They enter the crime scene, stepping over the corpse in the middle of the room. Puddles of blood leading up to it are photographed. Then they capture the fingerprints left on the fireplace. Shoe prints are spotted and are also snapped. Meanwhile, 360-degree cameras capture every piece of evidence.

This isn’t an episode of Silent Witness, it’s the City and Islington College student digital ambassadors (SDA) team at work. But just like the television series, the crime scene is not real - it’s a mock incident room set up for forensic-science students to work in. It’s a great resource, but it’s in high demand. So much so that many students miss out on the opportunity to record and analyse all the evidence.

Which is why the SDAs are here. The pictures will soon be turned into a digitally interactive resource, meaning students will no longer have to be physically in the room to collect the evidence and solve the crime.

It is yet another problem the SDAs have helped to solve for the college. In 2016, then principal Anna Douglas had an idea. She wanted to give students a voice in developing innovation at the college. She was also keen to provide learners with an enrichment activity that would allow them to really take ownership and build their confidence and employability, while adding value to the student experience.

I was working in the digital learning team at the time, and Anna asked me to set up the programme. The first step was to recruit some students for a pilot project. In the autumn term of 2016, I promoted the idea at welcome fairs, through our library, and our careers and student engagement teams, as well as on the college’s social media. I also encouraged lecturers to tell their classes about it. I wasn’t 100 per cent sure what exactly we were proposing, but I wanted to give learners a chance to help shape what the team would do and how it would do it.

When I spoke with students about joining us, they often expressed worries about not being good enough with technology or media. But that didn’t matter - I was looking for learners who were enthusiastic and interested. Ultimately, it was about student voice, so the team needed to reflect the diversity of our college, too.

Making the virtual a reality

Quite quickly, I had 20 students ready and raring to go. We decided to trial different approaches. We designed and delivered digital skills workshops, ran focus groups, and provided guidance and feedback to teachers on the use of edtech in learning, teaching and assessment. These activities were all successful to varying degrees, but three years later, we’ve narrowed and cemented our approach to make sure that both the students and staff get the maximum benefit.

After recently collaborating on a national Education and Training Foundation-funded project with Basingstoke College of Technology and MidKent College, we have found that the most effective model of working when it comes to introducing digital technology is as follows:

• Step 1: A member of staff attends an SDA meeting and explains either an issue they are facing or a scheme of work they want to introduce that could be enhanced through technology.
• Step 2: The SDA team goes away and conducts the necessary research.
• Step 3: The team presents its findings and explains how it will resolve the original issue and we agree on the best method together. It produces how-to guides for the teacher and their students, as appropriate.
• Step 4: Members of the team then go into the classroom and show the teacher and students how to use the technology.

For example, a lecturer needed to find a tool to help engage her English for speakers of other languages (Esol) students in discussions about a variety of topics, including traditions and festivals. She wanted something visual to really heighten their interest. The team researched virtual reality and suggested that the class use the Google Expeditions app to go on 360-degree tours of festivals, such as Diwali and Ramadan, around the world.

A few of our SDAs supported a group of Esol students in accessing the resources in the classroom. When the Esol students put the headsets on, they were amazed. They could tour a variety of colourful celebrations, costumes and foods - they spotted different elements of festivals that they wanted to talk about, and were motivated to learn new and complicated vocabulary, which might otherwise have been missed.

Challenges to overcome

There are, of course, challenges. Projects like this can take time to research and introduce, and I have the student ambassadors for only one hour per week. The programme isn’t part of the curriculum, which gives us flexibility in lots of ways, but it does mean our time together is limited.

Another challenge is providing enough incentives to sustain motivation, so I try to fit in as many other enriching activities as possible. I’ve been lucky enough to secure inspiring speakers and we’ve linked up with industry, charities and universities to learn about their innovative work. I want to show students the vast range of opportunities that are available in the digital sector.

One of my highlights so far was when Janet Chapman from Crowd2Map ran a mapathon (a coordinated mapping event) with our SDAs and staff digital leaders. Crowd2Map is a volunteer-run project working in Tanzania. Many of the roads in the country aren’t mapped out, which means that when young girls who are at risk of female genital mutilation try to escape to safe houses, they struggle to find them.

It was so inspiring to see our students contribute to such an important cause. It turned out that mapping was not particularly technical - you just need to be shown the steps to do it. It’s quite simple really, and it makes a huge difference.

A third challenge is funding. We have been awarded funding to pay for incentives in the past. However, due to financial challenges, we may need to seek other sources of money in the future. In addition, when you’re running a digital technology programme, it’s important to have innovative kit to trial. For example, an inclusion tutor was looking for a speech-to-text app for dyslexic students. The SDAs did their research and found one that they thought was the best. Naturally, it was a paid-for app. The most effective technology can be expensive.

There’s so much I would like to do and would be able to do if I had more funding. I love being able to work in partnership with teachers and really hope it can continue. But is this all just a nice-to-have or does it have real impact?

Capable and confident

Senior leaders see the value of the SDA programme. But, of course, we often get asked about impact. A direct effect on results is tough to prove. I mostly capture qualitative feedback from the students and teachers who have benefited from the projects. The response has been overwhelmingly positive - sometimes the SDAs have helped to support progress; sometimes to embed digital skills; and sometimes they have simply made learning more enjoyable, which is motivating for both students and teachers.

The SDAs get a lot out of participating. It’s about opening their eyes to the possibilities of how they could use their skills in the real world. And they leave feeling confident, aware, and with the belief that they can change things for the better.

So, what’s next? I’d like for us to continue to work on projects in partnership with our teaching staff. I would also like to link up with inspiring partners, digital start-ups and tech for worthwhile projects. There are plenty of organisations that are looking to tackle big issues such as homelessness, poverty, mental health and climate change, and I believe our digital ambassadors could help them to make a difference.

Our students are incredibly capable. But, sadly, many don’t realise that. I love to nurture their confidence and creativity so that by the time they leave college, they are more self-assured about what they could achieve if they put their minds to it. I just hope I can continue to give learners this opportunity in the future.

Kerry Vandersteen is digital education coordinator at City and Islington College in London

This article originally appeared in the 1 November 2019 issue under the headline “Why our digital ambassadors are really spoiling us”