Title: Linking Research and Teaching enhancing the student experience
1Linking Research and Teaching enhancing the
student experience
- Dr Lisa Lucas Graduate School of Education
- University of Bristol
- Lisa.Lucas_at_bristol.ac.uk
- Learning and Teaching Week University of
Bristol January 2007 - Faculty of Medical and Veterinary Sciences
2Why Link Research and Teaching
- Knowledge Society
- We are all researchers now Teaching and
research are becoming ever more intimately
related In a knowledge society all students
certainly all graduates have to be
researchers. Not only are they engaged in the
production of knowledge they must also be
educated to cope with the risks and uncertainties
generated by the advance of science - (Scott 2002 13)
- Enhancing Student Experience
- Students will be the researchers of tomorrow
let them learn this by doing. Research provides a
great forum for learning when you least expect
to. I think the students get a rush out of
finding out something they did not know before.
They gain respect for published research and the
effort that has gone into it. They learn to
question research results and gain confidence in
this questioning. (Frank Robinson Professor of
Agricultural Food and Nutritional Science
University of Alberta)
3What is research-based teaching/learning and who
is it aimed at
- Questions
- Is it important to link research and teaching
- How much do undergraduate students know about the
research which goes on in departments - What opportunities are there for students to
engage in research - Issues
- Is research-based learning primarily for honours
and graduate students - What are the difficulties of engaging in research
based teaching/learning
4Models of the R/T link
Student-focused Students as participants
Research-tutored
Research-based
Emphasis on Research content
Emphasis on research Process problems
Research-oriented
Research-led
Teacher-focused Students as audience
Healey 2005
5How to encourage/enhance the link between
Research and Teaching
- National Policies and Initiatives
- Institutional Policies and Initiatives
- Disciplinary/departmental policies and
initiatives case studies
6National Policies and Contexts enhancing the
link between research and teaching
- UK
- Polarisation of R T (Funding mechanisms - RAE
TQF) - Policies/Initiative to integrate TR
- Centres for Excellence in Teaching and Learning
(CETLs) - HEA supporting R/T link (RT Forum)
- HEFCE fund to support the development of
research-informed teaching environments - New Zealand
- Link between research and teaching is enshrined
within legislation. - States that teaching should be done by those who
are active in advancing knowledge - Evaluated by New Zealands Academic Audit Unit.
7National Policies and Contexts enhancing the
link between research and teaching
- US
- Research Councils support link between research
and teaching - National Science Foundation (NSF) funding
undergraduate research - Grant applicants have to demonstrate their
experience of engagement with pedagogy and
service - Undergraduate research collaborative program
(emphasis on participation of 1st and 2nd year
students in authentic research) awards of 3M
over a five year period
8- Institutional Contexts and Initiatives across
different countries
9UK
- The Reinvention Centre for Undergraduate
Research University of Warwick Oxford Brookes
University (CETL) - Promotes new methods in teaching and learning
with a focus on research-based learning - Funds academics and support staff to develop
research based teaching - Funds undergraduates to carry out research
(1500) - http//www2.warwick.ac.uk/fac/soc/sociology/resear
ch/cetl/
10Canada
- Research Makes Sense to Students University of
Alberta - Institution wide initiative under the office of
the VP (Research) - Specific policy and funding proposals to
strengthen teaching/research links - Canadian Summit on the Integration of Research
Teaching and Learning (annual conference since
2005) - http//www.uofaweb.ualberta.ca/researchandstudents
/nav01.cfmnav0119717
11Australia
- Research-enhanced Learning and Teaching
University of Sydney - What are faculties doing to develop the
relationship between research and teaching
Benchmarking and Performance Indicators - Undergraduate research schemes
- http//www.itl.usyd.edu.au/RLT/usydproject/
12- Individual Disciplinary Case Studies
13Reading and Evaluating Research Articles
- Key component of the first year programme is
structured to introduce them to reading and
writing as researchers (Biochemistry University
of Leicester) - Journal reading clubs
- Learning the skills of reading scientific papers
(School of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology
University of Leeds) - Constructing an abstract
- Evaluating data
14Building an Undergraduate Research Community
- Mechanism of Inheritance students receive a body
of work produced by the previous group of
students and make improvements and additions to
it. - Dr Chang Chemistry department University
College London
15Theres a Heifer in Your Tank
research-based learning in Animal Science
- Course begins with lectures/field trips (approx
50 - 75 cohort) Prof. Frank Robinson
University of Alberta - Small groups of students (3-4) seeking answers to
research questions such as If you had a car that
drove on methane how far would you travel on the
methane produced from one cow - Each group must present their findings in a
public forum of 500-700 fellow students parents
and staff at University of Alberta.
16Establishment of an undergraduate research journal
- Assessed final year research projects within the
school of Biology - gives examples to
undergraduates of how research results are
disseminated and of standards required for
research careers. - Dr Celia Knight School of Biology University of
Leeds - http//www.fbs.leeds.ac.uk/students/ejournal/curre
nt/index.htm
17Undergraduate Research Opportunities Programme
(MIT Cambridge)
- Supports research partnerships between
undergraduates and academic staff at the
Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT)
formed 1969 - projects take place during the academic year or
over summer for an entire semester or longer. - research can be done in any academic department
or interdisciplinary lab. - Students receive academic credit pay or work on
a voluntary basis
18Ethics and Undergraduate Research
- 4th year Medical course mini research projects.
Development of a Student Project Ethics Committee
(established in collaboration with Uni. Of
Newcastle Newcastle and North Tyneside Ethics
Committee) A.L.Robinson_at_newcastle.ac.uk - Dataset of good practice (Angela Brew Institute
for Learning and Teaching University of Sydney)
A.Brew_at_itl.usyd.edu.au
