The Value of Research to
Undergraduate Learning
Prof. Rob Hopkins (Philosophy)
Prof. Tamara Hervey (Law)
Dr Robert McKay (English)
Lauren Gascoigne (UG English-History, now MA History)
Ben Arscott (UG History-Philosophy, now MA Philosophy)
Chloe Skinner (UG& MA Geography; PhD Town Planning)
What are the benefits to UGs of studying in a
research-led University?
What can be done to help students and
applicants appreciate and exploit these
benefits?
Research in UG Learning
UoS LTC 2012
Some more obvious examples
• Even ‘LAW101’
is researchbased!
Some (perhaps) less obvious examples
Co-authored work arising from seminars
– Understanding Law (first year UG)
seminar resulted in peer reviewed
publication (see left)
Non-peer reviewed online dissemination
of student research (see
https://vle.shef.ac.uk/bbcswebdav/courses/LAW3008.A.6/rest
ricted%20to%20staff/other%20resources/Murphy%20case%2
0AG%20opinion/eufootballlaw.tumblr.com/index.html )
Summer internships leading to sole or
collaborative publications (around 10
with or supervised by me since 2004)
Sheffield Student Law Review
Some challenges and food for thought
• The tyranny of the University year, and the
three year degree
• The tyranny of assessment
• The tyranny of professional associations
(‘body of knowledge’ expectations)
• Ethics of collaboration with students
• What is [legal] research? “I read some stuff
and I write some stuff ...”