments that encourage self-regulation, while balancing the need for trust and accountability, can shape education. This approach supports both student development and sustainable teaching practices.

Support staff. Support staff play a critical role in creating frameworks that allow responsibility to flourish. By collaborating with educators and students, they can ensure the right resources and support structures are in place, contributing to creating learning environments where responsibility becomes an important part of learning.

Educational Leaders and Managers. This session underlined the strategic importance of responsibility in education. Educational leaders are the ones in the position to embed responsibility into institutional culture, align teaching practices with goals for student empowerment and lifelong learning. Scaffolding responsibility is not just important for our students - it is a crucial for institutional success.

 
The discussion was led by Elli Papageorgiou and Shirong Zhang, focusing on a systematic review titled "Does Student Agency Benefit Student Learning? A Systematic Review on Higher Education Research." Participants engaged in a lively conversation that showcased a rich diversity of perspectives. Below is a summary of the article and key takeaways from the discussion: 

Student agency encompasses a learner’s goals, processes, skills, and capacities and provides a conceptual framework for understanding and enhancing students’ responsibility in their learning. The review addresses two key challenges: the varied interpretations of agency and its relationship to student learning outcomes, and concerns over the quality of existing research. While the review offers a broad overview of current trends and potential directions, the complexity and richness of student agency – and its translation to responsibility – remain difficult to fully capture. In educational practice, embracing the multifaceted nature of student agency while focusing on specific components may offer a way forward. Moreover, there is a need for more rigorous and reliable methodologies to assess the impact of student learning. For educators, beginning with critical thinking is essential to address the challenges such as embedding scaffolding into real-world contexts. Additionally, creating a supportive and safe environment, along with nurturing interpersonal relationships that promote trust, curiosity, and a drive for learning, is crucial. Just as fertile soil allows roots to spread and thrive, such an environment enables students to take ownership of their learning journey. 

Key take-aways of this session per 100 DAYS OF... Persona

Students. Student agency offers a pathway to greater autonomy and self-awareness in learning. This session highlighted the importance of actively engaging in your education, building critical thinking skills, and collaborating with educators to shape learning experiences that resonate with your goals and aspirations.

Educators. For teachers, thinking about student agency offers an perspective to think about how to support student responsibility. By integrating scaffolding and promoting interpersonal trust, educators can create opportunities for students to take charge of their learning, fostering engagement and deeper learning.

Support staff. Support staff can use insights on student agency and their impact to optimise student services and resources. Ensuring accessibility and tailoring programs to enhance decision-making and goal-setting capabilities empowers students to engage meaningfully with their education.

Educational Leaders and Managers. Agency represents a strategic pillar for advancing institutional goals, such as student-centered learning and innovation. Leaders can promote a culture where independence and responsibility are valued by investing in research-backed practices and supporting staff in creating environments that leave space (and trust) for students to take responsibility.

 
During the Meet & Eat session on October 22, Margreet explored the role of Teaching Assistants (TAs) as key contributors to addressing challenges in higher education. TAs can bridge gaps between students and faculty, fostering a safer, more engaged learning environment while alleviating workload pressures on educators. To maximize their impact, Margreet introduced a 15-ECTS Educational Leadership Programme aimed at equipping TAs with the skills and confidence to support learning on a deeper level. The discussion emphasized TAs’ potential to enhance motivation, strengthen connections, and contribute to innovative teaching strategies, particularly when they are well-prepared and empowered to take meaningful responsibility.

Key take-aways of this session per 100 DAYS OF... Persona

Student. Teaching Assistants play an important role in creating a supportive learning environment, by offering guidance and being approachable. By modeling accountability and responsibility, TAs inspire peers to take ownership of their learning journey. For students, this means access to someone who understands their perspective and strengthens their confidence, ultimately helping them navigate academic challenges with independence.

Educator. Involving TAs offers educators a dual advantage: relief from some of the administrative and instructional demands of teaching large groups and the opportunity to amplify student engagement through peer-driven interactions. By training TAs effectively, educators can unlock their potential as co-creators in the teaching process, enabling a deeper focus on innovation and quality in course delivery.

Support staff. TAs present an opportunity to bridge operational gaps and create more dynamic classrooms. By investing in training programs and clear frameworks, support staff can nudge to smooth integration oppertunties of TAs into courses, contributing to efficient workflows and improved learning outcomes. 

Educational Leaders and Managers. Teaching Assistants offer a scalable solution to address systemic challenges such as increasing student numbers and growing demands for personalized education. By investing in leadership development for TAs, managers can foster a culture of responsibility and accountability that extends throughout the institution. Empowering students to take up a role as TA not only improves course outcomes but potentially also paves the way for more education oriented academic careers - creating more resilience in our educational system through capacity building.

 
This Journal Club Erdem Onan, Postdoc researcher in the IDEE Students Taking Responsibility team, lead the discussion on "Expectancy-value-cost model of motivation". During the session, participants explored the Expectancy-Value-Cost (EVC) model of motivation, with a focus on its relevance to higher education. The discussion highlighted "cost" as a key motivational barrier—often overlooked but essential—and examined how it is influenced by factors such as time, perceived value, and effort. Educators noted that the term "cost" might not resonate with students and suggested reframing it to make barriers more tangible and actionable.

ollowing small-group discussions, a plenary meta-reflection examined the readings and their implications. Participants considered how curriculum-wide approaches could better address expectancy, value, and cost, particularly in relation to student journeys. The conversation underscored the importance of fostering autonomy, demonstrating applicability, and establishing robust support systems.

A key takeaway was the dual role of educators in shaping both the learning environment and the broader culture. This includes creating space for students to explore their motivations, coaching them on coping with failure, and equipping them with self-regulation skills. These skills help students manage the challenges of balancing expectancy, value, and barriers, as well as navigating difficult emotional states. Next to this, the importance of balancing freedom of choice with structured guidance to prevent overwhelm was also underscored

Key take-aways of this session per 100 DAYS OF... Persona

Students. Drawing from the EVC model, if students were able to better understand how motivation shapes their learning journey, they can effectively identify barriers ("costs") and develop strategies to overcome them, such as better time management or seeking support when needed. Recognizing the value and purpose of their coursework could help them stay motivated and might make it easier to take responsibility for their education – leading to richer and more engaged learning experiences.

Educators. The Expectancy-Value-Cost (EVC) model offers a framework for designing learning experiences that balance autonomy, challenge, and support. Educators can use this model to address motivational barriers ("costs") by helping students understand and manage challenges related to time, effort, or perceived difficulty. Reframing these barriers can make it easier for students to navigate their learning. Additionally, making course objectives explicit and linking them to real-world applications, educators can enhance the perceived value of learning, leading to more engagement and motivation.

Support staff. Support staff play a critical role in reducing barriers for educators and, by extension, students. The EVC model can guide them in lowering thresholds for educational innovation by facilitating access to resources, providing tailored guidance, and fostering supportive environments. Understanding the interplay between expectancy, value, and cost enables support staff to help educators address academic challenges and sustain student motivation effectively. 

Educational Leaders and Managers. Educational leaders can use insights from the EVC model to implement policies and initiatives that enhance motivation and engagement among students and educators. This includes supporting professional development, investing in mentorship or coaching programs, and ensuring alignment between curriculum design and student needs. By fostering a culture of motivation and responsibility, leaders can empower educators and students to take ownership of teaching and learning, enriching the educational experience for all.

To continue our exploration of Students Taking Responsibility, this session brought together educators, students, and support staff to exchange experiences and insights. Participants were asked to first discuss in pairs and then present their examples that demonstrated efforts to foster autonomy, ownership, and active participation in education. The goal was to connect with peers, learn from each other, and draw inspiration from diverse practices.

One key takeaway was the importance of creating structured yet flexible environments that balance clear expectations with opportunities for personal choice. Examples included enabling students to design their own learning objectives, integrating decision-making into team projects, and co-creating rubrics for assessment.

The session emphasised the educator's role in building trust and safety nets while avoiding over-preparation, which can unintentionally limit student agency. Open, supportive communication, personalised guidance, and promoting active participation emerged as central themes. 

Participants emphasised the value of encouraging students to take control of their learning through approaches like co-developing objectives or crafting personalised study plans. From the cases presented it becomes clear that this is likely to enhance engagement, boost confidence, and help students make meaningful connections both in and after their education.

Key take-aways of this session per 100 DAYS OF... Persona

Students.The examples and discussions from the session underscored that taking responsibility for your learning means adopting an active role in shaping your educational journey. This could involve setting personal learning goals, contributing meaningfully to team projects, or developing effective study strategies. These actions can be both empowering and enlightening. Stories shared during the session emphasised the importance of seeking clarity, collaborating with educators, and being able to lean on available safety nets when facing difficulties.

Educators. This session highlighted the important role educators play in fostering environments where students feel supported, yet challenged, when taking responsibility. Clear communication of expectations and collaborative practices, such as co-creating rubrics or setting learning objectives, emerged as effective strategies for empowering students. Also, trust and safety were emphasised as key factors in encouraging responsibility, together with being sensitive to the tendency of student to over-prepare when they take initiative. 

Support staff. Support staff also play a role in enabling students to take responsibility for their learning. By assisting educators in addressing the challenges of transforming education, support staff can help create structures that prepare students to step into active roles. By giving support and fostering innovations, some weight might be taken of the shoulders of the educators. Ultimately, leading to more time and headspace to invest in creating trust and safety which is so highly needed to take (the first) steps in taking responsibility. 

Educational Leaders and Managers. The examples shared should inspire educational leaders to embed student autonomy within institutional practices. Insights from the session highlighted the importance of designing curricula that offer flexibility, such as adaptable assignments and opportunities for goal-setting. Also, it important to invest in professional development for educators, ensuring they are equipped to create trust and the safe learning environments that encourage students to take responsibility for their educational journey.