*Corresponding author - tclancy@ucalgary.ca 

 

Zuban, N., Clancy, T. L., & Ferreira, C. (2018). Authentic learning within the brave space created through 

student-faculty partnerships. Papers on Postsecondary Learning and Teaching: Proceedings of the 

University of Calgary Conference on Teaching and Learning, 3, 103-110.  

AUTHENTIC LEARNING WITHIN THE BRAVE SPACE 

CREATED THROUGH STUDENT-FACULTY PARTNERSHIPS 
 

Nicole Zuban, Tracey L. Clancy*, and Carla Ferreira 

 

University of Calgary 

 

Engaging students as pedagogical partners creates a brave space for students to 

become critical thinkers and beings that shapes not just what they know, but also 

who they are (Arao & Clemens, 2013; Bovill, Cook-Sather, & Felten, 2011). The 

language of brave space conveys a tone for engagement while also proposing a 

manner of engagement (Cook-Sather, 2016). The transformative experience of 

engaging in student-faculty partnership in and of itself constitutes a brave space 

where learners transition from dependence on authority to self-authorship (Baxter-

Magolda, 2009, 2014). Within this paper we share Nicole’s lived experience 

engaging in authentic learning within the brave space created through pedagogical 

partnership. Nicole’s expression of her teaching philosophy privileges the 

importance of the shared accountability that students and educators have for 

teaching and learning and represents how she embraced the notion of self-

authorship to create an understanding of how her teaching philosophy informs her 

growing practice as a registered nurse.  

 

Key Words: authentic learning, students as partners, brave space, teaching, 

education process, phenomenological pedagogy 

 

Engaging students as pedagogical partners creates a space where students experience the 

freedom to become critical thinkers and beings which shapes not just what they know, but also 

who they are (Bovill, Cook-Sather, & Felten, 2011). Student-faculty partnership serves as a 

means through which students navigate the vulnerability associated with engaging in authentic 

learning. Understanding education as partnership among students and educators enables the 

creation of a brave space to learn through taking risk; fostering courageous change and growth 

(Arao & Clemens, 2013; Cook-Sather, 2016). This writing is an expression of student-faculty 

partnership experienced between undergraduate student and co-author, Nicole, and her co-

teachers in a senior level nursing course. The paper explores authentic learning as courage, the 

concept of brave space within student faculty-partnership, and the influence of brave space on 

student self-authorship through the exploration of learning associated with a creative class 

project. Nicole shares her authentic learning resulting from the creative project; her teaching 

philosophy which embodies the notion of partnership. Authentic learning in brave spaces creates 

meaningful learning that situates students beyond the classroom and into the context of their 

lives as they navigate the complex reality of the real world (Pearce, 2016). 

 

 



Zuban, Clancy, & Ferriera (2019) 

104 

 

AUTHENTIC LEARNING AS COURAGE 

As co-teachers in a nurse educator course, we often talk with students about meeting 

learners where they are – in their own world, through their own context, building knowledge 

from their level of understanding. Authentic learning experiences are those that are personally 

relevant from the learner's perspective and situated within appropriate social contexts (Iucu & 

Marin, 2014). We also discuss the importance of being authentic. We challenge students to 

reflect on who they are, both as learners and as developing educators. They are invited to explore 

their values and beliefs about what constitutes effective learning and teaching. For their final 

assignment Nicole and the other students were invited to explore a creative means to express 

their teaching philosophy. By creating their own conceptual framework or using a photograph or 

piece of art to represent their teaching and learning philosophy, students made explicit their 

values and beliefs about effective learning and teaching. Nicole chose a lone image of two 

runners clasping hands as one runner helps the other runner who has been injured. This image 

along with the other students’ creative expressions became a patchwork of images that came to 

represent a pedagogical quilt. This pedagogical quilt, known as the quilt of teaching 

philosophies, came to symbolize students’ authentic learning. Engaging in and reflecting on 

experiential and creative learning opportunities promotes authentic learning that reveals the 

complexities and ambiguities of real-life. This authentic learning creates meaning that situates 

students beyond the classroom and into the context of their lives as becoming registered nurses 

(Pearce, 2016).  

Students enter into authentic learning with some trepidation. Learning is vulnerability. 

Nicole experienced vulnerability in selecting an image that she felt represented her values and 

beliefs that supported her teaching philosophy. When we learn, we make ourselves vulnerable 

(Siemens, 2014). Armstrong (2017) speaks to vulnerability as both a strength and an essential 

pillar of learning. Embracing vulnerability and engaging in authentic learning requires one to be 

courageous. Boostrom (1998) suggests that learning requires bravery as it “…involves not 

merely risk, but the pain of giving up a former condition in favor of a new way of seeing things” 

(p. 399). Educators are called to create environments that balance contradictions in a student’s 

current way of thinking with positive encouragement to explore new ways of thinking and being 

(Baxter-Magolda, 1992). Often positive learning environments are referred to as safe spaces. 

Arao and Clemens (2013) challenge us to redefine safe space as brave space. Building on the 

work of Arao and Clemens (2013), Cook-Sather (2016) suggests that as a concept, brave space 

captures “…both the combination of active risk and built-in affirmation…” that “…focuses our 

attention on the active engagement and agency required of participants in spaces intended to 

support learning” (p. 1). Using the language of brave space conveys a tone for engagement while 

also proposing a manner of engagement (Cook-Sather, 2016). Creating a brave space recognizes 

the vulnerability associated with authentic learning and encourages students to be courageous in 

embracing their vulnerability as an opportunity to learn and grow.  

We were intentional in fostering a brave space through ongoing efforts within the course 

to promote trust and encourage students’ active voice within their learning. Relative to the 

creative assignment, we fostered brave space through offering one on one opportunity for 

students to share their image or thoughts on a conceptual framework and discuss their 

understanding of how this represented their teaching philosophy. Via these discussions we were 

able to validate, inquire, and encourage students’ exploration of their understanding. Through 

establishing partnership in this way, Nicole and her peers felt comfortable embracing their 



Zuban, Clancy, & Ferriera (2019) 

105 

 

vulnerability and engaging in authentic learning by creating or choosing an image that became an 

embodied reflection of their values and beliefs.  

STUDENT-FACULTY PARTNERSHIP AS A BRAVE SPACE 

The transformative experience of engaging in student-faculty partnership in and of itself 

constitutes a brave space; one where students and educators learn to trust and move beyond a 

place of vulnerability to one of confidence, strength, and courage to embrace authentic learning 

(Cook-Sather, 2014, 2016; Mercer-Mapstone et al., 2017).  Through the brave space of student-

faculty partnership, students “felt courageous enough to risk, explore, experiment, assert, learn, 

and change, knowing that they would be supported in those necessarily destabilizing and 

unpredictable processes” (Cook-Sather, 2016, p. 1). Nicole experienced a growing confidence 

which was evident in her verbalization of why she chose her image, and how this represented her 

understanding. The quilt of teaching philosophies became a manifestation of the authentic 

learning that the students experienced as a result of engaging in partnership. The brave space 

created through student-faculty partnership supported learners’ transition from dependence on 

authority to self-authorship (Baxter-Magolda, 2009, 2014). Entering the realm of self-authorship, 

students were encouraged to develop the internal capacity to construct their beliefs, their identity 

and social relations; in essence, to navigate the complex reality of the real world (Baxter-

Magolda, 2009, 2014). Building student-faculty partnership throughout the course, students 

became more comfortable finding their voice relative to teaching and learning. Through dialogue 

and inquiry within the one on one conversations between students and faculty, students became 

more confident in taking accountability for their understanding and expression of their learning. 

Through the foundation of student-faculty partnership, Nicole transitioned into self-authorship 

and gave voice to her values and beliefs to support her understanding of her teaching practice. 

INFLUENCE OF SELF-AUTHORSHIP ON PRACTICE 

An intriguing aspect of students’ experiences engaging in partnership is that they 

incorporated this same approach when they themselves engaged in a co-teaching relationship 

with a peer in addition to extending the invitation to partner with junior colleagues that they 

taught. Another outcome of their lived experience with student-faculty partnership was how this 

manifest itself as a foundation for engaging in their relational practice with clients in their care. 

This sense of self-authorship is evident in Nicole’s expression of her teaching philosophy within 

which she refers to the importance of the shared accountability that students and educators have 

for teaching and learning. Figure 1 and the following written work represent Nicole’s lived 

experience of engaging in authentic learning through pedagogical partnership and how she 

embraced the notion of self-authorship to create an understanding of how her teaching 

philosophy informs her growing practice as a registered nurse.   

 

 



Zuban, Clancy, & Ferriera (2019) 

106 

 

 
Figure 1. Untitled illustration of marathon runners. [Untitled photograph of marathon 

runners]. Retrieved from: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3743486/The-inspirational-

moment-Games-far-New-Zealand-runners-HELP-finish-race-fall-5-000m.html 

 

The intention of this paper is to reflect upon the foundational principles that define my 

approach to teaching and learning. Understanding my teaching philosophy is significant given 

the inherent relevance and applicability that patient teaching has in day-to-day nursing practice 

(Daley, 2001). According to the Merriam-Webster dictionary (2001), the definition of pedagogy 

is the “art, science, or profession of teaching” (para.1) which is indistinguishably related to the 

practice of nursing. Throughout this paper I will explore the applicability of the image that I 

have selected in relation to my pedagogical approach and the influence this has upon the 

learners and the environment in which knowledge is acquired.  

PEDAGOGY 

A phenomenological pedagogical approach best resonates with the image I have selected 

and with my philosophy of teaching and learning. The image of the descended marathon runner 

signifies the disintegration of the notion of ‘competition’ which is what I believe a 

phenomenological pedagogy encompasses. The process of education can be competitive at times, 

where learners push themselves to the limit and force others out of the way to solely expand their 

personal growth. This concept is comparable to that of a marathon where competitors advance 

themselves without taking others into consideration. The foundational principle of a 

phenomenological approach is the recognition of the competitive aspects of education and the 

instilment of the principle of a co-partnership where the educator and the learner utilize one 

another’s strengths to aid their individual learning (Ironside, 2003). The image displays the 

concept of co-partnership because the athletes are no longer focused on individual advancement 



Zuban, Clancy, & Ferriera (2019) 

107 

 

as they succumb to losing the race to ensure that both mutually benefit from the process of 

racing, and not the victory of coming in first place.   

As stated in the article by Ironside (2003), when learners and instructors share their 

“common experiences and the shared meanings of learning, they understand rather than critique 

and deconstruct” (p.77). This indicates that learners and educators thrive when they utilize their 

former knowledge and integrate it in the learning environment through vocalization, ultimately 

prompting others to share their experiential learning, which benefits all. Phenomenology as a 

pedagogy values the concept of contextualized learning which allows learners to thrive because 

it produces a sense of relevance in the material being covered. The image encapsulates 

contextualized learning as self-regulation where everyone is responsible for acting in a way that 

they believe enhances the quality of their experience and the choices they make to instill a 

learning opportunity (Deci & Ryan, 2000). The concept of phenomenology is said to “privilege 

language over silence” meaning that there is inherent value in the expression of knowledge and 

experience and the relatability to the content (Ironside, 2003, p. 81). This image represents this 

notion because in this race coming in first place is no longer the ultimate measure of success; 

participation is honored, and the co-partnership formulated in the process is embraced.  

LEARNER 

            The image I have chosen displays a marathon runner from an opposing team providing a 

helping hand to one of the runners that has fallen. At first glance, this image appears to be a 

depiction of the process of teaching, however upon critical analysis it is evident that this image, 

is the epitome of effective learning. Embedded within this image are features that define the 

intrinsically valuable aspects of the learner that are critical to my personal philosophy of 

education. The helping hand that the runner provides metaphorically signifies the presence of 

connection, which I believe is of importance to create that ‘co-partnership’ that overcomes the 

historical paternalistic approach to teaching. The helping hand signifies a partnership where 

competition and ‘winning’ are no longer the goal and it becomes about the process that matters, 

not just the destination. This correlates significantly to the importance of partnership between a 

learner and an educator where helping each other in the process accelerates growth collectively 

as opposed to one individual benefitting above all and ‘winning the prize in the end’. Based on 

the color of their jerseys it appears as if the runners are from two opposing teams which 

ultimately symbolizes the diversity of each learner. These features represent equality in the 

education process as two differing individuals come together for a common goal of learning 

which relates to the marathon runners coming together for the common goal of engaging in a 

race. This concept is intertwined with teaching and learning because we all come from different 

backgrounds and experiences, yet we put aside our differences for the sole purpose of expanding 

our knowledge. As a learner, I value diversity and the inherent value everyone contributes to the 

process of learning and teaching. I believe that the process of acquiring knowledge is reciprocal 

and thus the instructor benefits from the experiential knowledge shared by the students.  

ENVIRONMENT 

           The environment within which students and educators engage in is critical to successful 

learning and teaching. Regarding a phenomenological approach, the teacher and learner 

engage and support one another through the exploration of common experiences (Ironside, 

2003). Just as the athletes are being supported by the crowd cheering them on throughout their 

marathon, students should be encouraged through the process of education. Engaging in 



Zuban, Clancy, & Ferriera (2019) 

108 

 

learning and teaching in a supportive environment can enhance effective learning. Marathons 

can be hectic and overwhelming as can the process of learning; however, a phenomenological 

approach mediates this chaos by “understanding rather than critiquing and deconstructing 

[…as] students and teachers recognize that they are more alike than different” (Ironside, 2003, 

p.81).  This recognition of shared commonality can be likened to the image, there is the depiction 

of the defining moment where competition is put to the side and the intrinsic value of 

participation is emphasized as opposed to a glorification of a final victory.   

KNOWLEDGE 

            Phenomenological pedagogy can be described as an integration of devoting oneself to 

the learners and the process of education through de-centering the concept of competition and 

paternalism, and the devotion to overcoming differences through creating an open concept for 

discussion and participation (van Manen, 2016). In this approach to education, knowledge is a 

compilation of each unique individual’s lived experiences and narratives, which is comparable 

to the individualized training approach each athlete embodies; there is no “right or wrong” in 

their routine they simply follow their individualized training regimen. In this metaphorical 

representation of the de-centering of the hierarchal approach of the educator, the “lead” which 

is represented by the racer that provides the helping hand depicts the invitation for the 

partnership in joining together to complete the journey in unison (van Manen, 2016). Knowledge 

in this pedagogical approach is determined by the composition of everyone’s lived experiences 

and the contributory role each plays in enhancing the education process. This pedagogy is 

transferable to nursing practice as it integrates the concept of client-centered care where 

education can be centered on the assumption that patients are experts of their lived experiences 

and thus are valuable contributors to their individualized plan of care (College and Association 

of Registered Nurses of Alberta, 2009). In summary, my preferred process of education is a 

combination of multiple factors such as my preference of pedagogical approach, the influence 

this has on my perception of how learning occurs and how this connects to the learning 

environment that I have set out to create. 

CONCLUDING THOUGHTS 

          Through this paper we have expressed our understanding and experience of engaging in 

student-faculty partnership. The paper explored authentic learning as courage, the concept of 

brave space within student faculty-partnership, and the influence of brave space on student self-

authorship through the exploration of learning associated with a creative class project. Within the 

brave space created by student-faculty partnership within our course, students were able to 

embrace their vulnerability and freedom to engage in authentic learning. Nicole’s teaching 

philosophy is an expression of the impact that a partnership approach can have on learning and 

teaching and demonstrates the courageous growth that results when students find their voice 

within the brave space of student-faculty partnership. As active participants in pedagogical 

practice, there is an inherent understanding of students and educators as co-learners with 

equitable opportunity to contribute their voice in pursuit of the common goal of learning 

(Healey, Flint, & Harrington, 2014). Being intentional in promoting student-faculty partnership 

provides a fertile ground from which to promote the creation of brave spaces for students to 

engage in authentic learning.  

 



Zuban, Clancy, & Ferriera (2019) 

109 

 

REFERENCES  

Arao, B., & Clemens, K. (2013). From safe spaces to brave spaces. The art of effective 

 facilitation: Reflections from social justice educators, 135-150. 

Armstrong, J. (2017). Teaching students the power of vulnerability. Student Voices. Retrieved on 

 June 29, 2018.  https://mystudentvoices.com/teaching-students-the-power-of-

 vulnerability-531a593b11d1 

Baxter Magolda, M.B. (2009). Authoring your life. Sterling, VA: Stylus 

Baxter Magolda, M. B. (2014). Self‐authorship. New Directions for Higher 

 Education, 2014(166), 25-33. 

Bovill, C., Cook-Sather, A., & Felten, P. (2011). Students as co-creators of teaching approaches, 

 course design, and curricula: Implications for academic developers. International Journal 

 for Academic Development, 16(2), 133-145.  

Boostrom, R. (1998). The student as moral agent. Journal of Moral Education, 27(2), 179-190. 

 College and Association of Registered Nurses of Alberta. (2009). Nursing practice 

 standards with CNA code of ethics for registered nurses. Retrieved from: 

 http://www.nurses.ab.ca/content/dam/carna/pdfs/Guidelines/new_nps_with_ethics.pdf 

Cook-Sather, A. (2014). Student-faculty partnership in explorations of pedagogical practice: A 

 threshold concept in academic development. International Journal of Academic 

 Development, 19(3), 186-198.  

Cook-Sather, A. (2016). Creating brave spaces with and through student-faculty pedagogical 

 partnerships. Teaching and Learning Together in Higher Education, 18, 1-4. Retrieved 

 from: http://repository.brynmawr.edu/tlthe/vol1/iss18/1   

Cook-Sather, A., Bovill, C., & Felten, P. (2014). Engaging students as partners in learning and 

 teaching: A guide for faculty. San Francisco, CA: Josey-Bass.  

Daley, B. J. (2001). Learning in clinical nursing practice. Holistic Nursing Practice, 16(1), 43-

 54. Retrieved from: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/15559046  

Deci, E. L., & Ryan, R. M. (2000). The "what" and "why" of goal pursuits: Human needs and the 

 self-determination of behavior. Psychological Inquiry, 11(4), 227-268. Retrieved from: 

 http://academic.udayton.edu/jackbauer/readings%20595/deci%2000%20goals%20sdt.pdf 

Healey, M., Flint, A., & Harrington, K. (2014). Engagement through partnership: Students as 

 partners in learning and teaching in higher education. Higher Education Academy. 

 Retrieved from: https://www.heacademy.ac.uk/engagement-through-partnership-

 students-partners-learning-and-teaching-higher-education  

Ironside, P. M. (2003). New pedagogies for teaching thinking: The lived experiences of students 

 and teachers enacting narrative pedagogy. The Journal of Nursing Education, 42(11), 

 509. Retrieved from: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/15957403   

Iucu, R., & Marin, E. (2014). Authentic learning in adult education. Procedia – Social and 

 Behavioral Sciences, 142, 410-415. https://doi: 10.1016/j.sbspro.2014.07.702  

Mercer-Mapstone, L., Dvorakova, S. L., Matthews, K., Abbot, S., Cheng, B., Felten, P, & 

 Swaim, K. (2017). A systematic literature review of students as partners in higher 

 education. International Journal for Students as Partners, 1(1). 

Pearce, S. (2016). Authentic learning: What, why, and how? E-teaching; Management Strategies 

 for the Classroom, (10). http://www.acel.org.au/acel/ACEL_docs/Publications/e-

 Teaching/2016/e-Teaching_2016_10.pdf 

Pedagogy (n.d.) In Merriam-Webster’s online dictionary (11th ed.). Retrieved from 

 http://www.m-w.com/dictionary/pedagogy  



Zuban, Clancy, & Ferriera (2019) 

110 

 

Siemens, G. (2014). The vulnerability of learning. ELEARNSPACE. Retrieved June 29, 2018. 

 http://www.elearnspace.org/blog/2014/01/13/the-vulnerability-of-learning/ 

[Untitled photograph of marathon runners]. Retrieved from: 

 http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3743486/The-inspirational-moment-Games-far-

 New-Zealand-runners-HELP-finish-race-fall-5-000m.html 

van Manen, M. (Ed.). (2016). Writing in the Dark: Phenomenological Studies in Interpretive 

 Inquiry. Routledge. Retrieved from: 

 https://books.google.ca/books?id=7qZmDAAAQBAJ&printsec=copyright#v=onepage&

 q&f=false