Session 33: A day in the river of learning: a metaphorical inquiry of university life

Abstract

Session overview:

A creative qualitative research method known as the River of Life was employed to invite Level 4 students to consider how they might represent their learning journey, if it were a river. The river is used as a metaphor for the students to consider how university study feels and looks like for them. The metaphor enables them to reflect on what their river looks like by identifying and depicting the highs and lows, the twists and turns, and the other features that come into view along their ‘river of learning’. Following this exercise, the students were then invited to generate a digital image of their river using a free AI image creator such as Microsoft Bing.

In this presentation, we will share some of the river of learning AI-generated images of students, including the reflective stories that emerge in the process. Engaging students with their river of learning provided a deep understanding of what student lives are made of and what preoccupies their university study that is intricately entangled with place, belonging and sense of self.

Key learning points from this session:

The 'River of Learning' is offered as a creative exercise with pedagogical grounding in the lives of our current students. It is a useful method to engage students in a reflective process for their assessment and essay writing.