September 2011
Linking discipline-based research with teaching to benefit student learning
Mick Healey
HE Consultant and Researcher
Professor Emeritus University of Gloucestershire
and
Alan Jenkins
Professor Emeritus Oxford Brookes University
mhealey@glos.ac.uk; alanjenkins@brookes.ac.uk
www.mickhealey.co.uk;
http://insight.glos.ac.uk/tli/activities/ntf/creativehops/pages/default.aspx;
www2.warwick.ac.uk/fac/soc/sociology/research/cetl/
This handout is regularly updated and is available at: www.mickhealey.co.uk/resources
“No issue is more basic in modern higher education than the relationship between research and
teaching” (Clark, 1997, 241)
“Research connects with the subject; in order for teaching to connect with the subject, connect
teaching with research” (Hutchings, 2008).
“It is not teaching but the student experience that should be the focus of the teaching research
nexus” (Prosser, 2006)
"Involving students in inquiry - in research - is a way of improving their learning, motivating them
more. After all, what motivates large numbers of academics is engaging in the excitement of
research. Bringing research and teaching together is a way of enhancing the motivation of both
academics and students" (Brew, in preface to Jenkins et al., 2003, ix)
“… universities should treat learning as not yet wholly solved problems and hence always in
research mode” (Humboldt, 1970, quoted by Elton 2005, 110)
Structure
A: View on the linkage between research and teaching
B: Case studies of linking discipline-based research and teaching in disciplines, departments,
institutions and national systems
A: Views on the linkage between research and teaching
Table 1: Different ways of linking research and teaching




Learning about others’ research
Learning to do research – research methods
Learning in research mode – enquiry based
Pedagogic research – enquiring and reflecting on learning
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September 2011
Table 2: Linking research and teaching: Different views
“Our view is that university research often detracts from the quality of teaching. We regret the
continuing elevation of research and the systematic neglect of the quality of instruction.”
(Pocklington and Tupper 2002, 7 – about Canada)
“Courses taught by those at the cutting edge of research will necessarily be of higher quality
than those taught by those merely using the research results of others – whatever the apparent
quality of their style of delivery. …. Furthermore, if teaching is undertaken by researchers the
linkage is automatic, even if, as is often the case they are not always teaching about their own
narrow research specialism.” (Lee 2004, 9 – with particular reference to geography in UK)
“In all but the most elite academic environments, when you co-locate teaching and research you
reduce your efficiency in producing both.” (Lloyd 2009 writing in The Australian)
“Research consumes much time and money that could be better spent on teaching students”
(Haldane 2010)
The New Zealand Education Amendment Act (1990) defines a university as where “teaching and
research are closely interdependent and most of their teaching is done by people who are active
in advancing knowledge.” (cited by Woodhouse, 1998; policy audited in the late 1990s but
received less emphasis since).
In Scholarship Reconsidered Ernest Boyer (1990, xii) challenged US higher education to “break
away out of the tired old teaching versus research debate.”
“… we want all students to access the benefits exposure to teaching informed by research can
bring…. This will take many forms including pure and applied research that feeds curriculum
development; but also research and development that tackle the challenging questions facing
professional business, regional and local employers now and in the future. We’re doing this
because we believe an understanding of the research process – asking the right questions in the
right way; conducting experiments; and collating and evaluating information – must be a key part
of any undergraduate curriculum; whether or not those involved in delivering it are actively
engaged in research activity themselves.” (Bill Rammell, Minister for Higher Education 2006, 3)
‘… while the ideal relationship might be perceived by many academics to be a positive one,
there are a number of factors that shape the ways in which teaching and research can have a
negative influence on each other, or even be driven apart. These factors include pressures to
compartmentalize teaching and research through accountability and funding mechanisms,
management strategies of academic staff that treat teaching and research separately, and the
competition for scarce resources.’’ (Coate et al., 2001 158)
“Why does every University, thirty-eight of them, public ones, why do they all have to be doing
research, teaching and scholarship and struggling to do it in so many areas? Why can't we have
Universities that make a conscious decision to specialise in outstanding teaching and
scholarship but do very little research? Why can't we have formal affiliations, one specialising in
teaching and another research, between our domestic Universities?” (Brendan Nelson, Minister
for Education, Science and Training, Australia, April 2005)
“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)
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September 2011
“I propose that colleges and universities provide an opportunity for all undergraduates to conduct
research — to create knowledge.” (Ellis, 2006; Professor of chemistry at the University of
Wisconsin at Madison, on detail as director of the National Science Foundation's chemistry
division through June 2006)
“28. The University considers research-led teaching to be a defining characteristic of its
approach to education and it is clear that new courses are often designed around staff research
interests. It was also evident from the material presented for the two audit trails that many
courses focused on staff employing what could be characterised as a somewhat passive
'research-led' approach through curriculum content conveyed by experts. However, discussions
with students during both briefing and audit visits did suggest that certain areas of the University,
at least, were concerned to promote a more engaged approach with students as researchers. …
29. While noting that there are examples of considerable innovative practice across the
University the audit team feels that these could be exploited further, and that the University could
make further use of initiatives elsewhere in the sector. The audit team, therefore, recommends
that it would be desirable for the University to continue to give serious consideration to
developing and supporting models of integration between research and teaching across the full
range of its curricula.”
(http://www.qaa.ac.uk/reviews/reports/institutional/Liverpool09/RG513UniLiverpool.pdf)
“The roles of teaching and research should be afforded parity of esteem, and this should be
reflected in resource allocation, in promotion criteria, and in the metrics used to assess
performance at individual, institution and system level.” (Department of Education and Skills
2011, 54) Ireland
Table 3: Modes 1, 2 and 3 Knowledge and the research-teaching nexus
Knowledge
Mode 1
Characteristics and emphases
Research-teaching
relationship
Disciplinary; production of knowledge; hypothesis
Potential that research and
testing; formal knowledge with universal aspiration
teaching may be separated
Mode 2
Interdisciplinary; production and application of
Potential for greater integration
knowledge; problem solving; commodification of
as involves a wider concept of
knowledge; how knowledge is managed,
research including application
synthesised and adapted; multiple interpretations,
and communication as well as
creative knowledge in particular situations
production of knowledge
Mode 3
Interdisciplinary; integration of production and
Potentially greater integration
application; uncertainty dominates; recognises that
as students may engage with
knowledge produces further uncertainty rather than staff in academic communities
solutions; supercomplexity; no stable descriptions of of practice
the world; categories used for understanding the
world and ourselves are contested; need to develop
dispositions to learn to live with uncertainty
Draws on ideas in Barnett (2004); Barrie (2004); Brew (2006); and Jenkins et al (2007)
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September 2011
Table 4: Relationships between conceptions of research
Source: Brew (2003, 6)
Brew (2003, 6-7), on the basis of interviews with 57 senior Australian academics has identified 4
different conceptions of research (Table 4):
 Trading view – “in the foreground are the products of research: the end points,
publications, grants and social networks, i.e. aspects external to the process of doing the
research. These are viewed as being linked together in relationships of recognition and
reward.”
 Domino view – “the researcher’s focus is on the solutions to problems and the answering
of questions, i.e. it is external to the activities of doing the research. It looks outside the
immediate context of the research.”
 Layer view – “the focus looks inward. It is internal because in the focus of awareness are
the data containing ideas together with (linked to) hidden meanings. … Here, research is
interpreted as a process of discovering, uncovering or creating underlying meanings”
 Journey view – “in the foreground are the personal existential issues and dilemmas of the
researcher, linked through an awareness of the career of the researcher and viewed as
having been explored for a long time. … the researcher is the focal point of awareness.
Research is interpreted as a personal journey of discovery possibly leading to
transformation.
Definition of Undergraduate Research
At the University of Gloucestershire “Our working definition of undergraduate research includes
Boyer’s (1990) scholarships of discovery, integration and application (engagement) and is
characterised by breadth: undergraduate research describes student engagement from induction
to graduation, individually and in groups, in research and inquiry into disciplinary, professional
and community-based problems and issues, including involvement in knowledge exchange
activities” (Childs et al., 2007).
“Programmes that seek to encourage or support undergraduate research should actively address all or
most of the following.
 Expressly engage with ‘undergraduate research’, ‘community based undergraduate research’, or
some such, and recast their understanding of ‘student-centred’ or ‘inquiry-‘ or ‘problem-based’...
‘learning’ accordingly.
 Adjust the philosophy/values of their programme so as to actively bring undergraduate students
(along with others such as librarians, community activists) into the worlds of research.
 Encourage and enable students to learn in ways that parallel or reflect the ways faculty/staff
themselves research/learn in their discipline/professional area.
 Build research opportunities into the formative processes and summative outcomes of course
assessment for students in ways that retrace and register how faculty/staff develop and
disseminate their own research/learning in their own discipline/professional area, e.g. through
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September 2011

undergraduate research journals, student research conferences, exhibitions, recordings and
broad/narrow casts.
Ensure that the programme is clearly visible and recognised as ‘undergraduate research’ by the
university communities (in particular students) and parents, the local community, and possible
external sponsors and stakeholders” (Jenkins 2008).
Table 5: Student awareness, experiences and perceptions of research in three
universities
CanRI - a research-intensive institution in Canada
UKRI - a research-intensive institution in the UK
UKLRI - a less research-intensive institution in the UK
Percent of students responding ‘yes’ to the question ‘Are you aware of any of the following occurring at the
University?’ by institution
Total
CanRI
UKRI
Research
341
232
34
(66%)
Seminars†‡
(75%)
(77%)
Books, Articles or
335
213
38
other research
(65%)
(68%)
(86%)
output†‡
Notice Boards
313
183
34
Displaying
(61%)
(59%)
(77%)
Research
Opportunities
Research
292
193
28
(57%)
posters/displays†
(63%)
(64%)
Existence of
259
223
13
(50%)
Research Units*†
(72%)
(30%)
Areas with national
220
185
14
/ international
(43%)
(60%)
(32%)
reputations*†‡
Bold signifies a significant difference between the institutions in crosstab analysis
*signifies significant difference between CanRI and UKRI
†signifies significant difference between CanRI and UKLRI
‡signifies significant difference between UKRI and UKLRI
UKLRI
75
(46%)
84
(52%)
96
(59%)
71
(44%)
23
(14%)
21
(13%)
Percent of students responding ‘yes’ to the question ‘Have you gained experience of any of the following?’ by
institution
Staff discuss
research†‡
Guest lecturer discuss
research*†
Reading research paper
by staff†‡
Undertaking
independent project†
Undertaking
dissertation*†
Being subject of
research*†
Development of
research techniques
Attending research
seminar†
Involved in practical
activities/fieldwork
Contributing to
Total
390
(76%)
337
(65%)
277
(54%)
245
(48%)
182
(35%)
167
(32%)
139
(27%)
122
(24%)
124
(24%)
65
CanRI
263
(85%)
239
(78%)
186
(60%)
132
(43%)
21
(7%)
147
(47%)
84
(27%)
83
(27%)
71
(23%)
53
UKRI
37
(84%)
26
(59%)
28
(64%)
24
(55%)
34
(77%)
6
(14%)
14
(32%)
12
(27%)
11
(25%)
3
UKLRI
90
(55%)
72
(44%)
63
(39%)
89
(55%)
127
(78%)
14
(9%)
41
(25%)
27
(17%)
42
(26%)
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September 2011
research report or other
(13%)
(17%)
(7%)
(6%)
output†
Acting as research
54
52
0
2
(11%)
assistant*†
(17%)
(0%)
(1%)
Bold signifies a significant difference between the institutions in crosstab analysis
*signifies significant difference between CanRI and UKRI
†signifies significant difference between CanRI and UKLRI‡signifies significant difference between UKRI and UKLRI
Percent of students indicating the following positive impacts of staff who teach them being involved in
research
Institution
Total
CanRI
UKRI
Increased
275
172
33
(53%)
understanding†‡
(56%)
(75%)
Stimulated interest
241
154
33
and
(47%)
(50%)
(75%)
enthusiasm*†‡
Increased
193
124
18
awareness of
(38%)
(40%)
(41%)
methodological
issues
Development of
145
91
12
research skills
(28%)
(30%)
(27%)
Motivated me to
130
106
15
pursue
(25%)
(34%)
(34%)
postgraduate
study†‡
Bold signifies a significant difference between the institutions in crosstab analysis
*signifies significant difference between CanRI and UKRI
†signifies significant difference between CanRI and UKLRI
‡signifies significant difference between UKRI and UKLRI
UKLRI
70
(43%)
54
(33%)
51
(31%)
42
(26%)
9
(6%)
Percent of students indicating the following negative impacts of staff who teach them being involved in
research
Institution
Total
CanRI
UKRI
Lack of interest in
121
103
7
teaching and
(24%)
(33%)
(16%)
facilitating my
learning†
Lack of
97
65
10
availability
(19%)
(21%)
(23%)
Inability of Staff to
90
75
1
(18%)
explain material*†
(24%)
(2%)
Lack of interest in
80
71
5
my academic
(16%)
(23%)
(11%)
welfare†
Research interests
80
70
6
distorting what
(16%)
(23%)
(14%)
they teach†‡
Bold signifies a significant difference between the institutions in crosstab analysis
*signifies significant difference between CanRI and UKRI
†signifies significant difference between CanRI and UKLRI
‡signifies significant difference between UKRI and UKLRI
UKLRI
11
(7%)
22
(14%)
14
(9%)
4
(3%)
4
(3%)
Source: Turner et al. (2008)
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September 2011
Are students aware of any of the following?
Research seminars or
conferences
Books, articles or other
research output
Notice boards advertising
research opportunities
Existence of Research
Centres/Units
Areas with national /
international reputations
Faculty are writing for
publication
Faculty are supervising
research students
Faculty are undertaking
funded research
Faculty are supervising UG
research assistants
U of A History
Faculty
46%
U of A Student
Data
75%
46%
68%
23%
59%
18%
72%
18%
60%
73%
79%
46%
81%
36%
77%
18%
60%
Source: Wuetherick and Berry (2008)
Do you think students have gained experience with any of the following?
U of A History
Faculty
96%
68%
U of A Student
Data
85%
78%
Staff discuss research
Guest lecturer discuss
research
86%
60%
Reading research paper by
staff
77%
43%
Undertaking independent
research project (as a part
of a course or as a whole
course)
59%*
7%
Undertaking undergraduate
dissertation
23%
47%
Being subject of research
59%
27%
Development of research
techniques
32%
27%
Attending research seminar
36%
23%
Involved in practical
activities/fieldwork
14%
17%
Contributing to research
project outside of class
27%
19%
Attending research
conference
36%
17%
Acting as research assistant
27%
15%
Contributing to research
conference paper
*Several people qualified by statements that just honours students do this
Source: Wuetherick and Berry (2008)
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September 2011
B CASE STUDIES OF LINKING DISCIPLINE-BASED RESEARCH AND
TEACHING IN DISCIPLINES, DEPARTMENTS, INSTITUTIONS AND NATIONAL
SYSTEMS
These cases of disciplines, departments, institutions and national systems that have intervened
to bring teaching and research together are drawn from Australia, Canada, Denmark, Ireland,
Hong Kong, Netherlands, New Zealand, United Kingdom and United States. They focus on links
between teaching and disciplinary research. With a few exceptions they exclude initiatives that
encourage research into teaching and learning - although this is a critical and important way in
which research and teaching may be linked, it is distinct from links with discipline-based
research. In discussing teaching research relations and analysing these case studies, it is
important to start from a research-based understanding of what we mean by 'linking teaching
and research'; and then use this understanding to consider whether these international case
studies fit your particular context at discipline, department, institutional and national levels. The
paper is organised under eight main headings:
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
Contexts, Transferability and a Framework
Linking Research and Teaching in Disciplines
2.1
Biosciences, Physical Sciences, Medicine and Health Sciences
2.2
Social Sciences
2.3
Business, Computing, Law and Tourism
2.4
Geography and Environmental Studies
2.5
Archaeology and Earth Sciences
2.6
Arts, Media, Architecture and Performing Arts
2.7
English
2.8
History
2.9
Education and Philosophy
2.10 Interdisciplinary
Linking Research and Teaching in Departments
3.1
Biosciences, Chemistry, Medicine and Health Sciences
3.2
Engineering and Mathematics
3.3
Arts and Social Sciences
3.4
Geography, Earth and Environmental Sciences
3.5
Developing research skills and academic practices
3.6
Re-designing Spaces
Linking Research and Teaching in Institutions
4.1
Europe
4.2
Australia
4.3
New Zealand
4.4
United States
4.5
Canada
Linking Research and Teaching in Postgraduate Courses on Teaching and Learning in
Higher Education
Teaching and Learning Courses integrated into Doctoral Programmes
Linking Teaching and Research in National Systems
7.1
Research councils support the research-teaching nexus
7.2
Legislative and national quality assurance support
7.3
National support for investigation and promotion of the research-teaching nexus
7.4
National initiatives to broaden conceptualisation of academic work
7.5
National awards for integrating research and teaching
7.6
National designated funding to develop the research-teaching linkage
International Initiatives to Promote Research and Teaching Links
Sources and Bibliography
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Annex 1: Linking Teaching and Research in Departments: Questions and Strategies
Annex 2 Strategies for Linking Teaching and Research within Courses and Programmes
Annex 3: Institutional Strategies to Link Teaching and Research: A Framework
Annex 4: Possible Strategies for National and International Organisations
1. Contexts and Transferability
The value of case studies largely lies in the specific ideas they present for adapting elsewhere.
We recognise that the form of, and the possibilities for, teaching-research connections will vary
between disciplines / departments, institutions and nations. However, the particular forms of
teaching -research connections are transferable and adaptable to other contexts. So when
looking at the case studies below also consider how innovations in particular disciplines,
institutions and countries can be adapted to your context.
We have found the framework developed Griffiths (2004) effective in supporting staff/faculty to
examine both their current courses and institutional policies and practices and in adapting
innovations from elsewhere. According to Griffiths teaching can be:
 Research-led: where students learn about research findings, the curriculum content is
dominated by faculty research interests, and information transmission is the main
teaching mode;
 Research-oriented: where students learn about research processes, the curriculum
emphasises as much the processes by which knowledge is produced as learning
knowledge that has been achieved, and faculty try to engender a research ethos through
their teaching; or
 Research-based: where students learn as researchers, the curriculum is largely designed
around inquiry-based activities, and the division of roles between teacher and student is
minimised.
Fig. 1 The nature of student research and inquiry
STUDENTS ARE PARTICIPANTS
EMPHASIS ON
RESEARCH
CONTENT
Research-tutored
Research-based
Engaging in research
discussions
Undertaking
research and inquiry
Research-led
Research-oriented
Learning about
current research in
the discipline
Developing
research and
inquiry skills and
techniques
EMPHASIS ON
RESEARCH
PROCESSES
AND
PROBLEMS
STUDENTS FREQUENTLY
ARE AN AUDIENCE
Source: Healey and Jenkins (2009, 7; amended from Healey, 2005, 70)
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Healey (2005) has expressed these differences diagrammatically using two axes (Fig 1). One
classifies approaches to linking teaching and research according to the extent to which they are
teacher-focused and students are treated primarily as the audience or treat students as
participants, while the second axis classifies the approach as emphasising research content or
research processes and problems. He identifies a fourth category ‘research tutored’ where
students learn in small group discussions with a teacher about research findings. A variant on
this matrix has been proposed by Levy (2009). They also have a staff-led and student-led axis
and another axis distinguishing between information-led and discovery-led inquiry in which the
former is based on existing knowledge and the latter on new knowledge (Fig 2).
Fig 2 Inquiry-based learning: a conceptual framework
STUDENT LED
Pursuing (information-active)
Students explore a knowledge-base by
pursuing their own closed questions and
lines of inquiry (“what is the existing
answer to my question?”).
Authoring (discovery-active)
Students pursue their own open
questions and lines of inquiry, in
interaction with the knowledge-base of
the discipline (“how can I answer my
question?”).
EXPLORING AND
ACQUIRING
EXISTING
KNOWLEDGE
PARTICIPATING
IN BUILDING
KNOWLEDGE
Identifying (information-responsive)
Students explore the knowledge-base of
the discipline in response to closed
questions or lines of inquiry framed by staff
(“what is the existing answer to this
question?”).
Producing (discovery-responsive)
Students pursue open questions or lines
of inquiry framed by tutors, in interaction
with the knowledge-base of the discipline
(“how can I answer this question?”).
STAFF LED
Source: Based on Levy (2009)
Another useful framework for analysing discipline variation is provided by Biglan (1973)
identifies different discipline types. He distinguishes between disciplines which are
predominantly ‘pure’ and those which are predominantly ‘applied’ and those which are
predominantly ‘hard’ or predominantly ‘soft’. The latter refers to the dominant paradigmatic
approach whether e.g. quantitative scientific or qualitative interpretative. The opportunities and
ease with which research and teaching may be linked varies according to these discipline types.
Some differences in students’ experiences by discipline are shown in Table 1.
Table 6 Students’ experiences of learning in a research environment
What is research?
How visible is it?
Where is it
located?
Who does it?
Physics
Breaking new ground;
moving forward;
exploration and discovery
Laboratories and
machinery (i.e. ‘tools’) but
often ‘behind’ closed doors
Out there; at a higher level
Geography
Gathering information in the
world; answering a question
Lecturers
Lecturers and (increasingly
over time) students
Most visible ‘in the field’
Out there in the field
English
Looking into; gathering;
putting it together; a
focus of interest
Not tangibly visible, but
apparent in the
dialogue
In the library; in the
head
Lecturers and students
Source: Robertson and Blackler (2006, 226). Based on interviews with 36 students (first years to postgraduates) at
Canterbury University, NZ
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2 Linking Research and Teaching in Disciplines
2.1 Biosciences, Physical Sciences, Medicine and Health Sciences
Undergraduate and postgraduate student conservation science conferences at
Cambridge (UK) and Duke (US) Universities
An annual student research conference has been held since 2001 at Cambridge and since 2005
at Duke. The series aims to build links among young conservation scientists from biological,
environmental and geography departments of universities as well as conservation and resource
management agencies. Delegates include students from around the world, as well as
conservation practitioners from leading international conservation bodies.
Sources: http://www.sccs-cam.org/; http://www.nicholas.duke.edu/news/ns-sccs.html
Asking questions in plant biology at Australian National University
A practical exercise designed for a Level 2 course involves students: making observations in a
botanical garden; coming up with 10 questions each (e.g. why do eucalypt leaves dangle?);
sharing one of these questions with a group of other students; coming up as a group with
hypotheses based on the question (e.g. Eucalypt trees in arid environments have leaves that
dangle at steeper angles than those in wet environments); thinking of ways of testing the
hypothesis(es); and writing up individually their 10 questions and one hypothesis as a 750 word
mini-proposal for a research project.
Source: www.anu.edu.au/CEDAM/ilearn/inquiry/posing_questions.pdf
At University College London, UK, science undergraduates build on research of previous
students
Students on a course on the history of science at UCL are involved in an ongoing pilot project
aimed at a full integration of teaching and research at the undergraduate level. The chief
innovation is the mechanism of inheritance: each year students receive a body of work produced
by the previous group of students and make improvements and additions to it; this process can
be repeated until publishable materials are produced. This is part of a system of learning that
enables students to function as a real and evolving community of researchers. First developed
in a final third year course, the “course will now be open to second years which will enable
interested students to continue their work as part of their dissertation, and to strengthen the
diachronic community by having the previous year’s students present when the next cohort take
the course” (Chang 2007, 21).
Sources: Chang (2005; 2007); Chang and Jackson (2007)
http://network.nature.com/london/news/Q&A/2007/10/31/wiki-book-on-chlorine-heralds-newstyle-of-undergraduate-teaching; http://www.ucl.ac.uk/sts/chang/
At Leicester University, UK, biochemistry undergraduate students are helped to read
research articles
The expectation that students in the latter stages of an honours degree will be keeping abreast
of developments in a particular field of knowledge requires them to become conversant with
research articles. Yet the content of such papers is frequently jargon-rich and impenetrable. In
the department of Biochemistry at Leicester University some final third year modules are in
effect journal reading clubs around particular research themes. Key components of the first year
programme are explicitly structured to introduce them to reading and to writing as researchers.
In particular as part of a year-long scientific skills module (c70 students) a set of exercises has
students first consider the structure of a scientific report and read and evaluate a given research
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September 2011
paper. Subsequently, students are asked to imagine themselves as scientific investigators
interested in a specific problem. In tutor-led group discussion, they design an experiment to
investigate the problem and then individually write a report based on provided data.
Sources: Wilmott et al. (2003)
Inquiry Based Learning – or ‘Scale Up’ – in Introductory Science Classes
SCALE-UP or “Student-Centered Active Learning Environment for Undergraduate Programs”,
originally developed at North Carolina State University has been widely adopted and adapted in
a wide range of US universities, including the Technology Enhanced Active Learning (TEAL)
classroom at Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT).
The basic idea is of a radically redesigned classroom and linked web supported learning
environment. The traditional lecture and linked laboratory format is replaced by “4-6 hours of
activity based instruction per week, typically in 2-hour blocks” (Beichner et al., 2007, 3).
Students work in groups at round tables with web support and white boards. “Most of the class
time is spent on ‘tangibles’ and ‘ponderables’. Essentially these are hands-on activities,
simulations, or interesting questions and problems. There are also some hypothesis-driven labs
where students have to write detailed lab reports.” (http://scaleup.ncsu.edu/FAQs.html)
“In comparisons to traditional instruction we have seen significantly increased conceptual
understanding, improved attitudes, successful problem solving, and higher success rates,
particularly for females and minorities (Beichner et al., 2007, 1).
Sources: Beichner et al. (2007); http://scaleup.ncsu.edu/;
http://icampus.mit.edu/projects/TEAL.shtml
Engaging large classes of first-year students in the professional practices of
bioscientists, at The University of Queensland, Australia
Each semester since 2005, 400-900 first-year Human Biology students are introduced to the
course content and assessment using a pedagogical model developed around the skills and
practices of bioscientists. Practising bioscientists teach all course elements. Content
knowledge, scientific reasoning, use and understanding of language, laboratory skills and the
importance of partnerships are progressively supported through the following innovations in
summative assessment. The initiative was funded as part of an institutional focus on enhancing
the first year experience for undergraduates.
The Personal Response assignment acknowledges the interests and experiences which diverse
groups of students bring to university (Moni et al., 2007a). The task engages them in audio
interviews in which scientists describe their cutting-edge research. Students respond to the
interviews in short expressive written assignments. Next, students participate in a purposively
designed Biohorizons eConference modelled around professional conferences. This begins with
a face-to-face plenary lecture delivered by an internationally recognised researcher (Moni et al.,
in press a). Over the next 6 weeks, students self-register into one of ten clusters (of up to 45
pairs) based around biological themes. With the support of online tutors (PhD students), they
write and upload a paper (15%) and construct a PowerPoint presentation (10%) in pairs.
Students use databases to explore primary literature and research a specific topic of interest
within broad cluster themes. Students then individually post formal questions and answers
about one another’s work (5%). The eTutors mark all three submissions using online criteria
sheets and audiofiles to personalise feedback.
All students need to develop core manipulative skills (and confidence) in laboratory classes
(Moni et al., in press b). These skills are individually assessed within regular laboratory sessions
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through a system of mastery learning and feedback. Evaluations indicate high levels of
engagement in the course and high levels of academic success across diverse cohorts –
Pharmacy, Human Movement Studies and Science degree programs.
Sources: Moni et al. (2007a); Moni et al. (in press a); Moni et al. (in press b)
Teaching final-year Physiology and Pharmacology students to communicate more
effectively to non-specialist members of the public, at The University of Queensland,
Australia
This case study was premised on the belief that professional scientists and science-trained
graduates must learn to more effectively communicate to lay audiences, and that these skills are
more meaningfully learned within disciplinary contexts. Over 200 final-year undergraduates
enrolled in Human Physiology and Pharmacology in Disease were taught by a journalist to write
an opinion editorial based on a recent biomedical publication. In the first phase of study, the
“media role” conceptual model was developed to describe the role of mass media as community
gatekeepers of new scientific findings (Poronnik et al., 2006). Survey evaluations indicated that
students recognised the importance for scientists to effectively communicate their knowledge to
non-professional audiences and that the Op-Ed writing task was challenging.
In a follow-up study, the authors demonstrated the effectiveness of explicit teaching of writing
from within discipline contexts, using a pre-test/post-test assessment of writing competencies
(Moni et al., 2007b). The perceptions of the authors were supported by feedback from the lay
public who were asked to assess students writing before and after teaching.
Sources: Moni et al. (2007b); Poronnik et al. (2006)
Biology start up business final year project, University of Durham, UK
Biology Enterprise is a collaborative venture between Durham Business School and the School
of Biological and Biomedical Sciences. This elective module for final year undergraduate
students in the School of Biological and Biomedical Sciences aims to introduce science students
to the key processes of business start-up and enhance their enterprising skills and behaviours.
The module is project-orientated with self-selecting groups of students who generate an idea for
a business opportunity that is based on a scientific discovery. Students use their knowledge and
understanding of science to develop and research their idea into a technology that can be
readily commercialised e.g. a diabetes breath tester, a biodegradable chewing gum. In parallel,
the Business School teaches students the necessary skills and knowledge required to develop
their idea into a successful business. This course offers science undergraduates an alternative
to the traditional laboratory-based project and is useful for those seeking employment in
business and commerce. The module was developed by Stefan Przyborski, who is the founder
and Chief Scientific Officer of ReInnervate, a biotechnology company founded in 2002 as a
spinout from Durham University.
References:
ftp://www.bioscience.heacademy.ac.uk/events/dur05/przyborski.pdf
Reinvented Enquiry Labs in Year One Chemistry at Warwick University (UK)
A second term year one laboratory course (c100 students) was reinvented from its previous
‘traditional’ approach to explicitly support more open ended enquiry based learning. The
stimulus came from fourth year students doing their final year research project. Looking back at
the predecessor of this redesigned course they stated “they did not feel prepared for their finalyear projects. The style of the experiments was perceived to be very ‘recipe-‘like, with little
scope for original thought. Additionally, the students felt that the labs … gave the impression
that ‘most chemistry works’; after a research project, they appreciated that the reality was
somewhat different” (Taylor and Geden, 2008).
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The revised course was clearly enquiry based and involved major changes to the laboratory
manual and the pre lab activities, though the actual experimental procedures to be followed were
largely untouched to minimise resource implications. The manual redesigned each experiment
as a problem to be solved, with all references to the expected outcome removed; experimental
procedures were changed to be, insofar as was sensible with safety considerations in mind, in
the style of methods published in research journals; mark schemes were completely revised to
support the revised course goals. In addition the previous whole class didactic pre-lab sessions
were revised to a more open discussion and enquiry approach.
References: Taylor and Geden (2008)
Chemistry ‘Concentrated Study’ Project at the University of St Andrews, Scotland
This is a core course done by all 3rd year chemistry students (within a 4 year BSc/5year MChem
framework); current enrolment is 48. It is taught in the last four weeks of the Spring semester.
Students have no other class and are able to spend their full time on this module. Students are
divided into (mixed ability) groups of five - six each assigned to an academic supervisor who
assigns a topic for investigation. This requires some literature research, experimental planning,
experimental work, analysis of results and their presentation. The projects assigned vary but
generally fall somewhat short of original research while maintaining substantial scope for student
input to the direction of the work and how to best achieve the goal set.
The module has run for the last five years and typically yields grades rather similar to
conventional laboratory classes at this level. A consistent observation however is that this really
brings out the best in some otherwise weaker students who seem to be inspired by the idea of
contributing to the team effort in a way that is not achieved in a more conventional class.
There are parallels between this approach to course design and the experimental physics
course at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology researched by King and Parlett (1969); and
the current credit and non credit courses in MIT’s Independent Activities Period.
Sources: Aitken (2008); King and Parlett (1969); http://ch-www.standrews.ac.uk/teaching/aims/Mod3441/a.pdf; http://web.mit.edu/iap/
Research in action - integrating science with clinical practice - at Peninsula Medical
School (PMS), UK
In this fourth-year special study unit (SSU), students ‘piggy back’ an active research group and
experience the process of research. They have the opportunity to try out techniques, analyse
data and pose questions. Staff are given some guidance and examples of what is appropriate to
give students to do. The SSU involves three one-week blocks across the fourth year. Students
are able to choose the type of research group they join, and often there are three or four
students with each research group.
After the first contact session, students are asked to produce an overview of the research topic
in the form of a BMJ critical review. This review is formatively marked, and is set in order to
ensure that students have a good understanding of the field. In the second contact week,
students are expected to analyse data generated by the research team and use it to produce a
research poster. The poster is summatively marked and contributes one-third of the overall
mark. Students present their posters at an internal PMS research-in-action poster day, but this
is not part of the summative assessment.
At the end of the third week, students are expected to produce a future work proposal, which
should build on the data presented in the poster and state where they would take the project in
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the next 12 months. The future work proposal is summatively marked and provides the
remaining two-thirds of the overall mark. The mark contributes to the overall assessment of the
SSU modules, of which this is one of three in the fourth year. Students must pass the SSU
module, but can compensate marks over the three SSUs.
Source:
http://www.enhancementthemes.ac.uk/documents/ResearchTeaching/Med_Dent_Vet_final_repo
rt.pdf, pp.78-9
Employing second year students as laboratory assistants: Biomedical science at
University of Newcastle, UK
In 2002 the School of Biomedical Sciences introduced a scheme to offer opportunities to
second-year bioscience students to undertake part-time paid work in research laboratories. The
aim was to provide students with a greater appreciation of bioscience research, to reinforce their
laboratory skills and to encourage them to consider a research-based career. Students work for
8 hours per week during term time and are paid a minimal wage. Hours are negotiated with the
supervisor to fit with the student’s timetable commitments. The scheme has run for five years
employing 74 undergraduates. An evaluation demonstrated positive student and supervisor
comments with students reporting a positive effect on their studies and that the experience had
encouraged them to consider a career in research. The stimulus to the scheme was the fear
that an institutional policy to establish research institutes might lead to structural disconnections
between teaching and research and reduce the number of undergraduates seeking research
careers.
Source: Hughes et al. (2009)
Undergraduate Research Elective in Medicine: Queens University, Canada
At Queen's University, the undergraduate medical curriculum includes a mandatory minimum
eight week "Critical Enquiry" elective in year 2. The purpose of this elective is to allow each
student a block of time, free from other academic assignments, to pursue in depth a medicallyrelated hypothesis of the student's choice. The area of research may be from the basic, clinical,
or social sciences, or the humanities. Students may arrange the elective with the supervisor and
at the location of their choice. The elective block is placed immediately prior to the summer
vacation to afford the opportunity of extending the project into the summer months.
A central reason for introducing the course was a national concern that few physicians were
choosing research careers. Research on the impact of the course has demonstrated a
significant increase in the number of students expressing an interest in pursuing a research
career – and students (including those not seeking a research career) recognising other
benefits including the development of critical thinking skills; and the opportunity to select an area
of interest; and develop contacts for postgraduate training.
Sources: Course web site: http://meds.queensu.ca/courses/pbl/phase_iie;
Houlden et al. (2004)
Use of Podcasts in Research Methods in Nursing Course at Edinburgh Napier University,
UK
‘Research and Evidence Based Practice’ is an upper level course which develops the ability of
students to appraise evidence and evaluate its appropriateness for implementation in their future
professional practice. The course uses a blended learning pedagogy using a Virtual Learning
Environment. In that context podcasts have been integrated into the course materials. These
feature interviews with leading researchers in the University who are active researchers but with
limited contact with undergraduate nursing students. The interviews in part focus on how their
research is shaping professional practice in Scotland and elsewhere. Students enrolled on this
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module had often reported that they found the research focus quite daunting, with the
terminology very difficult to grasp. Having the podcasts was a simple way of conveying some of
the research concepts in an 'informal' and less daunting way.
Sources: http://www.modules.napier.ac.uk/Module.aspx?ID=NMS09100;
http://staff.napier.ac.uk/services/academicdevelopment/LTA/resources/Pages/Details.aspx?ItemI
D=21&Section=
1,000 biology students are involved in research at University of Sydney, Australia
First year Biology students at the University of Sydney contribute to the understanding of the
prevalence of asthma in Sydney. Each student learns to pour an agar plate which they take
home and expose in their back yard over a 10 minute period, to collect a sample of airborne
fungal spores in the atmosphere. There are 1000 students in the class and they live all over the
Sydney metropolitan area. Once the fungi collected have grown into colonies, students learn to
use a key to identify the fungi, and the class results are converted into maps showing the
distribution of the different species. This generates new knowledge, which they discuss online
with an international expert, and which is fed into research programs on allergens. The students
involved reported a better awareness of research, and their involvement in it, than students
involved in a practical course which had a traditional textbook demonstration practical exercise.
Dr Charlotte Taylor describes a thousand students as an 'ideal' size of research team for
carrying out research of this nature.
Sources: Taylor and Green (2007);
http://www.mq.edu.au/ltc/altc/ug_research/research_curriculum.htm
Scientific Communications 101: A student organised science conference at Curtin
University, Australia
Students in an introductory year one course with a linked focus on physics and science
communication were required to plan and present a one-day Physics conference. The context
was an institutional requirement that employment focused communication skills be integrated
into disciplinary programmes. The idea of a student-organised science conference, publication
of the proceedings, and the reasons for the approach were explained to students in the first
Physics class. For the following week, students were asked to decide on a Physics topic they
were interested in presenting at the conference, the overall theme for the conference, and how
all the students would contribute to the organisation of the conference and the publication. Later
in the term the conference took place over a day and staff and students from the department and
local high school students and their teachers attended. In the years that the course ran it
succeeded in helping students develop more effective communication skills linked to their
discipline, introduced them to research debates and helped them begin to think and
communicate like physicists.
Sources: Zadnick and Radloff (1995)
2.2 Social Sciences
Inquiry-based learning introductory course for social sciences had a significant impact
on students’ subsequent performance at McMaster University, Canada
McMaster University has been running a first-year course for social sciences based on inquiry
since the late 1990s. This case study discusses this award-winning course as it evolved over
the first five years (see Justice et al. 2002; 2007a), since then other instructors have taken on
the course and is taught to reflect their interests. It is typically taught in groups of no more than
25 students assigned to an instructor. All of the groups have the same curriculum, reading
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material, process of assessment, and goals that are outlined in a detailed compendium. The
classes meet for 12 three-hour concurrent sessions. Class time consists of a combination of
exercises and tasks for building the students’ critical abilities and time for students to share
ideas about their individual inquiries with other students. Much of class time involves groups of
four or five students assisting each other in such things as clarifying understandings or planning
research strategies.
All students investigate aspects of a broad social science theme, such as ‘self identity’ and
addressed a common inquiry question, such as: ‘Why do images of ethnicity, race, gender,
sexuality, age, class, or abilities help to create aspects of personal and community identity?’
Students have to propose their own inquiry question, such as: ‘Why do some children apparently
become violent after watching violent cartoons while others seem to be unaffected?’ They have
to justify why the question is important in relation to existing literature. They then investigate the
question through a process which involved developing and testing hypotheses using secondary
sources. The course emphasizes the development of skills, including critical reading and
thinking, independent and collaborative learning, information searching and evaluation, analysis
and synthesis, oral and written communication, and self and peer evaluation.
Analysis of five years of data (Justice et al., 2007b), comparing students who took the Inquiry
course with comparable students who did not, shows that it has had a significant impact on how
well students perform during their academic careers. The findings allow for initial differences
between the two samples. Taking the Inquiry course is associated with statistically significant
positive differences in obtaining passing grades, achieving Honours, staying on the Dean’s
honour list, and remaining in university.
Recent research investigated in what way(s) Inquiry 1SS3 students changed that might explain
their long-term enhanced performance at university. A quasi-experimental study compares a
randomly selected group of 54 students who took Inquiry 1SS3 in their first semester with 71
comparable students who did not (Justice et al., 2009). The research goes beyond self-reports
of learning and directly measures abilities and performance. Inquiry 1SS3 is associated with
meaningfully higher scores in actual performance tests of many intellectual and academic
skills and often the magnitude and significance of the difference between groups is comparable
to that between upper- and lower-level students (~2 years of university).
Sources: Justice et al. (2002, 2007a and b; 2009);
http://socserv2.mcmaster.ca/Inquiry/CourseOutline.htm;
http://www.socsci.mcmaster.ca/socsci_inquiry.cfm
Psychology Students Research Students’ Quality of Life at York St John University, UK
First year, non-specialist, psychology students undertook an eight-week project in which they
collected data from themselves and three other students using four short inventories and a
biographical questionnaire in order to research topics related to students’ Quality of Life. This
project provided students with the opportunity to collect ‘live’ data, contribute to a developing
database, select data for analysis, and write up findings. The topics available for selection by
students were linked to the research interests of the lecturer making the project mutually
beneficial. A departmental technician provided assistance with questionnaire design, the
development and maintenance of a database, data entry, and tutoring on some portions of the
project.
Source: http://www.psychology.heacademy.ac.uk/html/teach_land.asp?id=596
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A guide for Undergraduate dissertations in Sociology, Anthropology, Politics, Social
Policy, Social Work and Criminology at Sheffield Hallam University, UK
This web-resource was prepared to provide support and guidance for students writing
dissertations in the social sciences, but it offers useful guidance for any students carrying out
research. It deals with some of the common questions, concerns and practical issues that
undergraduate students face when planning a piece of social research – such as research
design, ethics, access, and writing styles. The resource also provides some useful information
for academic staff who are supervising undergraduate dissertations. It provides case studies of
dissertation supervision issues and examples of the students' experiences of completing a
project and the 'student voice' should be especially valuable for new supervisors. The content
for the site was written by academic and support staff who have a particular interest in this area
and have a great deal of experience in supervising undergraduate dissertations in the fields of
sociology, anthropology, politics, criminology, social policy and social work. They have not
produced this resource with the aim of providing a set of definitive answers; instead they
recognise that there are many ways in which the 'journey' through the process can be
completed. The notes included here draw on the experiences of dissertation supervisors,
academic research into the student and staff experiences of study and supervision, and
examples of good practice.
Source: www.socscidiss.bham.ac.uk/s1.html; Todd et al. (2004)
Inquiry-based learning in first-year information management at the University of Sheffield,
UK
“Inquiry in Information Management” is a first-year, second-semester core module with an
enrolment of approx. 30. The course aims to induct students into learning as a community of
researchers in the context of a professional applied discipline. Students work in groups on
research projects from generating their own valid, practical and worthwhile research questions
(e.g. student awareness of the environmental impact of mobile phones) right through to
presenting findings at a research ‘mini-conference’.
Work on these projects starts in the 4th week, following a series of preparatory workshops which
include exploring their conceptions of ‘research’ and how to pose and investigate research
questions in Information Management. In the final week, guests at the mini-conference include
PhD students, staff lecturers and researchers, and the Head of Department. All guests
contribute to assessment of research posters, using criteria that the first-year students on the
module have established previously in collaboration with module tutors.
Sources: http://www.shef.ac.uk/cilass/cases/informationmanagement.html; Cox et al. (2008)
Librarian Involvement in a Nutrition Undergraduate Research Course at Georgia State,
USA
The wider context for this course is the growing emphasis on research evidence based practice
in health care. At Georgia State an Introduction to Research course was redesigned to involve
library staff fully in both the design and the delivery of the course. The librarian ran sessions on
using various research data bases, how to read research article. “By the end of the course,
students were more comfortable in libraries and with using library resources; they used the
campus library more frequently; they were more confident in their ability to find high-quality
information on nutrition-related topics and identify strengths and weaknesses of different
information sources.”
Source: Smith and Penumetcha (2010)
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2.3 Business, Computing, Law and Tourism
Barak Obama, The Harvard Law Review and Undergraduate Research and Publishing
In 1991 Barak Obama, then 28 years old, became the first black editor of the Harvard Law
Review. He stated a determination to make it a “forum for debate'', bringing in new writers and
pushing for livelier, more accessible writing (Butterfield, 1990).
“The Harvard Law Review is a student-run organization. Student editors make all editorial and
organizational decisions and, together with a professional business staff of three, carry out dayto-day operations. A circulation of about 8,000 enables the Review to pay all of its own
expenses. ... The Review publishes articles by professors, judges, and practitioners and solicits
reviews of important recent books from recognized experts. Most student writing takes the form
of Notes, Recent Cases, Recent Legislation, and Book Notes. Notes are approximately 18
pages and are usually written by third-year students. Recent Cases and Recent Legislation are
normally six pages long and are written mainly by second-year students. Book Notes, also
written by second-years, are six-page reviews of recently published books. All student writing is
unsigned. This policy reflects the fact that many members of the Review, besides the author,
make a contribution to each published piece.”
Sources: Butterfield (1990); http://www.harvardlawreview.org/
Involving students in organisational consultancy, Middlesex University, UK
The module “Consulting to Organisations” aims to provide student with "real life" experience by
engaging them directly as consultants with organisations and the issues that those organisations
have identified as significant. On organisational premises, and in collaboration with the internal
personnel there, a small team of students clarify the issue with their client. Information is then
collected, using a variety of research methods, and analysed in the light of both academic theory
and the specific organisational context. Recommendations for action, both orally and in writing,
are made to the client. As well as experiencing the reality of the organisation, students also
experience working with a team of diverse peers to produce credible outcomes. Initially, four
developmental workshops are provided: these cover team building, consulting, organisational
culture and client contact. Four feedback sessions are organised during the subsequent
consultancy phase of the module. The parameters of the module are set out in a handbook, and
within these students are expected to take responsibility for their own work and that of their
team. This is a Level Two module of eleven weeks, normally undertaken by undergraduates in
their second year. It carries the same credit award as any other module and feedback from
students, from organisational clients and from a number of external examiners over the fourteen
years the module has been in operation has been extremely positive.
Four modes of assessment are employed and they reflect the aims of the module and also
provide a range of methods, which is thought to reflect the different strengths and weaknesses
of the student group. All students are required to attempt, though not pass, all four of the
elements: a written report and oral presentation to their respective clients, a team peerassessment exercise and an individual learning report. The learning report requires students, on
an individual basis, to identify and review their learning from both their experience of the module,
with specific reference to their client contacts, and their experience of working in a team. The
areas addressed are knowledge, skills, attitudes and emotions.
Sources: Correspondence with Philip Frame, 2006; Frame and O’Connor (2003)
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Students participate in a research project on Criminal Justice linked to staff interests at
Australian National University
Students at ANU have the opportunity to participate in a research project based on current
research being conducted by members of the Faculty of Law, the Australian Institute of
Criminology and Research School of Social Science. ‘Criminal Justice’ is an advanced law
elective which critically examines the principal institutions, processes and legal rules relating to
the administration of criminal justice. The iLearning project is an assessable option that allows
students to devise research projects which have both academic value and practical outcomes.
Source: http://www.anu.edu.au/CEDAM/ilearn/research/crimjustice.html
Law students conduct interviews with practicing lawyers at Griffith University, Australia
A 4,000-word research assignment for Lawyers, Clients & Legal Services, an elective taken in
the fourth or fifth year of a Bachelor of Laws program, involves in-depth interviews with at least
two practising lawyers. Every week for a period of six weeks, the lecturer invites one practising
lawyer to attend class during which the lawyer is interviewed. In this way, the lecturer models
the interview process with six different lawyers, each with different areas of expertise. Students
learn about the interview process and also gather research data for their assignments. The
written assignment includes:
 Identification and justification of the research question(s) chosen by the student
 Literature review (identification and thorough analysis of relevant sources)
 Methodology employed
o Presentation and analysis of data with reference to the literature
o At least two in-depth interviews with practising lawyers
 Reference to data from at least three in-class lawyer interviews
 Conclusions that relate directly to the research question(s)
This applied assignment has several RBL related benefits to students:
 It provides them with experience in conducting research interviews and the skills to carry
out basic empirical research. These skills are transferable to the students’ professional
live as lawyers frequently conduct client interviews.
 It gives them an opportunity for inquiry-based learning through interaction with ‘real-world’
law professionals who provide students with legal practice insights that are not available
in the standard Australian legal curriculum.
Source: ALTC Teaching Research Nexus website: www.trnexus.edu.au
Community-based Research in Law at Warwick University, UK
The Centre for Human Rights has one of its aims to facilitate the participation of postgraduate
and undergraduate students in human rights research and experiential learning opportunities. It
supports undergraduate students through both co–curricula opportunities such as internships
and through the formal curriculum to work with various communities local and international. In
the Death Penalty Internship Programme selected students have two month internships in
Capital Defenders Offices in the USA. Student work on: United States legal research, manage
case files, contribute to the briefs filed in state and federal courts, interview witnesses and jurors
in appeals cases and visit prisons, including death row. Also in partnership with Coventry Law
Centre, Warwick students have helped to deliver advice and information sessions to the local
community on issues of discrimination and law. There are related formal courses that provide
related student involvement in practice based research. Thus the module Human Rights in
Practice combines academic study of human rights and a practical project that exposes students
to the notion of applied human rights. Students are organised in groups so as to pursue projects
in the local community.
Sources: http://www2.warwick.ac.uk/fac/soc/law/chrp/aboutthecentre/;
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http://www2.warwick.ac.uk/fac/soc/sociology/rsw/undergrad/cetl/fundingopps/fellowships/fellows/
williams_final_report.pdf
Computing Authentic Learning through Student Research Projects at Louisiana State, US
It is difficult in computing to develop industry ‘style’ authentic research projects in the
undergraduate curriculum. In industry, projects are likely to involve many staff and operate over
a number of years. To meet this challenge, the Computing Science Department at Louisiana
State has developed a range of long term projects involving undergraduates, postgraduates,
faculty and outside ‘industry’ partners. Ideally each project has a compelling ‘story’ that would
interest the students. Second, the project needs to be large enough that it will take the work of
many people over several years to complete the project. Third, there has to be useful partitions
of the project, so that a single student or small group could complete in one or two semesters.
Finally, projects need to be relevant to both undergraduate and master's level students would
need to be available.
One such example is a long term link to develop an effective computer based climate monitoring
with a local Watershed Management Institute with a conservation focussed bat habitat. This
needed a computer based monitoring of the environment established. This required students to
work on a whole range of discipline based issues including network routing, data aggregation
and data visualization – all of which could be expanded by students in subsequent employment
to related (non-bat) scenarios.
Source: Fife (2010);
http://portal.acm.org/citation.cfm?id=1734804&dl=GUIDE&coll=GUIDE&CFID=98901409&CFTO
KEN=31625115
Modelling the research experience: tourism students’ virtual conference at University of
Lincoln, UK
In May every year, final-year Tourism students at the University of Lincoln participate in a live
virtual conference. This is part of their assessment for the semester-long unit (Social and
Political Perspectives on Tourism). A conference is a useful vehicle for extending insight into the
process and practice of knowledge creation and dissemination and for students to participate as
in effect research disseminators. A VLE has made it possible: during the specified timeframe of
one week, students do not have to be assembled in one place and can participate at any time.
Feedback from them has been extremely positive and encouraging. Two qualified web
designers built the site and have been on hand to deal with technical issues. Teaching staff
have provided support for the conference throughout the unit. Students submit a full conference
paper, but it is only a summary that appears on the conference web site. Each student is also
required to post a comment on another conference paper. Staff monitor participation and
contact students as appropriate.
Source: www.cometravel.lincoln.ac.uk
Engaging students in applied research through a community sports development
consultancy project at University of Central Lancashire, UK
The final year Community Sports Development module acts as a capstone module for Sports
Coaching students. This module is an optional module which is taken in addition to the honours
dissertation. Students work as a project team through a consultancy brief with a partner agency
and recommend strategies that can be employed to support community development through
community sport and coaching initiatives. There are normally 8-12 consultancy briefs divided up
among the 40-50 students, with students creating their own consultancy teams. Examples of
consultancy projects include:
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


A “health check” of football refereeing in Blackburn
Community Sport and Crime Reduction
Community Sport (“Street Dance”)
The emphasis is upon the students creating professional working relationships with the client
organisations in order to carry out primary research that is directed by the clients and supported
by the Academic staff at the University. Students are expected to hold regular review meetings
with the clients, carry out interviews with relevant stakeholders; use secondary research to help
analyse their findings; and present their work and recommendations to the organisation through
the staging of a mini–conference, where all the partner groups are invited. Representatives from
agencies provide the feedback on students’ work, judging on the content, feasibility of solutions,
and competency in conducting research.
Source:
//resources.glos.ac.uk/ceal/resources/casestudiesactivelearning/undergraduate/index.cfm
2.4 Geography and Environmental Studies
Geography students at Glasgow Caledonian University, UK, submit reviews for
publication made available to the local community
Practising Geography, the second year undergraduate Human Geography module, offers
individual students the option of submitting coursework in the form of a briefing paper based on
a small-scale, fieldwork-based research project that they themselves have designed and
executed. On completion of the module, students can then elect to have their paper refereed by
an independent expert (generally a local resident from the field locality or a member of one of
the Royal Scottish Geographical Society’s Regional Centres). Publication on the project website
is conditional on an acceptable referee’s report.
Source: McKendrick et al. (2003); http://www.butegeog.gcal.ac.uk/index.html
Geography students at University College London, UK, and at Oxford Brookes, UK
interview staff about their research and views on contemporary geography
All year one students do an assignment in term one, in which students interview a member of
staff about their research.
 Each first year tutorial group is allocated a member of staff who is not their tutor.
 Tutorial groups are given three representative pieces of writing by the member of staff along
with a copy of their CV and arrange a date for the interview.
 Before the interview students read these materials and develop an interview schedule.
 On the basis of their reading and the interview, each student individually writes a 1,500 word
report on a) the objectives of the interviewee's research; b) how that research relates to their
earlier studies c) how the interviewee's research relates to his or her teaching, other interests
and geography as a whole (emphasis added).
This curriculum was adapted from one developed for a third-year synoptic course on the
philosophy of geography at the then Oxford Polytechnic (now Oxford Brookes), which at the time
received little funding for research:
 Students were divided into groups and each group was allocated a member of staff, who
gave them a copy of their CV.
 A student group then interviewed that member of staff (with the rest of the students
attending), about their academic history and views on the nature of contemporary geography.
 The student group then wrote up the interview and set that person’s view of the discipline in
the wider context of the contemporary discipline.
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The aim in this teaching-focused department was to develop students’ understanding of recent
research developments in the discipline.
Sources: Dwyer (2001); Cosgrove (2001)
Embedding enquiry-based learning in a skills module concerned with sustainability at
Gloucestershire, UK
‘Skills 4 Sustainability’ is a first year course in which enquiry-based learning is embedded in a
personal learning and skills module concerned with sustainability. The module is delivered from
weeks 1-12 of the first semester by a team of 8 tutors to c150 students with no formal lectures.
Students are organised into tutor groups according to their subject specialism with a tutor with
relevant specialist skills. The format varies from week to week including tutorials (commonly
consisting of time in the classroom followed by independent time for students to explore topics
raised), an organised debate for the whole cohort, and presentations.
The aim is to encourage students to take charge of their own learning and develop a community
of enquiry within the group as a whole and in smaller groups within which students work on the
main enquiry-based component of the course. This is a project where students enquire into and
develop a proposal improving the sustainability of the University which they must research and
present as a group.
The students are prepared for their enquiry-based project by different activities in the preceding
weeks, which encourage students to engage with sustainability through discussion, research into
sustainability topics and formulating questions for a Sustainability Question Time debate. Tutors
encourage exploration of the skills needed for research and collaborative working and introduce
the use of an e-portfolio package to promote reflection and group communication between
students and tutors which contributes to the enquiry-based learning (EBL) approach. A module
blog is run through the e-portfolio package which further facilitates engagement with issues
around sustainability and elicits contributions from both tutors and staff, further strengthening the
community of enquiry.
There are 3 points of assessment. The first is concerned with researching, retrieving and
presenting information on sustainability in a short essay with full references in the Harvard style.
The second is the main enquiry-based project with groups enquiring and putting together the
proposal for improving the sustainability of the University and presenting it to the group for tutor
and peer assessment. Following this, the best proposal from each tutor group goes forward to
the Green Dragons’ Den for consideration by an expert panel comprising the University Vice
Chancellor, Director of Institute for Sustainability and a local business manager. The EBL
activity is designed to engage students with a real-world problem and entrepreneurship.
The third assessment, carrying 50% of module marks is the creation of an individual e-portfolio
which is built up throughout the module and carried on until near the end of the second semester
when it is submitted. The construction of the e-portfolio aids the enquiry process by encouraging
students to reflect on sustainability issues, their own position and action they might take to
improve their own sustainability, both environmentally and as a learner.
Initial research into the first two years of module delivery is favourable with students enjoying the
active learning approach and the promotion of independent enquiry.
Further information: Swansborough et al. (2007)
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Developing Contacts with Non-academic Organisations: A Live Gender Project
Integrating Theory, Fieldwork and Assessment at Queens Belfast, UK
Contacts are developed with a body outside of academia conducting ‘research’ thus widening
the appreciation of how linking theory and practice can be applicable to a range of jobs outside
of completing a degree. Often students find it difficult to think about how the theories they are
being presented with will be of relevance to them in the future. In this instance contacts with
individuals involved in designing and running a Gender initiative funded by Belfast City Council.
The City Council is working with a range of partner employers to address the predominance of
men in entry-level jobs such as street cleansing, bus driving, parks maintenance. The aim of the
project was to talk to both present employees and potential project beneficiaries to find out what
measures employers could take to achieve a more diverse and representative workforce. The
project staff intend to use this research to develop future strategies aimed at achieving greater
gender representativeness from entry level – to senior management staff. It is also intended
that future research will be conducted to address the under-representation of men in ‘nontraditional’ jobs. Thus the students are engaged in a piece of on-going research, links are
developed outside of the University and both researchers and students become engaged in the
ongoing research process and policy development – thus a ‘stake’ in research is developed.
This project is sustainable as it can run with any number of students and can be adapted to any
module topic. Overall, issues of theory and practice can be applied to any module. Key to the
project, however, is developing links with research Commissioners; finding out if/why they are
willing to take part and to recognise the benefits that can be gained by commissioners,
academics and students.
Source: Price (2006)
Giving students first-hand experience of research-based consultancy in environmental
management at University of Queensland, Australia
Team-based problem-based learning in used in the final year capstone course for the
Environmental Management, Rural Management Environmental Tourism and Tropical Forestry
degrees at the University of Queensland’s Faculty of Natural Resources, Agriculture and
Veterinary Science to give students experience of research-based consultancy. It is a year-long
course, team taught by an interdisciplinary staff (in recent years, a social scientist and an
ecologist for the internal students, a multi-skilled environmental manager taking the external
students).
The staff solicit suitable ‘problems’ and clients among their contacts, for instance from
government agencies, non-governmental organisations, or land care groups, or the private
sector. The staff may help the client mould the topic to achieve appropriate degrees of difficulty,
and equity in workload and difficulty across the student groups. The students work like
consultants to their client, coping if the client changes the brief during the year (as many do a
couple of times).
They work in groups of about six students. The clients come to campus at least three times, for
an initial briefing to their students, and presentations at the ends of first and second semester.
They liaise with the students all year, usually off campus at their offices, and by phone and
email. The staff give a flexible program of lectures in first semester, to prepare the students with
skills they need towards each forthcoming step of their tasks, and in group processes. At the end
of the year their report is 'published' (printed and bound) for the clients. Peer and selfassessment are used to distribute group marks among the contributors.
Source: Correspondence with Helen Ross, 2006
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September 2011
Engaging students in environmental health research and outreach at Allegheny College,
Pennsylvania, US
This is an example of combining undergraduate research with public engagement as part of the
assessed curriculum. It is also a clear example of a faculty-led project in which students gather
data on an issue of interest to the member of faculty. At Allegheny College, the junior seminar is
a required one-semester course, in the third year of a four year course that provides a window
into the research experience and which allows students to develop a thesis proposal. This
course prepares students for their thesis project. All students at Allegheny are required to
conduct an independent one or two semester thesis project, which allows the student to conduct
original research, evaluate it and place it in context with existing professional research. In the
interdisciplinary Department of Environmental Science (ES), the junior seminar is taken in the
third year, so the students have some cross-disciplinary training, and some early experience into
project-based learning. Each junior seminar, which typically has between 8 and 24 students,
has a different theme, geared to the faculty and students’ interests.
In 2007 in the Junior Seminar in Environmental Health, Justice and Development, students
developed and evaluated an environmental health outreach program. This concerned the critical
role of indoor home environments on early childhood health in a rural, low-income community.
The course leader provided the causes of childhood diseases and health disparities, the class
then evaluated effective and ineffective health campaigns. Using this academic foundation, the
class planned and implemented an outreach effort. The goal of the outreach was to develop
greater awareness among children of health in the home environment. The students compared
the efficiency of outreach directly targeted to students in 5 th and 6th grade (10-12 years of age) to
outreach targeted more broadly through family-oriented community events, such as a children’s
workshops and a Halloween parade.
Both quantitative survey data, addressing how well participants learned and retained information
about Healthy Homes, and qualitative assessments from community partners, were undertaken.
Additional measures of impact were evaluated as well, including the number of home
assessments that were generated from both types of outreach. Students presented their
findings in a public meeting to community partners, teachers, school district administrators, local
public health officials, campus administrators and ES department faculty and students. Using
feedback from the presentation, the students completed the semester with a single written
document with report overview, background, findings and recommendations.
The students enjoyed the program so well that they collectively requested to continue it through
independent study, volunteer or outside class projects through the spring semester 2008 and
beyond. Enthusiastic comments were also received from the school teachers and community
groups involved.
This model is appropriate not only for staff interested in using students to assist piloting new
avenues of their research, but also for those who are hoping to find a topic to use and replicate
from semester to semester or year to year.
Sources: For further details and a reflection of the issues faced by the course leader see:
//resources.glos.ac.uk/ceal/resources/casestudiesactivelearning/undergraduate/index.cfm; for
the Healthy Homes-Healthy Children (HHHC) Website see:
webpub.allegheny.edu/employee/c/cwaggett/HHHC.html; for Caryl Waggett’s Website see:
webpub.allegheny.edu/employee/c/cwaggett/index.html; for a link to the Course Syllabus and
Final Product and Poster see: webpub.allegheny.edu/employee/c/cwaggett/courseprojects.html.
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Helping students to engage more effectively with the research process in undertaking
their undergraduate dissertations at Keele University, UK
Undertaking an independent research project in the form of a dissertation can be the most
challenging and rewarding part of an undergraduate student’s university experience. However,
students often suffer from disjuncture expressed as lack of motivation, hesitancy and avoidance
when faced with the daunting enormity of the task and the high demands placed on them as
independent learners and problem solvers. Robson (2006) undertook a case study of her efforts
as a supervisor, using action research, to help students to engage more effectively with the
research process. The aim of the research was to make effective changes to improve students’
motivation, commitment and achievement with regard to completing a geography dissertation.
It is argued that listening to students and responding to their perceived needs is an effective way
to improve supervision practices. Initial findings showed students to be lonely and insecure
about their dissertations and the supervisor pressured by a considerable supervisory burden.
Four cycles of action research were subsequently conducted with a group of eight dissertation
students during one academic year. The research implemented and evaluated four interventions
whereby the supervisor-researcher invited the students to
(i)
evaluate their progress
(ii)
learn from examples of completed dissertations
(iii)
share and support each other
(iv)
engage in peer assessment.
Qualitative evidence demonstrates a shift from a status quo of individual supervisory meetings
between poorly motivated students and a frustrated supervisor, to highly motivated students
effectively empowered as independent self-learners and peer supporters. It is concluded that
given the right circumstances students can be facilitated to ‘do it better themselves’.
Source: Robson (2006)
2.5 Archaeology and Earth Sciences
Giving Community College students in US their first experience of research in
archaeology
At Cuyahoga Community College, in Cleveland, Mark S. Lewine, a professor of anthropology,
established a Center for Community Research 12 years ago. The center has provided more than
2,000 students with their first experience with primary research in the field or laboratory. He
encourages graduate students and community college students to work together on
archaeological digs. In 2006 he was awarded US Professor of the Year in the communitycolleges category.
"We're digging on abandoned church property, abandoned hospital property, doing landuse history of the inner city. The 'aha' response is immediate. They say, Oh my god, this
land that we're living on actually has a rich history. They get very interested because it
connects to them. They enjoy the subject while learning the process. Too many of our
students, unfortunately, are working two or three jobs, have family responsibilities, and
just don't have the time. Often the participation begins with an hour in the lab or on the
site. Then they'll try to find time on a Saturday. What I tell my students is: If you like it, if
you're learning with it, if you're reliable and consistent in your work, I will offer you
internships. Plus I tell them: When you come from an urban high school that isn't giving
you what your potential really needs, and a graduate school looks at your record and
sees primary research, that makes your record stand out.”
Sources: Bollag (2006a)
www.usprofessorsoftheyear.org/POY_Display.cfm?contentitemid=6516&pid=PR_Resources
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September 2011
Preparing and defending a consultancy report in environmental geology at Kingston
University, UK
Each student in a final year module is given an environmental geophysics problem and is asked
to role play being a consultant recruited to address this problem for a client, either a local
authority or a private land owner. They are required to design a solution, interpret field data and
present their findings in a technical report and verbal format. Time is available within the module
for consulting the tutor. However, students must have specific questions to ask, indicating that
they have performed some preliminary research. "What techniques should I use?" or "How do I
start this?" are not valid questions!
Students are required to prepare and deliver a solo presentation to an open public meeting (20
minute session, including 5 minutes for fielding questions) describing their problem outline,
methodology, data interpretation and recommendations. The audience includes Councilors
(soon up for re-election) and members of the lay public (staff members and other students) who
have a vested interest in the environmental issues. A disruptive group of 'eco-warriors' (usually
noisy postgraduate students) also makes an appearance! During their presentations, students
must show appropriate local and environmental considerations and effective handling of heckling
from concerned local residents and the 'eco-warrior' group.
Source: Thomas (2003)
Student groupwork assignments based on analysis of current Geoscience discipline
journal article analyses at the University of Adelaide, Australia
This Do-It-Yourself (DIY) Interactive Multimedia (IMM) project is an exercise in knowledge
engineering that has been used in a final year undergraduate structural geology course
continually since 1996. The exercise involves groups of 2 or 3 students working collaboratively
on development of the multimedia assignment and on the seminar. Students are given an
introductory and explanatory session describing the aims, objectives, tools and methods,
together with a short hands-on practical class on how to use the available multimedia authoring
system (eg Hyperstudio) and how to access the array of digital resources which might be
needed to carry out the assignment.
The exercise clearly provides a close link to the teaching of structural geology in this course and
the most current research being carried out in the discipline. Students not only have to read and
understand one international journal article, but they must also search through the bibliography
of that article for a number of relevant papers. They must interrogate and summarise not only
the text, but also become familiar with the figures, diagrams, plates, tables and these days often
simulations and animations which may be available on the author's website.
One very important key to the research-teaching link is when the students have to devise a
question to the author(s) and to email that question. Receiving a reply (which does not always
happen), is most exciting to the students and is a critical point in the realisation that the author is
a real person and is carrying out their research usually at a University. Authors generally reply
positively to the questions (it at least shows that someone is reading and interested in their own
research), and occasionally a general dialogue occurs. The exercise has now been running
continuously for eight years and has been carried out by about 400 students. This has left a
legacy of about 150 IMM modules providing interesting summaries of much of the last eight
years of cutting edge research in structural geology.
Source: James (2003)
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September 2011
2.6 Arts, Media, Architecture and Performing Arts
Introductions to academic practice: humanities and social sciences at Windsor, Canada,
‘Ways of Knowing’ in the departments of Arts and Social Sciences at the University of Windsor
focuses on students developing disciplinary skills in research and critical thinking. Each year a
particular theme is identified - generally one that reflects a Windsor community issue - and
student teams investigate and present in public the results of their inquiries. Senior student
mentors and community members act as mentors to these investigations. There are institutional
discussions on extending this ‘model’ to other departments.
Source: apps.medialab.uwindsor.ca/cfl/reflexions/volume01/issue01/Ways_of_Knowing.htm
Community Outreach Research Project to Produce a Media DVD, at Southern Cross
University, Australia
Students in Advanced Screen Production taken in either the second or third year of the Bachelor
of Media or the Bachelor of Arts (media major) undertake research projects involving working for
a community group on a community event in accordance with a supplied brief, to produce a
DVD. As part of the project, students undertake research into the topic area, the interviewees,
the location, equipment and context. As well as submitting the DVD for assessment, students
are required to provide regular progress reports, to document the rationale for their project and
discuss the process they went through to produce the DVD.
Source: ALTC Teaching Research Nexus website: www.trnexus.edu.au
Community Project Work in Architecture at University of New South Wales, Australia
A new approach to community-based design projects in the Architecture Program is being
trialled by working in association with FBEOutTHERE!, the University of New South Wales,
Faculty of Built Environment’s outreach program that engages in community-oriented research
and learning. With the real prospect of a selected project being constructed, students are asked
to design an ‘ageing in place' independent living accommodation project. This project responds
to needs identified by a social enterprise group that provide community services for people
experiencing multiple intellectual disabilities (service users) in rural New South Wales. With an
emphasis on enhancing service users’ quality of life, students undertake this task by firstly
engaging with the literature, interviewing the service users and staff and visiting the service
users’ homes to understand their needs. Only after the students have reviewed and evaluated
the interviews, home visits and literature are they able to commence the design element of their
projects, the progress of which is discussed regularly with the community.
In this way, students design with an inquiry evidence based approach, responsive to community
needs. In addition, students keep reflective journals which are intended to help them think about
the research findings, their interaction with the service users and their needs, and how these
impact upon their design approach to the project. The completed student designs are exhibited.
This allows for community feedback on the designs and facilitates discussion about design
approaches that best meet the target group’s needs. Students receive individual written
community feedback about their designs and this collectively informs the interdisciplinary site
and context research phase of the project with Landscape Architecture students.
In 2007, 16 students selected this studio project, Rural Community Wellbeing Enhanced through
Design from a range of design project offerings in the Year 4 core subjects in the Bachelor of
Architecture program. Students work in groups to undertake the literature and context/site
research phase of the project. They conduct the service user interviews and home visits in
pairs. These findings are shared through studio presentations and documented in web folders
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on the Faculty server. Students undertake the project design individually, informed by shared
investigations as well as progressive design studio interaction.
Student evaluations indicated that this course encouraged them to be self-directed learners and
to learn how to apply their theoretical knowledge to developing a feasible project.
Source: ALTC Teaching Research Nexus website: www.trnexus.edu.au
Peer Assessment of Creative Work in a Popular Music Program at Griffith University,
Australia
In Popular Music Production the major study of a Bachelor of Popular Music, students earn 20%
of their grade for their effectiveness as panel members assessing fellow students’ portfolios of
recorded work. Panels consist of one staff member and seven or eight students from all year
levels. As each panel considers submissions across year levels, first year students are involved
in assessing the work of second and third year students.
Panellists mark each track in the students’ portfolios by applying explicit criteria and standards
and provide a paragraph of feedback. All panellists’ views have equal weight i.e. the marks
awarded by the staff member are given the same weighting as those of each student panellist.
A staff member assesses the student panel members on their written feedback as panellists.
Marks relate to the quality of the feedback and how well it meets the expectations of the course.
Punctuality, quantity of feedback and the coherence between the commentary and marks
awarded are also taken into account.
This peer-assessment of students’ recorded work reflects the values and practices of
researchers in several ways:
 Students and staff form a community of practice in which the collective abilities of the
students and staff form a valuable learning resource. This mirrors the aims and outcomes
of academic research communities of practice.
 This peer-assessment process parallels the peer-review journal publication process.
Students learn the value of seeking feedback, learn to make their own judgements about
the usefulness of the feedback they receive and to act on selected elements of the peer
feedback just as academics do with the feedback they receive from journal article
reviewers.
 The peer assessment procedure formalises ‘real world’ practices as it utilises the kinds of
processes that popular musicians use informally to develop their work.
Source: ALTC Teaching Research Nexus website: www.trnexus.edu.au
Theory, Style and Performance in Music at the Royal Scottish Academy of Music and
Drama (RSAMD), Scotland
In fine arts disciplines including music there can be tensions and potential links between
performance and theory, practice and staff research interests. The RSAMD's BMus degree is a
four-year programme that aims to give students a
secure foundation for a professional career as a performer or composer. Teaching is split
between the ‘performance departments’, and the 'Department of Academic Studies' which
focuses students on ‘theoretical and historical studies, as well
as generic musical skills’.
Through the first three years of their programme all students explore, through a required set of
Style in Performance (SiP) Courses, issues of practice, theory and performance; and, in that
context, work with staff with differing foci on performance, ‘research in practice’, and more
theoretical ‘research on practice’. In the fourth year, the teaching in SiP takes a more
philosophical and critical approach examining a range of issues relating to performance.
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Students prepare a music work or works for a final recital, but they also study a set of theoretical
issues with respect to that music. As well as the final performance, students have a rigorous
oral examination which examines theoretical issues with respect to that music.
The course team have experimented with various forms of assessment of this programme and
have found it resulted in clearer links for students and staff between issues of practice,
performance, theory and research. Stephen Broad (2010, 14), Head of Postgraduate
Programmes and Research, states:
“The main piece of advice I would give is to be creative in the means of assessment,
because this plays a fundamental role in shaping how students learn. The
performance/viva might not be seen as a significant innovation in its own right, but the
joint assessment of students' articulation of their learning in speaking and performing –
the single grade assigned as a result of the performance/viva - has noticeably changed
the way they approach the subject material.”
Source: Board (2010)
2.7 English
Involving first year English students in the international research community at
University of Gloucestershire, UK
At the University of Gloucestershire, Arran Stibbe allows students to take on the identity of a
researcher right from the start of their time at university. In the EZ102 Language & Ecology
module the students have an opportunity to share their insights with the wider research
community. The research community in turn has something to gain from student contributions
because students can critically analyse aspects of their language and culture that others have
yet to examine. The students are encouraged to take part in the international research
community through working with the Language & Ecology Research Forum - the main
international forum for research in ecolinguistics. The Forum links together a network of
scholars, has an online journal, a range of resources, and a dedicated section for the EZ102
module. The approach works best when students are becoming critically aware of texts that
they are familiar with, rather than struggling to understand new genres understood better by the
lecturer than students.
Sources:
http://resources.glos.ac.uk/ceal/resources/casestudiesactivelearning/activelearningcasestudies/i
ndex.cfm; http://www.ecoling.net/courses.html;
Introducing enquiry-based teaching methods in literary studies at Manchester University,
UK
The traditional form of Literary Studies teaching in HE is tutor-centred. In this case study a group
of second year students studying Eighteenth Century Literature are introduced to enquiry-based
learning in the first week of the first semester. The course consists of a weekly lecture and a
weekly seminar. The latter consists of 15 students divided into three groups. During the
seminars the tutor acts as a task-giver and thereafter as both an information resource,
responding to student requests and as a facilitator moving from sub-group to sub-group helping
discussion to develop. For example, in week 1 the students were given a poem by Samuel
Johnson, ‘On the death of Dr Robert Levet’. The poem was issued to students without
annotations or supporting detailed biographical information. Each sub-group was asked to
address two questions: ‘What kind of language does the poem use?’ and ‘What belief system, if
any, does the poem imply?’. Most groups responded to this task actively by exploring and
considering the possibilities from a range of perspectives, establishing and pooling any existing
knowledge and assessing its applicability to the task in hand. By emphasising the need to seek
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other sources to contextualise their answers the facilitator began to establish the research
element crucial to moving from ‘problem solving’ to something more active.
Source: Hutchings and O’Rourke (2003)
Introduction to writing research and contemporary cultures at Miami, Ohio, US
Students in the first year core course in ‘writing and cultures’ investigate how the forms of
writing, and the methodologies for researching writing and culture, are being transformed
through web-based communication. Through this reading and writing intensive seminar,
students investigate how digitized technologies are transforming the forms of writing and
communication. The course culminates in a group assignment where students, using secondary
and primary sources, investigate an aspect of contemporary culture (e.g. dating, shopping) and
how the forms of communication there are being reshaped by the Internet. They produce a
multimodal web site that includes text, digital images, audio, and video. The course fulfils
institutional requirements for liberal education goals of critical thinking.
Sources: http://www.users.muohio.edu/mckeeha/h101-09;
http://www.users.muohio.edu/mckeeha/h101-09/final_project.html;
http://www.units.muohio.edu/led/principles.htm
2.7 History
History students contribute research findings to a website at the University of Victoria,
Canada
In 2002, John Lutz taught for the first time History 481: Micro History and the Internet, a learnercentred and research-oriented course in which the main activity was primary archival research
on various aspects of life in Victoria, British Columbia from 1843 to 1900. Initial course activities
include orientation to the historical archives in Victoria and basic web-site creation skills.
Students work in small groups on a research project and the final research “product” of the
course is a web site and not a standard research paper. The course has been developed with
the support of local community groups and another university. It is one of the international
innovative examples of digital history where the web is used as a research tool, a means of
disseminating research and developing student web skills.
Sources: http://www.victoriasvictoria.ca/: http://web.uvic.ca/~jlutz/courses/hist481/index.html;
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Digital_history
Students taking a historical methodology course engage in original oral history research
at Indiana State University, US
The 30 or so students taking the introductory historical methodology course are engaged in
original research. Anne L. Foster, an assistant professor of history, who teaches the course, was
eager to find topics in which her students could "become experts" and make a real contribution
to local knowledge.
In 2004, the class produced a history of the black community of the Wabash Valley, including
Lost Creek, a neighbourhood of Terre Haute, Indiana, the city that is home to the university.
Lost Creek was established in the 1820s by freed and runaway slaves with the help of local
Quakers. The course stresses oral histories, and that year's project included a video interview
with a 104-year-old woman whose grandparents were slaves. Another group of students, in the
fall of 2005, interviewed three elderly local men with connections to the Holocaust: a
concentration-camp survivor from Latvia, a Jew whose family managed to flee Germany, and a
former U.S. soldier who helped liberate a concentration camp in Germany. One student did an
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independent project that turned the class material into a permanent exhibit at Terre Haute's
Holocaust museum. Students would have interviewed more people, but changes in the
university's rules on human research subjects made it difficult. Ms. Foster says she expects the
university's research board to relax the new rules to facilitate the taking of oral histories.
Source: Bollag (2006b)
2.8 Education and Philosophy
Students in pre-service teacher education for university lecturers at Otago, New Zealand,
undertake ‘authentic enquiry’ using portfolios
Students used portfolios to provide space for ‘authentic enquiry’ that focused on student selfdetermination and the process, rather than the outcomes, of learning. The rationale behind the
portfolio involved reflections on practice as the curriculum developed during the research cycle.
Initially, portfolios were evaluated formatively during supervisory meetings and each student
decided what part of their portfolio should remain private and what the tutor might read and
comment on. In the second phase of development, formative judgements about work were no
longer made and portfolios became private documents. Challenges for student teachers were
associated with the novelty of the experience, the time taken for reflection to develop and the
individualistic nature of the task. This presents challenges for the supervisor centred on new
methods of supervision and trying to live up to the explicit values that informed the curriculum.
Source: Harland (2005)
Designerly Thought and Action: An investigation into opportunities within the Primary
Curriculum at Canterbury Christ Church University, UK
This project engages students within the Faculty of Education in episodes of school-focused
research. These episodes will be conducted through school placements. The research will
engage our students, our partnership schools and academic staff. As a prelude to a major,
externally funded project proposal, we have gained the support of training-based funding
agencies such as Smallpiece Foundation.
The proposed development will research the opportunities presented within the primary school
curriculum for the development of designerly thought and action. This is seen as vital to the
needs of an information-rich, knowledge transfer society, moving into what Pink (2005) has
called ‘The Concept Age’. This would require a re-definition of the Primary curriculum,
incorporating a cross-curricular process model. Many primary schools are moving into more
topic-based work and we feel it is opportune to document the way in which this relates to other
government initiatives concerned with creativity and a more active approach to children’s
learning. The project is intended initially to run from January 2007 – July 2008. The proposed
research development is seen as a pilot study that will develop and hone research instruments
to identify the key skills, capabilities and processes that underlie designerly thought and action
across the curriculum.
For our students, there are clear benefits in terms of personal development as reflective
learners/ future practitioners as a consequence of engagement with the delivery, modification
and evaluation of research instruments in schools. The students may also develop as critical
thinkers and become action-researcher in their future classrooms.
For more information on the project please contact Eric Parkinson
(eric.parkinson@canterbury.ac.uk) or Gill Hope gill.hope@canterbury.ac.uk). Source: Based on:
http://www.canterbury.ac.uk/support/learning%2Dteaching%2Denhancement%2Dunit/researchinformed-teaching/index.asp
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Learning to think like a philosopher: developing students’ research skills in a history of
philosophy course, University of Leeds, UK
One aim of most degree courses, at least if they are in a single discipline, is to help students
think like, for example, historians, chemists, or planners. Traditionally in philosophy this is
attempted by ‘sitting at the feet’ of experienced philosophers and ploughing through long reading
lists. Research into philosophy is seen as something largely reserved for postgraduate study.
At the University of Leeds, George MacDonald Ross has developed a more active approach in a
final year module, which engages his students directly with a philosophical text – Kant’s Critique
of Pure Reason – and helps them develop key research skills.
He teaches the course by running interactive seminars, rather than lectures, at which students
are forbidden to take notes, except for a secretary, who posts minutes on a website within 24
hours. This has the advantage that students focus more on discussion during seminars, and
that they treat the minutes as secondary literature, rather than their own intellectual property to
be used without acknowledgment. Most of the time is spent discussing the interpretation of key
passages projected on a screen. However, most of the students’ learning time is taken up by
reading the text in conjunction with George’s running commentary; preparing short answers to
interpretative questions, some of which will form the basis of the following seminar; and writing
essays. Researching and writing essays is a small-scale version of what historians of
philosophy do as researchers, and it is central to the module. Apart from one final essay,
students write three two-page essays during the year. They are given the assessment criteria
(presentation, referencing, accuracy, clarity, argumentation, independence, other strengths and
weaknesses) before hand and have to self-assess their attempt against them. He does not put
the mark on the essay, instead he tells them to guess the mark in the light of his comments, and
sign up for a 15-minute individual tutorial at which he reveals the mark, and advises them on
how to improve their performance next time.
George has also attempted, though so far with only limited success, to establish ‘buddy groups’
to mimic the informal networking found in research communities. This means trying to shift a
culture of competition in assessment to one of co-operation in research. He has also been given
a grant by his university to devise multiple-choice questions (MCQs) which will develop the
ability of students to consider reasons for and against different possible interpretations of key
texts, and for and against the validity of the ideas and arguments as so interpreted. They won’t
be told whether they are right or wrong, but they will be forced to think argumentatively about the
text they are reading; and the change in activity from mere reading and note-taking to active
engagement with an MCQ should improve their motivation. More importantly, the sort of thinking
they will be engaged in will be precisely the sort of thinking that is characteristic of the mature
historian of philosophy.
Source: Based on a draft case study by George MacDonald Ross 2006
For four examples of the use of enquiry based learning in education at the University of
Birmingham see case studies 1, 5, 7 and 10 at: http://www.ebl.bham.ac.uk/index.shtml. See
also Section 5.
2.9 Interdisciplinary
Unravelling complexity at Australian National University (ANU)
The course involves final year undergraduate students from each of the seven colleges/faculties
examining different disciplinary ways to “unravel complexity”. It is the first of what the ANU
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September 2011
hopes to be a suite of “Vice-Chancellor” courses where “ANU researchers from different
disciplines sharing leading research ideas and discoveries with students.”
The number of students taking the course increased from 70 (10 per College) in 2009 to 210 (30
per College) in 2010. They are selected on the basis of outstanding results and interest in and
commitment to working in policy areas. The course has a weekly two hour panel of different
high profile researchers speaking to the class on how different disciplines deal with complexity.
Each panel typically consists of a range of speakers taking different perspectives on an issue,
e.g. global financial crises, the collapse of empires, contemporary 'failing' states, pandemics,
engineering and network failures and the moral and legal dimensions of these issues. Students
in pairs then facilitate a tutorial discussion with about 16 of their classmates on this topic. As the
course unfolds students are encouraged to apply methods and insights from different disciplines
to each week’s case example. Reflective and interdisciplinary thinking is encouraged through a
learning portfolio being the major assessment piece for the course – see http://fennerschoollectures.anu.edu.au/lectures/2010/VCUG3001/doku.php?id=assessment:learning_portfolio.
Strong support was provided by the two highest officers of the University. In 2009 the DVC
tutored on the course and the VC participated in some of the final student presentation and
social events.
Students commented that the course structure modelled likely work scenarios they were soon to
be in – i.e. working in interdisciplinary teams on complex problems that need a diverse range of
tools and perspectives to address. The learning portfolios show clear evidence of extensive
deep learning. Several of the outstanding students from the 2009 class participated as tutors in
the 2010 class.
Its basic philosophy and structure is readily adaptable to other research intensive universities
where strong institutional leadership is encouraging the involvement of leading researchers in
undergraduate teaching. Aspects of its approach – in particular its focus on seeing complex
issues from different disciplinary research perspectives - are also developed in a large
introductory course at ANU (Baker and Lupton, 2003). They are a feature of some final year
synoptic capstone courses (Jenkins, 2008).
Sources: Baker (2010): http://insight.glos.ac.uk/tli/resources/toolkit/resources/ugcs/Pages/default.aspx
Course description:
http://fennerschool-lectures.anu.edu.au/lectures/2010/VCUG3001/doku.php?id=introduction
Learning portfolio: http://fennerschoollectures.anu.edu.au/lectures/2010/VCUG3001/doku.php?id=assessment:learning_portfolio
http://fennerschool-people.anu.edu.au/richard_baker/teaching.html
Involving Students in Interdisciplinary Interactive Media Consultancy Projects at Miami
University, Ohio, US
Interactive Media Studies at Miami University is an interdisciplinary programme (including
Computer Science, Engineering, MIS, English, Marketing, Graphic Design, Education, etc.) that
brings together students and faculty to investigate how interactive media informs and transforms
their disciplinary perspective. The programme has been running since 1996 and uses problembased learning and team-oriented projects to help students to learn how to apply their theoretical
knowledge to innovative digital solutions for a paying client. About 100 students a year take the
programme. Demand is high and they have to turn away 2-5 students a day from the
programme. With 2-3 sections running each semester; the students work in groups of up to 20.
The students themselves decide how to divide up tasks; typically there are groups undertaking
development, design and marketing. The programmes are team taught with the last two weeks
spent on de-briefing and talking about what they’ve learnt. The students are typically in class
four hours a week, but spend many more hours, for example visiting clients, undertaking
research or doing user testing. They make a presentation to their client at the end of the project.
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September 2011
Commercial companies are charged $20,000 per project paid on delivery; non-profit
organisations and charities are typically charged c£5,000. They found the client did not take it
as seriously when no charge was made. From the client’s perspective, they get out of the box
thinking that they would never obtain from a consultant firm. The clients typically end up with
something that far exceeds their expectations. The students find it surprising and challenging to
manage the changes which commonly occur during the development stage of the project.
Recent completed projects include:
 Healthcare IT asked IMS to create a new logo for their company and build a new Web
presence to highlight their state-of-the art hospital tracking systems. IMS assessed needs
and built the site, a product demo and a back end administrative system for managing
sales and customer support.
 Procter & Gamble's Beauty Care Division contracted with IMS to develop a Web-based
expert system that would allow customers to get product recommendations suited to their
personal needs. A kiosk was designed to be deployed in a major retail chain.
 The Taft Museum of Art needed a complete Web strategy. IMS developed a web identity
for them, put their collection online and created e-commerce capability for their gift shop.
Sources: Interview with Glenn Platt 14 November 2007; http://student.sba.muohio.edu/ims/
Inter-disciplinary inquiry-based learning (IDIBL) focused on action research in the
workplace at Bolton, UK
The IDIBL framework project at the University of Bolton has developed an undergraduate and
postgraduate module framework for inquiry-based learning. The student is seen as an actionresearcher who must identify an opportunity in their work-context for improvement. Learners
support each other in an online community to combine study with work.
The modules contained within the framework focus on process, and generic concepts and
outcomes, rather than subject content. Through a process of negotiation between the individual
learner and the course staff, a personalised inquiry is developed to include learning activities
and assessment products that meet the module requirements and informed by the learners’
professional practice. The student then plans the action they will take, undertakes it in their own
work context, evaluates the action, and revises the plan.
Sources: Milwood et al. (2007, 2008); idibl.bolton.ac.uk/; inquirypatterns.wordpress.com/;
resources.glos.ac.uk/ceal/resources/casestudiesactivelearning/undergraduate/index.cfm
Viet Nam Field School - giving Australian National University undergraduates real
research opportunities
In field course disciplines, such as biology, geology and here geography, there are potentially
clear connections between the experience of staff carrying out research and students learning
through research. The students are often learning in inquiry or research mode and students are
focussed on one or two questions in an intense semi-structured experience.
This field course differs in that it takes 20-25 selected ANU students from across the University
to Viet Nam for an 18 day intensive field course focusing on the interaction between
development and environment issues. During the trip each student is part of a group based
research project - and is supported by Vietnamese students from Danang University. Each
group presents their final research outcomes to the whole class in a day long workshop at the
end of the in-country field trip. One of the key features of the course – and one that is
transferable is that: “There is strong focus in the course on developing research skills and
thinking critically about what research is. Students are required in their introductory learning
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September 2011
statements to give a personal definition of what research is and then throughout the course are
encouraged to reflect on their changing understandings of what research is. And a key final task
is to reflect on what they have learnt about doing research.”
Their learning portfolios indicate what they have gained from the Field School. E.g:
“Vietnam was much more than just six credit points. It was a life changing experience. Through exploring the
themes as mentioned above we were able to learn about ourselves, group work, Vietnam and first hand
experience the highs and lows of cross cultural research.” (Asian Studies Student, 2008)
“Nobody ever indicated that research would involve walking precariously over endless fields of rice
paddies that are practically drowned with pesticides. Nor did anyone think to mention that the process
could involve curious children following us, reading our notes and shouting at each other while we
were trying to conduct interviews. Nobody talked about how informants may try to sell us things in the
marketplace, or about how sad stories have the power to compel one to buy a bunch of bananas. And
it seems odd as well that nobody has said that research can involve making friends as I did with many
of my informants, especially my billet. But these are all things I think about when I hear the word
‘research’ now.” (Arts Student, 2010)
Sources: Baker (2010):
http://resources.glos.ac.uk/ceal/resources/casestudiesactivelearning/undergraduate/index.cfm
http://fennerschool-people.anu.edu.au/richard_baker/ENVS2017/index.htm
3. Linking Research and Teaching in Departments
3.1 Biosciences, Chemistry and Health Sciences
At Cornell University, USA, all first year biologists have research experiences
The ‘Explorations Program’, which has been running since 1991, introduces biology first-year
undergraduates to research by Cornell staff, in the context of a course of 700-900 students.
Large-scale funding has created 100-120 ‘experiences’, each of approximately 3-4 hours, for
groups of 6-8 students. Most are designed to introduce students to the kinds of research
problems on which the academic staff member works. Programmes take place both in research
labs on campus and at field sites near campus. The programme is structured so that each
student is required to participate in one ‘Exploration’ per semester. For example, recent
explorations have varied from ‘the control of body weight’ to ‘fossil flowers of the dinosaur age’;
and from ‘how do you tell if animals have color vision’ to ‘why do sperm swim in circles?’.
Sources: http://www.reinventioncenter.miami.edu/Spotlights/spotlight.html; http://biog-101104.bio.cornell.edu/BioG101_104/explorations/explorations.html
Department undergraduate student research journals in biology at Chester, Leeds
Nottingham and Plymouth UK and a national undergraduate research journal
The biology departments at the Universities of Chester, Leeds and Nottingham have developed
journals to publish research by undergraduates in their departments. They are based explicitly
on the US practice of undergraduate research journals (Kinkead, 2003). Origin
(www.chester.ac.uk/origin/) at Chester is paper-based and generally involves selected students
rewriting their dissertations or research projects for external publication. Biolog-E at Leeds
(www.biolog-e.leeds.ac.uk) is an electronic journal, as is BURN from Biosciences at Nottingham
University (www.nottingham.ac.uk/~sbzml/) and The Plymouth Student Scientist
(www.theplymouthstudentscientist.org.uk/index.php/pss). These showcase 1st Class
undergraduate research and support those undergraduates seeking academic research careers.
Drawing on the expertise of these department journals, in March 2008 the first issue of the UK
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national undergraduate research Bioscience Horizons was published. All papers are written by
students and based on final-year research projects.
Sources: biohorizons.oxfordjournals.org/; Knight (2006)
Intergenerational student teams support first-year inquiry courses in chemistry at the
University of Michigan
Each year the chemistry department at Michigan has c100 students in term time or summer
involved in undergraduate research with the c40 Department research groups. In addition,
standard undergraduate laboratory instruction courses have been modified in order to create a
more deliberate link to more authentic research practices.
An inquiry-based curriculum for first-year students. The large (c1400 students)
introductory organic chemistry courses have been significantly revised to focus more on student
inquiry, narrowing the gap between how faculty understand chemistry and how students
experience chemistry in their coursework.
Authentic laboratory research for many. A subset of c160 students in this first year course selfselect into a supplemental instruction program where they spend two additional hours per week
engaged in tasks that involve their connecting with, understanding, and transforming information
and data from the primary literature. In the laboratory, after spending about half their time
developing manipulative skills around small, open questions they take on the design and
implementation of limited but authentic laboratory primary research.
Upper level student support and development. This supplemental instruction program is a
collaborative activity between the primary faculty member and a team of 8 upper-level
undergraduate students (themselves graduates from the first year course) who have codesigned the instructional materials and who are solely responsible, with guidance from the
faculty member, to implement these 2-hour sessions. These students are seen as potentially the
next generation of teacher-researchers.
Source: Coppola (2005)
Co-ordinated interventions in Zoology at University of Tasmania, Australia
The department has developed a set of linked strategies including:
Year One c200 students
 Workshop on the use of animals in research: students are put in the position of researcher,
considering experimental design and animal ethics to complete an animal ethics application
form.
 Throughout the year, students are encouraged to interact with a web portal
(www.zoo.utas.edu.au/rir/rir.htm) with links to ‘Hot Topics’ in Zoology related to lecture
material.
Year Two
 Central to the year two curriculum and assessment is an exercise extending over several
weeks. Students are given real unpublished data for analysis, supported by workshop
practice sessions and one to one tutorials. The final submission is in the form of a manuscript
as for publication.
Year Three
 Courses include group research projects, critical reviews of current literature, writing
research grant applications, lectures from scientists outside the school, and training in
scientific communication.
 Zoology Research Unit (fcms.its.utas.edu.au/scieng/zoo/unitdetail.asp?lUnitId=3349)
individual students are matched with an academic supervisor to complete a semester-long
research project.
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
Selected students work with staff to prepare a research paper for Nexus Journal of
Undergraduate Science, Engineering and Technology
(http://www.utas.edu.au/scieng/nexus/).
Years Two and Three
 All invited to participate in Student Research Volunteers program
(http://www.zoo.utas.edu.au/Staffpg1/summvolunteer3.htm). Volunteers are matched with
mentors, usually Postgraduate or Honours students in the School, for short-term, in-house
research placements that may offer either laboratory or field experiences
Years One, Two and Three
 ‘Reach into Research’ seminars held several times each semester
(www.zoo.utas.edu.au/rir/rir2&3.htm). Speakers from industry, collaborating institutions
School PhD students present their research, and then all non-undergraduate audience
members, except the facilitator, leave the room.
Further information
Edwards et al. (2007)
Integrating research and learning in the chemistry undergraduate curriculum at Utrecht
University, Netherlands
Traditionally undergraduate chemistry in the Netherlands only ended with a “real” research
assignment, which students undertake in one of the research groups of the University. However,
this model is not very effective in developing the required scientific skills for a chemist, such as
presenting their work, critically evaluating their work, and designing new experiments based on
the results of previous experiments. Most chemistry students in the Netherlands go on to take
the masters in the same university (approx 90% at Utrecht). A few years ago Utrecht opted for a
curriculum in which learning research skills and knowledge go hand in hand.
First year - On the first day of their studies students start with a group laboratory project in which
they are asked to prepare and characterize a polymer (a kind of plastic). The final material which
they have to prepare is clear, however, the route to prepare that material is developed by the
students themselves. At the end of the first year ALL the students (approx 70) work for three
weeks in groups in one of the research departments.
Second year - In order to keep a link between the students, lecturers and researchers, students
visit and carry out experiments in the research departments. At the end of the second year
students are involved in a 5 week pre-determined group research project. The goal of their
project is discussed with the supervisor (in most cases a senior PhD student). In that way the
students are involved in a relevant, authentic research project.
Third year - At the end of the third year all students carry out an individual BSc-thesis research
project. Students contribute for 10 weeks to an on-going PhD research projects in which they are
assigned to their own sub-project.
Source: Personal correspondence Harry Bitter, Utrecht University
Research Emphasis Days in Veterinary Medicine at Edinburgh and Florida
Each year the School of Veterinary Studies at University of Edinburgh organises a ‘Research
Emphasis Day’ where local researchers present current work to students of all years in a
conference style format. In addition the School invites speakers from a variety of potential
research employers to an event called VetChoice where students from any year are invited to
learn about research opportunities for veterinary undergraduates and graduates. These range
from talking about research opportunities within the Veterinary School to opportunities outside
the School. The University of Florida College of Veterinary Medicine organises a similar event.
Sources: Struthers et al. (2008); http://www.vet.ed.ac.uk/oldweb/red.htm;
http://www.vet.ed.ac.uk/Default.htm; http://www.wlcastleman.com/ufvetmed/phizeta07/index.htm
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Popularising science research to undergraduates at McGill, Canada
The Science Faculty at McGill have introduced a ‘Soup and Science series’ at the start of each
fall and winter term. Each day, 4-6 professors from different disciplines talk about their research,
one after the other, for no more than 3 minutes. Then students and professors have lunch
together, with opportunities to chat and find out more. The 3-minute max means our professors
focus on just the most interesting part without too many details, and the format encourages
students to chat with professors to find out more. This has many benefits: professors are
demystified and humanized, students discover new fields in various departments, students get a
better sense of what research is, and students see that they can be a part of this. An added
advantage is that professors may find colleagues in other departments working on related topics.
Source: Correspondence with Victor Chisholm; www.mcgill.ca/science/ours/soupscience/
Ways of knowing and research literacy in undergraduate nursing, health and behavioural
sciences at University of Wollongong, Australia
Research subjects are built into each year of undergraduate nursing. By the time students reach
the end of their course, some are potential researchers and all are committed to evidence-based
practice. The aim is to build research awareness, access and appreciation in students through
engaging curriculum design. Approx 200 students on three different sites explore research in
three modules over the curriculum:
NURS164, Patterns of Knowing in Nursing
They begin by addressing questions such as: "what is the knowledge you need and where does
it come from"? The students then explore where they will find each of
Barbara Carper`s (1978) four ways of knowing: empirical; aesthetic; personal; and ethical in the
curriculum. They look at articles that apply each way of knowing to a topic (elder care). The
subject is team-taught, and each way of knowing is woven through the lecture series. We give
emphasis to ethical and legal issues, as well as critical thinking and argument. Each student
chooses two case studies and then writes a reflective piece on using Carper`s model to
understand different perspectives of the case studies.
NURS264, Reflection and Practice
In this module students look more deeply into sources of evidence, and further develop critical
thinking and reflection skills. In tutorials, students are encouraged to share stories and reflect on
the ways of knowing that they contain. They examine arguments and discourses. During the
sessions, students work on their ability to present logical arguments and critique the arguments
of others. For their assignment, students take a dramatic episode or movie with a health care
setting, and draw it as a conceptual map.
NURS364, Research Appreciation and Application
This module is built around the assumption that all graduates need to be able to appreciate and
apply research. A registered nurse needs to be aware of how their knowledge informs practice,
and appreciate evidence-based practice. They need to know how to find out about new
knowledge and implement change management. Students examine literature from an evidence
perspective. Which assertions in articles and textbooks are backed up by evidence? During the
session, different researchers come in to talk to students about their research. Their first
assignment involves them formulating a nursing question on a topic of their choice, carrying out
a literature review and drawing a conclusion. For their second, students work in groups and
critically analyse the methodology of a published research article.
An evaluation showed improved information literacy skills and enhanced levels of selfconfidence in developing search strategies and accessing current research evidence. The other
theme that comes through is "retrospective appreciation" where students indicated that they did
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not fully appreciate the usefulness of the research skills they developed until their final year of
study.
Source: http://teaching.uow.edu.au/ltgp/search.aspx?RT=CS22
Bridging the gap between textbooks and scientific research: Cell Biology at University of Utrecht,
Netherlands
A third year course for cell biology majors focuses on writing and defending a research proposal as an
open ended authentic assignment; ie modelling much of the authentic research experience of cell
biologists, but not the actual laboratory research: and includes students teams writing a PhD proposal. It
builds on the more textbook orientated knowledge and limited controlled laboratory experiences in years
one and two.
The 15 week course with some 24 students has these components:
 A general research topic is defined by staff, and students read selected research papers with a
focus on research methodology and research questions.
 Students are divided into four groups of six and out of class formulate a research question and
methodologies. They also visit relevant research laboratories, contact experts and discuss their
proposals in class with their fellow students and staff.
 Student teams present their final proposals to a jury of 4 staff (two cell biology specialists, one
biologist, and one non-biology scientist). The broad composition of the jury requires that the
proposal should be clearly formulated for both specialists in the field and for non-specialists.
Students then take an Extended Senior Research Thesis (usually in the summer semester and often
extending into the summer vacation). Some students will work in the lab of jury members, as they were
invited by them to do their research project with them.
Six years of course evaluations and also a survey of alumni has shown the initial difficulties students face
in moving beyond textbook knowledge; the value of the various components; and the course’s success
in helping them to think as scientists and better appreciate how research is conducted.
Sources: Wiegant et al. 2011; Course web page
http://www.uu.nl/university/college/EN/studying/advancedcellbiology/Pages/default.aspx; Web page of
the Extended Senior Research Thesis
https://www.osiris.universiteitutrecht.nl/osistu_ospr/OnderwijsCatalogusSelect.do?selectie=cursus&colleg
ejaar=2011&cursus=UCSCIRES32
3.2 Engineering and Mathematics
Introducing students to staff research: department of mechanical engineering, Imperial
College, London, UK
This activity was a feature of the first year course in Mechanical Engineering at Imperial College
London in the l990s. We lack firm details on some of the aspects of this activity. If anyone has
them please contact us.
 In January of their first year mechanical engineering students were divided into 10-15
groups of 4-5 students
 Each student group was given an engineering ‘artefact’ e.g. a safety razor; the bottom
frame of a bicycle. In the next few weeks these student groups could knock on the doors
of any of the department’s research groups or staff, and ask questions around the issue
of ‘what research are you doing that might effect how this artefact will look like and
function in c5 years time?’
 Later all student groups presented a poster which provided a summary of their findings
 The poster session was held in large public space in the department with some 700
attending; academic staff, support staff, postgraduates and first year and other students
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Source: Correspondence with Eric Meyer (Durham University) who witnessed this as a visitor to
the department
Across Department Undergraduate Research Programme in College of Engineering,
Maryland, USA
Gemstone is a highly innovative programme for selected ‘honors’ students in engineering and
other disciplines. The programme is now in its eleventh year. Student teams, formed in the
freshman year, undertake three-year, student-initiated research projects in which they analyze
and propose solutions to societal problems, which generally involve a significant technology
focus. Team members work as a coordinated group, investigating their project from the
perspective of individual majors, under the guidance of a faculty mentor. In their first two years
students are encouraged to live together on a residence hall floor reserved for Gemstone
participants. The research projects e.g. ‘a comparative study of erosion control measures in the
Chesapeake Bay area and homeowner response to such interventions’, are developed in
consultation with outside experts and agencies. In their final year student teams present their
research to experts in the field or outside agencies and write a team thesis. The learning
process mirrors the team based consultancy style research that students are likely to carry out
after graduating.
Sources: http://www.gemstone.umd.edu/; http://www.reinventioncenter.miami.edu/spotlight.html
A department undergraduate research pathway in Mathematics at Ithaca College, US
The Department of Mathematics at Ithaca College, New York, over some 7-8 years radically
changed its course offering, its culture and organisation to make “research with students,
designed as part of the curriculum… a distinguishing characteristic of mathematics at Ithaca
College”. There is a blend of inquiry / research for all students – including non majors – and an
elective research focus for those interested.
The main components of this overall focus include:
 A first year course for all students Mathematical Experimentation. Students use computer
software (in particular Mathematica (http://www.wolfram.com/) to conjecture and test
mathematical ideas, much like a natural scientist uses the laboratory to test hypotheses.
Since these are first year students, there is not an expectation of rigorous proof, but rather to
focus on the manner in which mathematicians go about creating new ideas. Examples of
student work are at http://www.ithaca.edu/faculty/dabrown/courses/Math185/
 A second year course for all students (majors and non majors) – Sophomore Seminar brings
together all students and all staff to explore mathematics. Groups of students work with staff
and give class presentations on particular issues e.g. voting methods, group theory in kinship
and so on.
 The main development has been a research sequence of two courses in the junior year.
These focus on the pre-graduating class and both supports those honours/major students
who wish to take a research thesis in their final year and education majors with mathematics
as a minor who wish to take this research focus forward into their role as a teacher.
 The first such course, Junior Seminar, is required of all maths majors and introduces
students to mathematical research methods, writing and citation. Students in groups also
work on small research projects guided by staff.
 Research Experience in Mathematics is the main course in the research sequence. It has
students working in groups on research questions shaped by staff research interests and
those posed by students in previous years’ projects. (Note the course is team taught and is
rotated around the department to better ensure effective integration of ‘undergraduate
research’ into the department culture. Students investigate “a research question initiated in
the Junior Seminar. Completion of the research project involves, in addition to the
mathematical arguments, a written report consistent with the standards of publication in
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mathematics and a public presentation at an academic symposium or conference” (Brown
and Yurekli, 2007, 576).
Sources: Brown D personal communication (2008); Brown and Yurekli (2006; 2007)
http://www.ithaca.edu/hs/depts/math/
Research summer schools in mathematics and statistics at St Andrews, UK
In the context of a four year degree, selected third year students (those with high scores in the
third year January exams –and selected students from other universities) participate in an
intensive un-assessed 6-8 weeks ‘course’. Students are introduced to topics on the interface
between their undergraduate degrees and research interests of the staff involved. It serves as
motivation and advertising for PhD courses. In Pure Mathematics, typically lectures occur during
the first half of the school and in the second half of the school, the students are set projects
relating to research topics. In Applied Mathematics, the schools are conducted more similarly to
PhD supervision.
Sources: Quick (2009); http://www-circa.mcs.st-andrews.ac.uk/CIRCA/summerproj.html;
http://www.mcs.st-and.ac.uk/pg/pure/Analysis/Summer.html
Developing a complete research cycle in science, technology, engineering, and
mathematics at University of Maryland East Shore (USA)
The institution is an historically black largely undergraduate institution. In these disciplines
faculty have designed a set of linked curricula interventions in the mainstream curriculum to give
many students and faculty experience of the whole research cycle, from project design to
research dissemination. They argue that “Too often, undergraduate research projects are
conducted during summers or other shortened periods, or concluded without determining
possible extensions or formally presenting results in scholarly venues including professional
meetings, conferences, and journals” (Johnson et al., 2005, 28). A range of initiatives have
been built into the curriculum over the four years of the degree to include defining research
questions, grant proposal preparation, year round undergraduate research project and
research dissemination. This initiative has been supported by bids to the Minority Science and
Engineering Improvement Programme of the Department of Education and National Science
Foundation.
Source: http://www.ed.gov/programs/iduesmsi/index.html
Linked degree programme of engineering clinics at Rowan University (USA)
Rowan is a regional largely undergraduate university in New Jersey. Students in its engineering
programme can concentrate in Chemical, Civil & Environmental, Electrical & Computer and
Mechanical engineering. However, all students take ‘Engineering Clinics’, an eight-semester
course sequence from the freshman to the senior year. Their common features include an
emphasis on ‘design’ or the solution of open-ended problems that challenge students to apply
higher-level skills such as analysis, synthesis and evaluation. The clinics focus on
multidisciplinary problems often of an applied nature and students and faculty generally work in
teams. Through the four years the problems become more complex and research like – with
those in the junior and senior year often being supported through external research grants and
through research-based consultancies. Research indicates these clinics / programmes are
effective in supporting more students into graduate school and supporting high retention, in
particular for women students.
Sources: Sukumaran et al. (2006); www.rowan.edu/colleges/engineering/programs/
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Minority science and engineering improvement program Department of Education (USA)
This program assists predominantly minority institutions in effecting long-range improvement in
science and engineering education programs and increasing the flow of underrepresented ethnic
minorities, particularly minority women, into science and engineering careers. The program
funds are generally used to implement design projects, institutional projects, and cooperative
projects. The program also supports special projects designed to provide or improve support to
accredited non-profit colleges, universities, and professional scientific organizations for a broad
range of activities that address specific barriers that eliminate or reduce the entry of minorities
into science and technology fields.
Source: www.ed.gov/programs/iduesmsi/index.html
3.3 Arts and Social Sciences
Department and institutional research resources support undergraduate research in
history at Virginia
This case study demonstrates how the research resources of a research-intensive university
department can support undergraduate research in a large’ course. The course leader, Edward
Ayers, is Dean of Arts & Sciences at the University of Virginia and a leading researcher on the
American South. The School hosts the Virginia Center for Digital History. The resources of this
Center, University and School research archives, research librarians, a postgraduate research
and teaching team, support a range of undergraduate research programmes including research
in an undergraduate course with an enrolment of c180 students for which Ayers is the course
leader. The course involves undergraduate student teams using university archives to research
a specific time or place and then publish their research to a web site for use by current and
future students and other researchers nationally.
Sources: http://www.vcdh.virginia.edu/SHD/howtobegin.html;
http://www.reinventioncenter.miami.edu/conference2006/edayers/summary.htm
Scaffolding of Research Tasks in an Applied Theatre Program at Griffith University,
Australia
Professor Michael Balfour, who teaches Applied Theatre in the Education program,
progressively introduces research tasks at different year levels:
Year one: Students conduct background research for an applied theatre project within set
parameters, but do not implement the project. Students undertake a background literature
review using journal articles, library sources and informal interviews with people who work with
their target group. After this research has been completed, the students develop an idea for an
applied theatre performance in consultation with the lecturer and prepare a two-page project
proposal.
Year two: Following set guidelines, students undertake a directed performance project under
the guidance of the lecturer. For example, one group of students developed a performance
workshop and study notes for school children to support and exhibition at the State Library in
response to a project brief outlining the Library’s requirements. This activity is more challenging
than the year one activity because it involves the development and presentation of a
performance, but is directed by academic staff members.
Year three: In groups of three or four, students undertake a research project in a much more
independent manner. Students:
 select and approach the organisation with whom they want to work
 conduct a background literature review of previous initiatives and practice with their target
group
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


discuss the project with the organisation’s employees
design and implement a theatre project, and
reflect on the project’s effectiveness with supervision from academic staff members.
Masters level: Students at this level have previous experience in either teaching or drama.
They are expected to produce work that demonstrates a deeper level of reflection and analysis.
The curriculum covers action research, ethnographic, case study and narrative enquiry research
tools to help students engage in and understand the practical work in a more systematic and
critical manner.
Source: ALTC Teaching Research Nexus website: www.trnexus.edu.au
A Department Undergraduate Research Scheme: Psychology at York, UK
Department initiatives to formally support undergraduates doing research – in close involvement
with staff research – are a feature of many US departments (Kinkead, 2003). A growing number
of UK departments are now developing their own undergraduate research programmes (Jenkins,
2006). That in the psychology department at York University was initiated in 2005 and replaced
and developed previous informal arrangements. The scheme enables students who wish to gain
research experience to volunteer to assist with current department staff projects. Any 1st or 2nd
year student can take part in the scheme though preference is normally given to second year
students. Third year students are typically busy with their own projects and tend not to
participate. Staff enter details of their projects on PsychWeb together with an outline of the
research questions, what research assistance is needed and the rate of pay. Generally the
payments to students come from research grants.
Source: Goebel and Gennari (2006); www.york.ac.uk/depts/psych/www/research/ures/
Introductions to academic practice: humanities and social sciences at Windsor, Canada,
‘Ways of Knowing’ in the departments of Arts and Social Sciences at the University of Windsor
focuses on students developing disciplinary skills in research and critical thinking. Each year a
particular theme is identified - generally one that reflects a Windsor community issue - and
student teams investigate and present in public the results of their inquiries. Senior student
mentors and community members act as mentors to these investigations. There are institutional
discussions on extending this ‘model’ to other departments.
Source: apps.medialab.uwindsor.ca/cfl/reflexions/volume01/issue01/Ways_of_Knowing.htm
Using undergraduates to evaluate student experiences of teaching and learning in the
Sociology Department, University of Warwick, UK
In the Department of Sociology at Warwick selected second and third year Sociology students
led an evaluation of their peer’s experiences of teaching and learning. They used a variety of
social research methods – including focus groups, interviews and participant observation – to
explore the learning experiences of their peers. The results were widely discussed within the
department, and at a department away-day, and have led to students being more involved in
department academic debates. Clearly it is more transferable to those departments and
disciplines such as sociology, education, psychology, management, where students developing
research skills ‘match’ the research focus.
Source: Hughes (2005)
Junior Research Bursaries in Social Sciences and Cultural Studies at Sussex (UK)
From 2008 the School of Social Sciences and Cultural Studies at Sussex University is offering
competitive awards to selected first and second year students for summer research bursaries at
a rate of £200 (not taxed) per week for 8 weeks for summer research projects. Applications
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September 2011
must be sponsored by a member of faculty in the School, who must be willing to act as
supervisor for the duration of the award. Bursaries are awarded to projects that clearly link to
the research agenda of the supervisor and support their Department's research strategy.
Bursaries are not awarded for projects that are part of assessed work for a degree (e.g. projects
or dissertations), or for projects involving work away from Sussex
Source: http://www.sussex.ac.uk/soccul/1-7-1.html
3.4 Geography, Earth and Environmental Sciences
Integrating the development of inquiry and research skills through a whole degree
programme: geography and earth sciences at McMaster
Departments have the power and resources to better ensure that the disciplinary case studies
that feature in earlier sections of this handout are at some point integrated into a coherent
structure such that (undergraduate) students are systematically and progressively developed as
researchers through their degree. Over the last c10 years, in part response to McMaster’s
institutional policy to encourage ‘student inquiry, the School of Geography and Earth Sciences
has radically redesigned its Earth & Environmental Sciences (EES) programme.
In Level One the development of inquiry and research skills begins in courses where
students are introduced to inquiry-based learning through the use of a Socratic,
‘questioning style’ of lecturing and lab assignments that require students to formulate and
answer their own research questions. Students also develop introductory oral and written
communication skills through research presentations to small groups of their peers and
through writing short reports.
Many Level II and III courses involve students in short- term (several weeks) independent
or team research projects. Students present the results of their research as a written
paper, a poster or an oral presentation.
In Level IV all students are required to undertake some form of individual research
project, either as a one term (13 week) research paper, or as a full year (minimum 26
weeks) undergraduate thesis that usually involves gathering of primary data prior to the
start of Level IV.
Undergraduate Research. Many thesis students are employed as research or field
assistants by faculty during the summer months or on a part-time basis during term-time.
Funding is available to help offset the costs of hiring a student through McMaster
University and competitive scholarships are available through funding agencies such as
NSERC (Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada). McMaster
University hosts an Undergraduate Research Poster Session each year and many
undergraduate students are encouraged to present the findings of their research at
national or international conferences and to submit manuscripts (co-authored with their
research supervisors) for publication in scientific journals.
Source: Correspondence with Carolyn H. Eyles and Susan Vajoczki, School of Geography and
Earth Sciences, McMaster University
Students across all three years of an environmental studies degree course at Sunderland
University, UK, work together on local sustainability projects
Students on an Environmental Studies degree at the University of Sunderland undertook local
sustainability projects, which brought levels 1, 2 and 3 students together in small research
groups to work in collaboration with Sunderland City Council's Local Agenda 21 personnel, and
other local environment and development agencies.
Source: Hughes et al. (2001)
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Academic Journal Writing as Part of Course / Programme Requirements: Geography at
Oxford Brookes, UK
The geography programme at Oxford Brookes has developed a set of linked programme
requirements that support all students learning to write research articles. In the second year all
students undertake field based research in a range of venues. A third /final year compulsory first
semester course ‘Geography Research and Practice’ has as its main aim “to develop your skills
in writing scholarly reports of your own research.” The one assessment is for students to “write
an article of up to 4000 words from the data that you collected in your (second year) fieldwork.
The article will conform to existing academic practice for the preparation and submission of
scholarly work.”
Relatedly the department has also just initiated an undergraduate e–Journal Geoversity
http://www.brookes.ac.uk/schools/social/geoversity/index.html to publish selected ‘high quality’
articles by students in the department including articles that were originally written for the
module ‘Geography Research and Practice. In addition some students take that experience /
expertise to revise their article, or the research for their capstone dissertation for publication in
the departmental undergraduate research journal Geoversity, or even in the linked newly
established national geography e-Journal Geoverse
http://www.brookes.ac.uk/schools/social/geoverse/. The author guidelines and requirements for
this national journal represent the requirements for all programme students writing their journal
article for ‘Geography Research and Practice’.
Sources: http://www.brookes.ac.uk/schools/social/geoversity/index.html;
http://www.brookes.ac.uk/schools/social/geoverse/;
http://resources.glos.ac.uk/ceal/resources/casestudiesactivelearning/undergraduate/index.cfm.
Developing an undergraduate research culture in earth sciences at Oxford University, UK
Departments have cultures which may unwittingly or purposefully keep students “at arms length”
from research (Brew 2006, 52) or bring them into that experience. Field disciplines, such as
geology, geography, and biosciences, have the curricula opportunity of fieldwork often for a
week or more where the boundaries between students and staff are likely to be ‘broken’, and
also which offer strong opportunities for students to be involved in inquiry or research-based
learning. Philip England (2007) of the department of earth sciences at Oxford University,
comments on the culture of his department:
“The goal of our course is to give students the analytical and observational apparatus to …
[investigate the] processes that govern the evolution and present state of the planet upon
which we live. When we discuss how we try to achieve this goal we rarely discuss
teaching strategies or learning outcomes, because we regard the undergraduate
experience as more akin to an apprenticeship than to four years of formal teaching.
Fieldwork is a central aspect of Geology and, almost irresistibly, it imposes a flavour upon
our teaching. … A day in the field typically involves more than 12 hours of close-contact
teaching, in which the agenda is set by the observations that the students make, and the
questions that they pose. Frequently, those questions have no known answer. …
The informality engendered in field teaching cannot be erased or forgotten back in Oxford.
By the time they are in their second year, most undergraduates are on first-name terms
with the academic staff …. A variety of practices underpin this informality in ways that,
separately, do not appear particularly powerful but which, because they are valued by all,
have a large cumulative effect. Interaction space is highly valued, and it is an (unwritten)
guiding principle that anyone can interact with anyone else in the common space (library,
staff coffee room, undergraduate common room, etc.).”
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That perspective of the department culture is validated by external reviews and performance
indicators. Thus Graham Gibbs (in press) analysis of the department as part of a study of
“research-intensive departments … where the teaching is demonstrably outstanding,” observed
that:
"The report of the most recent internal review of the department notes the way the
programmes are 'informed by the department's strong research base' and how it 'brings
students into contact with leading scientists in a close-knit community with ample
opportunity for students to meet them in an informal context'. … Earth Sciences has
amongst the highest student ratings on a number of scales of the Oxford Student Course
Experience Questionnaire. It is rated particularly highly as 'intellectually stimulating'. …
Students believe that they 'benefit from being in contact with active researchers'. …
The central social space in the department has posters on the walls that have just come
back from conferences, and which change regularly. It would not be possible for students
to be unaware of what research was being undertaken or who was undertaking it. In this
social space, informal discussion of research, with undergraduates involved, seemed to be
going on constantly. Students were invited into research projects in the lab or the field in
an ad hoc way if they showed interest. Students were being inducted into a 'community of
practice' rather than only being taught, and there were blurred distinctions between
teaching and research with everyone simply 'doing geology'. This is the most striking
example I have encountered of the link between research and teaching being one of joint
engagement in shared scholarly activity within a supportive social environment, with
students gradually being included in the community as junior members.”
Sources: England (2007); Gibbs (2007)
3.5 Developing research skills and academic practices
Auditing and developing student research skills at Adelaide, Australia and Reading, UK
Selected departments at both Adelaide and Reading have systematically audited department
based undergraduate and postgraduate programmes for the extent to which they develop
student research ‘skills’.
Research at Adelaide has developed both a conceptual framework on student research
development and based on this a diagnostic tool to support interventions to strengthen student
research skill development in courses. Thus two consecutive first year courses in Medical
Science have adapted their assessment tasks to explicitly and systematically develop student
research skills in accordance with the Research Skill Development (RSD) framework. A
broadened application of the framework is being trialled, including with laboratory-based and
numeracy-rich research, and to other disciplines and departments, including Petroleum
Engineering, Nursing and English. The framework is publicly available for other institutions to
adapt.
Within Departments methods to collect data on undergraduates' research skills teaching and
learning can be time-consuming and ineffective. At the University of Reading a related
electronic 'research skills audit tool' has been developed for staff to systematically map research
skills teaching and assessment within their own modules. The tool facilitates quick and easy
collation of modular data across entire degree programmes, thus making it a valuable
Departmental resource for reviewing undergraduate curriculum design.
Sources: Willison and O’Regan (2006; 2007); Fraser, et al. (2007)
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Introductions to academic practice: economics and business at Sydney, Australia
The Faculty of Economics and Business at the University of Sydney has radically rethought its
approach to issues of plagiarism and academic honesty. Through a collaborative action research
project they have moved from an approach of compliance to inducting students into the nature of
academic practice. Starting with a voluntary on-line first year module in 2004, academics are
supported to reshape their courses and practices across the faculty in ways that reflect a view of
students ‘as uninformed, but willing participants in the promotion of academic honesty.’ The
Faculty's management system has instituted ‘multiple linked activities' to promote academic
honesty amongst students and engage staff in such discussions. Thus in 2005 the module was
made compulsory for all new students before submitting their first assignment. Videos of
students talking about academic honesty are used in orientation and induction activities. Faculty
are being supported in revising their assessments and course work to more explicitly integrate
academic practices re research honesty and ethics into their courses, in part prompted by the
institutional commitment to research-enhanced teaching.
Sources: Freeman et al. (2007)
3.6 Re-designing Spaces
Re-designing spaces to support student research and inquiry at Vancouver Island,
Canada, and Liverpool and Sheffield, UK
One way departments can enhance the way in which they support student involvement in
research-based learning is to (re)design the spaces in which students and staff learn. Such
spaces need to recognise the particular forms of research and pedagogy in the disciplines, and
departments should seek to, in part, control and shape decisions on building design, room layout
and equipment. Thus a study (Narum, 2004 ,10) of recent innovative science buildings and
classrooms in the USA revealed “spaces uniquely designed for 21st-century ‘sciencing’ …
(which) support learning that is inquiry-based … recognize the increasingly social character of
scientific research, teaching, and learning by facilitating interactions between and among
students and faculty.”
The Faculty of Science and Technology at Vancouver Island University (previously Malaspina
University College), Canada, required the architects currently completing a science centre (in
which much of the research is outward-facing and community-based and in part involves faculty
and students researching together) to “design spaces that will bring students and the public
closer to the research taking place, to include dialogue and seminar rooms and visual access to
some of the research laboratories” (Horn, personal communication, 2007).
In England seven research- and inquiry-based Centres for Excellence in Teaching and Learning
(CETLs) have large capital sums to build special buildings to support student research and
inquiry (Appendix 2). A common theme running through their designs is the development of
‘social learning space’ in which students are encouraged to learn collaboratively with one
another, with staff and, in many cases, with students in other institutions and other key people, in
informal environments. Thus at Sheffield University’s CILASS, the Centre for Inquiry-based
learning in the Arts and Social Sciences, a flexible, technology-rich space has been purposedesigned to support inquiry-based learning. Called a ‘collaboratory’, the space is suited
specifically to support processes of group-based inquiry within arts and social sciences
disciplines. It is conceived as “a classroom as research environment”. Flexible furniture enables
a variety of different spatial configurations and facilitates easy flow from one type of activity to
another – including, small and large group discussion; working with digital archives and
information resources or the University’s virtual learning environment; producing collaborative
writing or presentations; engaging in inquiry through musical or dramatic performance.
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At a more modest level, a £22,000 University grant has enabled the Department of Earth and
Ocean Sciences at Liverpool University to redesign their stage 1 programme to support Geology
problem-solving and conceptual reasoning. Teaching on two modules has been changed from a
standard 12 lecture and 6 practical format to 12 studio sessions. As well as key changes in
course materials, the move to more student inquiry was supported by a redesign of the
classroom teaching space. This had featured “a large room with tables in rows designed to
accommodate about 100 students facing the same way” (Boyle et al 2006, 34). The redesigned
room allowed students to work in groups at tables with staff able to work alongside them, and
gave students better access to research resources. In addition VLE resources were significantly
enhanced to include photographs of all specimens used in the studio sessions. The examination
format remained constant, thus enabling comparisons between student performance pre- and
post-innovations in course design and delivery. Results demonstrated “improving problemsolving abilities without compromising their knowledge and technical skill acquisition” (p36).
Sources: Personal correspondence with Phil Levy, Sheffield University and Jennifer Horn and
Nancy Randall, Vancouver Island University, 2007;
http://www.viu.ca/teaching/UnderGradMalWork.asp; www.sheffield.ac.uk/cilass/learning-spaces;
Boyle et al. (2006)
4. Linking Research and Teaching in Institutions
4.1 Europe
Undergraduate Research Opportunities Programme (UROP) at Imperial College London
(UK)
http://www3.imperial.ac.uk/urop
The Undergraduate Research Opportunities Programme (UROP) gives students the chance to
take part in the activities of College research groups. Founded in 1980, this is the earliest
example of such a programme in the UK and was directly based on the MIT scheme. The
scheme focuses on students in year two and is often used to develop ideas for their final year
dissertation or project. While most projects are undertaken in the summer they can also take
place in term time. Students are awarded bursaries for their work from a variety of sources but
most commonly from supervisors’ research funds, general departmental funds or external funds
such as the Nuffield Foundation’s Undergraduate Research Science Bursaries. The scheme is
also open to students from outside from Imperial. Over 3,300 students have participated since
1980. In 2005-6, 320 students participated of whom 185 were from Imperial (mainly summer
2006).
Undergraduate research at University of Gloucestershire, UK begins at induction
In 2007 over 650 students in the Faculty of Education, Humanities and Science undertook
discipline-based inquiry projects during induction week. This involved them working in small
groups to collect information from the library and in the field, analyse it, present it to tutors in
novel ways, and receive formative feedback. For example, the human geographers and the
sociologists researched the experience of Gloucester residents of ‘the Great Flood of 2007’.
The Biologists and the Psychologists investigated primate behaviour at Bristol Zoo, while English
Literature students visited an arboretum and explored the use of trees in literature. Social and
academic activities were integrated, the students and staff had fun, and, importantly, they made
friends, all before going to their first class. The approach was developed, and initially supported,
by the Centre for Active Learning. Other Faculties in the University are developing their own
versions of developing undergraduate research as part of induction. It has also proved a
significant staff development activity both for the many academic tutors in designing inquiry-led
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activities and the library staff who changed their approach to library induction to support the
specific student research projects.
Source: Further information is available at: http://resources.glos.ac.uk/ceal/preinduction/index.cfm
Southampton Solent University: Advanced scholarship strategy
In 2000 the institution had a special meeting of its then two totally separate committees for
teaching and research. The meeting was solely concerned with teaching-research relations at
the institution. A ‘full and frank discussion’ ensued, but from it emerged greater understanding of
the issues and the development of a set of ‘horizontal strategies’ at institutional and faculty
levels to bring teaching, research and scholarship together, including the Advanced Scholarship
Strategy. This requires and supports all staff to be involved in work that directly focuses their
scholarly and research time on scholarship supporting student learning. Such work varies by
disciplinary groups across the institution, but has to result in a visible output in the public
domain, carry peer esteem and contain an aspect of originality (Brown, 2003).
University of Sunderland: An integrated strategy
In 2004 the University of Sunderland introduced a single integrated academic strategy for
teaching, research and reach-out activities. It followed a year’s debate within the institution. Its
implementation is supported by an action plan which includes institution-wide personal
development actions. The Strategy states that the aim of the integration agenda is “to provide
an academic environment which encourages and draws together research, learning and
teaching and reach-out in order to underpin high quality academic provision” (University of
Sunderland: Academic Strategy 2004/05 – 2009/10 ‘Enabling, Enhancing and Supporting our
Learning Community’, 2004, p. 3). All three facets are the responsibility of the Deputy Vice
Chancellor.
The implementation has included new reward processes and changes in university structure and
processes. For example, a restructuring of central services has bought together the previously
separate Graduate Research School and Industry Centre to give fully integrated research and
reach-out support. Teaching and learning as yet remains separate. As for promotion of
academic staff the revised process “requires applicants to evidence appropriate levels of
attainment in each of research, teaching and reach-out and their integration. Conferment of
Professorial title for example is made on the basis of outstanding achievement in any of
research, teaching or reach-out but also demands demonstration of particular required levels of
attainment in each of the other 2 facets” (Brown, 2005, p.3). Integration helps academic staff to
“avoid the destructive competition” (p.1) that can occur when the different facets are viewed
separately. However, reporting to the Funding Council still has to be separate.
Source: Brown (2005)
Research active curriculum at the University of Sunderland
The University of Sunderland in January 2010 revised its institutional teaching and quality
assurance processes to deliver a curriculum that is “research active”. The (undergraduate)
curriculum will be designed to promote progressive development of graduate research attributes
fostered through increasing student engagement in enquiry and understanding of research in a
structured way through all levels. At level 3 all programmes will ensure that students experience
a suitable synoptic activity which helps them bring together their understanding of their discipline
and professional area and prepare them for their subsequent employment and civic
engagement.
Implementation of this broad framework is at Faculty level. In the Business School the
programmes are being redesigned to offer a common first year comprising an 80-credit ‘super
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module’ in which students will work in multi-disciplinary teams to research and design a business
start-up; a 20-credit ‘Contemporary debates in ….’ module, where experts from the various
disciplines of business and management will lead debates on topical and controversial issues in
their subject area to raise student awareness of the uncertainty, subjectivity and the dynamic
nature of knowledge.
Further information
https://docushare.sunderland.ac.uk/docushare/dsweb/Get/Document-5568/AQHA10+Research+Active+Curriculum.pdf
University of Roskilde (Denmark): Half of the work of all students is spent undertaking
projects
www.ruc.dk/ruc_en/about/
At least 50% of student time in the assessed curriculum in five years from BA to MA is taught
through project work. The projects involve students working in groups guided by staff. “Problemorientated project work ... [is] participant directed indicating that it is the group members that
collectively ... take the responsibility for the project. … The result is a body of knowledge owned
for the most part by the students that produced it and not borrowed from the teachers who
taught it” (Legge, 1997, p.5). The first two years are interdisciplinary group projects, later
projects tend to be within one discipline and sometimes may be undertaken individually.
Oxford Brookes University (UK): Building undergraduate research into the curriculum
From 2007 all Schools / Departments have been required to develop a more structured
approach to developing all students as researchers in all course programmes in years one and
two; and through specialist pathways to support those students who choose a more extended
research curriculum. Such pathways may include a focus on community-based undergraduate
research. These requirements derive from a study visit to selected US institutions and are being
supported through the Reinvention Centre for Undergraduate Research at Brookes and Warwick
Universities.
The requirements build on a previous university-wide intervention. In the context of the move to
semesters, in 2002-3 all undergraduate and taught postgraduate courses were redesigned with
the requirement that they ‘demonstrate how the linkages between research and teaching and
learning are realised in the formal curriculum and the wider student experience.’ This process
was overseen by a university-wide steering group, the Redesign Advisory Group.
Source: Huggins et al. (2005; 2007a)
Embedding undergraduate research and inquiry at the University of Gloucestershire, UK
(http://resources.glos.ac.uk/adu/clt/ltaframework/index.cfm; resources.glos.ac.uk/ceal)
Following a nine-month development and consultation process the University has adopted a new
Learning, Teaching and Assessment Strategy. The core value underpinning the Strategy is
‘learning for life through active engagement.’ Drawing on work of the Centre for Active Learning
undergraduate research and inquiry are key elements of the engaged learner. To be inclusive of
different academic disciplinary and professional cultures a broad definition of the undergraduate
as researcher is used in the university to describe student engagement at all levels in research
and inquiry into disciplinary, professional and community-based problems and issues whether
individually or in groups and in collaboration with or independently of staff. The strategy is
underpinned by research into ‘Leading, Promoting and Supporting Undergraduate Research in
the New University Sector’ (resources.glos.ac.uk/tli/prsi/current/ugresearch/index.cfm).
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Integrating staff and students at different levels through ‘subject families’ at University of
Oxford, UK
As part of overall institutional planning, Oxford University is using the idea of ‘subject families’ to
help integrate undergraduates and postgraduate students with research staff and academics in
the Colleges. Periodically students and staff in related subjects come together for academic and
social activities which showcase and discuss current research by College members. These
changes have also opened up opportunities to develop inter-disciplinary links and for
undergraduates to appreciate better the research done by staff in their college and the prospects
for some of them of pursuing research careers. This may be an idea that other institutions could
adapt for departmental implementation.
Sources: Correspondence with Claire Stocks; University of Oxford (2005);
http://www.st-annes.ox.ac.uk/study/undergraduate/subject-families.html
Undergraduate research for North American exchange students at Aachen, Germany
The Undergraduate Research Opportunities Program at RWTH Aachen University fosters
research partnerships between undergraduates from top US and Canadian universities and
Aachen research faculty. The program‘s duration is ten weeks. The first two weeks are
dedicated to an intensive German language course and an introduction to research and culture.
Weeks 3 to 10 are settled around a mentored research internship in one of the faculties. The
programme is organised through the International Office.
Sources: http://www.irtg1328.rwth-aachen.de/071121-UROP.pdf;
http://www.sfp.caltech.edu/opp/UROPinternational%20Okt%202008%20A4-small.pdf
4.2 Australia
Australian National University: Introduction to Inquiry
(http://www.anu.edu.au/CEDAM/ilearn/inquiry/index.html)
The University aims to ensure that ALL their undergraduate students are introduced to inquiry
learning from the beginning of their program of study. An inquiry-based approach to learning
involves students directing their learning by formulating questions, defining problems and
investigating issues relevant to their future roles as researchers and professionals. Examples
are presented from courses on The Big Questions in Physics; Human Biology; Resources,
Environment and Society; Money, Power, War; Science and Public Awareness; and Introduction
to Psychology. The site also includes two examples of inquiry-based learning in more advanced
courses.
Advanced Study Courses at Australian National University (ANU)
In 2003 ANU established the Bachelor of Philosophy degree to provide a research based
education for elite students. Students undertake research at a high level from the beginning of
their undergraduate degree through the inclusion of six or more research-led projects, during
their three year degree (Wilson et al , 2007; Newitt, 2007). To enter the programme students
have to be in the top 1% of high school graduates and to subsequently maintain high grades at
ANU. These courses replace lecture based courses and “may consist of a reading course with a
world-leading scientist or joining a research team to assist in the advance of knowledge” (ANU,
2009). Graduation from the programme is also dependent on achieving an overall first class
Honours grade in their fourth year, during which students may undertake some coursework but
which typically focuses on a substantial piece of original research.
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September 2011
Those ‘teaching’ on the programme include research-only staff from ANU’s the Institute of
Advanced Studies. The programme is still evolving and has had to grapple with how to provide
strong mentored support and how best to use the expertise of high level research focussed staff.
To an extent expertise from this programme is being extended to ‘mainstream’ courses through
the developing expertise of the staff directly involved (Strazdins, 2007) and through a university
wide forum (Centre for Educational Development and Academic Methods, nd).
This institutional case study should also be seen as part of a wider issue in (Australian) higher
education, clarifying the nature and purpose of an ‘honours’ degree programme (Kiley et al.,
2009).
Sources: ANU (2009); Centre for Educational Development and Academic Methods (nd); Kiley
et al. (2009); Newitt (2007); Strazdins (2007); Wilson et al., (2007)
The University of Queensland, Australia, funds research staff to engage in teaching
Since 2006 the University of Queensland has used some of the money raised through the
Enhanced Student Contribution (levied at 25% additional charge to students) to pay for research
staff to engage in teaching at undergraduate and/or graduate coursework level for 10 or 25% or
their time. In 2009 AUS$4 million has been set aside for this purpose.
The scheme, named ResTeach, is designed to remove a frequently stated impediment to
utilising research staff, namely resource allocation, and thereby:
 expose students to key researchers, who hopefully can convey the excitement of their
field;
 improve the student: teacher ratio in an effective and efficient manner;
 provide an opportunity for interested researchers to expand their portfolio;
 strengthen the relationship between research and teaching to improve the student
learning experience, and
 reduce the teaching loads of existing T&R academics.
The primary purpose of ResTeach is to improve the learning experience of students, not to be a
prime source of funds for centres or institutes or the operating budgets of schools. A review of
the scheme in 2008 concluded that “the ResTeach scheme is now a key component of UQ’s
strategy to link teaching and research and is, in fact, one of the few mechanisms that has
effectively supported the teaching-research nexus.”
Sources: http://www.uq.edu.au/teaching-learning/index.html?page=92623f; Correspondence
with Deborah Terry, 30 Oct 2008
Monash University and University of Sydney: Teaching and Research Nexus
Benchmarking Project
http://www.adm.monash.edu.au/cheq/about/cheq-docs/council-rep-04/quality-report-council04att3.html; http://www.adm.monash.edu.au/cheq/academic/;
http://www.adm.monash.edu.au/cheq/ academic/trn/gw-trn-discussion-paper.pdf
In 2004 a benchmarking process based investigation between these two research-intensive
universities concluded: “The teaching-research nexus is clearly identified in strategic plans in
both universities, but both could benefit from a more integrated approach. The nexus is also
reflected in Learning and Teaching Plans, but does not necessarily cascade into all plans.” The
aim of the Benchmarking project was to analyse methods of implementing the teaching-research
nexus, and compare performance in nominated areas. A six-stage process was developed:
 establishing the partnership;
 setting the framework (areas of comparison and matrix);
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September 2011
 securing a Memorandum of Understanding between the two institutions;
 applying the framework;
 benchmarking, self evaluating; and
 generating recommendations.
The investigation involved senior staff working in their respective institutions with a limited cross
over membership steering the cross institution process. While performance indicators were
developed and used in this study, the central view was that the key value of benchmarking was
examining and improving policies and processes within the two institutions. The ‘other
institution’ and what was seen internationally as ‘best practice’ in effectively linking teaching and
research, served as mirrors to examine and to improve each institution’s practices and policies.
Contacts: Dr Jennifer Weir Centre for Higher Education Quality, Monash University (now at
Murdoch University); Dr Angela Brew, Institute for Learning and Teaching, University of Sydney
University of Sydney: Strategic use of performance indicators to stimulate linkage
between research and teaching
The purpose of the Performance indicators is to provide a mechanism for auditing progress
towards reaching the university’s strategic goals for strengthening the relationship between
teaching and research, and to encourage the development of research-enhanced teaching.
Key criteria for judging research-led teaching:
 Student awareness of and active engagement with research
 Academic staff capacity to integrate research and teaching
 Curriculum designed to engage students in a variety of research-based activities, induct them
into the research community and develop their awareness of research
 Departmental encouragement for aligning research and teaching
 Faculty support and encouragement for strengthening the nexus between research and
teaching
 College recognition and support for the development of the links between research and
teaching
 University commitment to the development of strong relationships between teaching and
research
These key criteria derive from the scholarly literature on research-led teaching. The indicators
are designed to focus on aspects that can be demonstrated and that would clearly distinguish
good practice in research-led teaching. The table shows indicators of these criteria, and whose
responsibility it would be for gathering and providing the information. It also suggests indicative
audit requirements.
Examples of performance indicators
 Student awareness of and active engagement with research
 Undergraduate and postgraduate student awareness of the research culture of the university
and the research being done in their school/department/faculty
 Academic staff capacity to integrate research and teaching
 Proportion of senior and active researchers engaged in first and second year undergraduate
teaching
 Proportion of teaching staff with PhD or research record
 Curriculum designed to engage students in a variety of research-based activities, induct them
into the research community and develop their awareness of research
 Proportion of units where students engage in research-based activities
 Research and scholarship on teaching and learning is demonstrably used in designing new
curricula and monitored by Academic Board Committees
 Departmental encouragement for aligning research and teaching
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September 2011













Proportion of disciplinary research-active staff and pedagogically research-active staff vis à
vis total staff numbers
Existence of an advertised student research seminar program or evidence of engagement of
undergraduate students in departmental seminars
Faculty support and encouragement for strengthening the nexus between research and
teaching
The links between research and teaching are explicitly encouraged in Faculty Strategic Plans
The existence of funding allocated to pedagogical research grants
College recognition and support for the development of the links between research and
teaching
Strategic plans refer to the links between teaching and research
University commitment to the development of strong relationships between teaching and
research
University Strategic Plan explicitly states that the links are important
Appointment, promotion, probation and tenure criteria all explicitly require the
teaching/research link to be addressed
The University’s teaching evaluation and quality assurance and enhancement processes are
research-based
Teaching, Learning and Assessment Policies and Research Policies stress the importance of
linking teaching and research
Audit of research-led teaching carried out on a triennial basis and benchmarked with other
Universities
Although these performance indicators for promoting the links between teaching and research
were discussed, an implementation policy backed up by redistribution of resources has not been
put in place.
Source: Brew and Prosser (2003)
Griffith University: Identifying programmes including research-based learning component
To meet the strategic target that ‘70% of all Griffith programs include a research-based learning
component by 2010’ the University developed a policy to define what evidence is needed for a
program to satisfy the minimum requirements to qualify as including a ‘research-based learning
component’ and the criteria against which Course Convenors should assess whether their
courses contain such components.
For the purposes of the University’s Strategic Plan, each program that claims to demonstrate
research-based learning must be able to provide evidence that the approaches and activities
that are built into the degree program are relevant, systematic, auditable, connected in
philosophy, and are not dependent on particular teachers being available for teaching particular
courses. In other words, the research-based character of a program should be robust. The
activities or opportunities in question must be ones that all students in the program experience,
and are not to be confined to electives.
For a program to contribute to meeting the University’s strategic performance indicator for
research based learning at least 20% of the student course enrolments are in courses identified
as having significant elements of research-based learning. To determine whether 20% of the
program’s courses contain significant elements of research-based learning, the Office of Quality,
Planning & Statistics is responsible for mapping students enrolled in a course, with a status of
including a research-based learning component, to the students’ program of enrolment.
Course Convenors assess their courses against the following categories:
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September 2011



Systematic introduction of a significant amount of current discipline related research into
the course content and teaching
Use, as the primary pedagogical approach for the course, of inquiry-based processes that
are modelled on the research approaches that are common in the discipline or field
Research methodology courses are included in the undergraduate program.
Development of ‘public scholarship’ at Griffith University and University of Western
Sydney, Australia
http://www.griffith.edu.au/ua/aa/plans/academic/;
http://www.uws.edu.au/community/in_the_community/oue
Public scholarship involves “engaging in reciprocally beneficial ways with communities at local,
national and international level” (Krause, 2007, 5). It is a development of Boyer’s ‘scholarship of
engagement’, but it also addresses the scholarships of discovery, integration and teaching
(Colbeck and Wharton-Michael, 2006).
Griffith University is using the concept of ‘public scholarship’ as a distinctive feature of the
University’s learning activities to refer to “the opportunity (for students) to work with real
problems, and in doing so to place their knowledge at the service of our communities. This
…finds expression through our commitment to work-integrated learning and to research based
learning” (Griffith University, 2007, 1). They see benefits for both the students and the external
agencies with which they interact.
“Public scholarship is underpinned by the notion that the scholarly teaching, learning and
research activities of the University are most meaningful when closely aligned to authentic
problems in the public domain. … (This view supports) the interpretation of scholarship as a
public good that facilitates knowledge exchanges with industry, professional and government
bodies, and communities at local, national and international level” (Griffith University, 2007, 10).
Public Scholarship “is a form of research-based learning that facilitates stronger integration
of staff and student research and learning into the lives of communities beyond the university by:
1. providing academic staff with a way to demonstrate how their scholarly research informs
and is informed by the needs and values of local, national and international communities;
and
2. enabling students and staff to engage effectively with community problems by building
reciprocal connections between their university learning and local and global problems”
(Green and Krause, 2008, 2).
The University of Western Sydney (UWS) has established an Office of University
Engagement. It provides “a focal point for activities that engage the community in the core
business of the University. Engagement at UWS is viewed as partnership, for mutual benefit,
between the University and its communities, be they regional, national or global. Engagement is
also seen as a distinctive way of carrying out research, teaching, learning and service.”
One of the projects undertaken by a student from UWS was an investigation of ways of
conserving and rehabilitating the large remnant of Western Sydney Dry Rainforest at Loxley.
The project brought together the key community stakeholders in the rainforest in to generate a
plan for protecting and activating the remnant as a community and tourism asset. Shortly after
the completion of her project the Hawkesbury Rainforest Network applied for and gained a grant
through the Department of Environment & Climate Change for rehabilitation work in the area
including the Loxley forest remnant. The student has since been engaged as the coordinator of
the work.
Sources: Colbeck and Wharton-Michael (2006); Green and Krause (2008); Griffith University
(2007); Krause (2007)
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September 2011
Embedding Research in the Curriculum at University of Western Australia
In 2008 a review of the University Courses – Education for Tomorrow’s World – recommended
extensive changes to the undergraduate and postgraduate curriculum, including the proposal
that “that every undergraduate major include a demonstrable emphasis on enquiry-based
learning and research skill development through direct engagement with the research culture of
the relevant discipline”. The University endorsed this proposal and in 2009 the University
agreed an implementation framework for this. This framework included the following
requirements on all majors seeking approval for course validation.
“The following elements, along with other discipline content, should be explicitly taught,
practised by the students, and formally assessed:
 The evolution of the discipline, including its history, philosophy and theorising.
 The methods of enquiry that the discipline uses, including methods of research
ethics.
 The practice of enquiry-based thinking relevant to the discipline.
 The discourse conventions of the discipline. ...
The embedding of the research must be reflected in three aspects:
 Curriculum content (what has to be learnt – e.g. discourse conventions must be
taught)
 Pedagogy (how the learning occurs – e.g. field work, lab classes)
 Assessment (how students demonstrate what they have learnt – e.g. critical
reviews, exams).”
Further information:
Markwell (2008); University of Western Australia (2009)
4.3 New Zealand
University of Victoria, Wellington: Awards the teaching-research linkage
(http://www.utdc.vuw.ac.nz/excellence/)
Teaching Awards are ‘awarded to applicants who demonstrate excellence in integrating their
academic research effectively in their teaching, engaging undergraduate students in research,
and or carrying out research on teaching and learning in their disciplines’ (Angelo and Azmar,
2005).
Auckland University of Technology: A broad definition of the teaching-research nexus is
rewarded
(www.aut.ac.nz/staff/office_of_the_vice-chancellor/awards.htm;
www.aut.ac.nz/resources/staff/academic_quality_office/academic_audit/qualityportfolio_15.pdf)
‘Establishing a nexus between teaching and research that enhances students’ learning’ is one
criteria for the VC’s Awards for Excellence in Teaching. They adopt a broad definition of what
they mean by the teaching-research nexus:
“AUT, in its establishment of a framework for research development has embraced the
notion of ‘scholarship’ as an overarching term that permits it to provide a different
perspective on the traditional dichotomies of theory and practice, research and teaching,
teacher and student. Thus research, education and development activities are all
informed by, and require, scholarly inquiry. This view acknowledges that the conduct of
research goes beyond the measures available, for example in the PBRF and assumes
that all advanced professional practice undertaken by academic staff – in their various
roles as teacher, researchers, professional practitioner, developer, or consultant – is
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September 2011
based on investigation and inquiry, but that such inquiry can take a number of forms with
varied outputs.”
AUT Audit Portfolio 2006, 49
4.4 United States
Massachusetts Institute of Technology: Undergraduate Research Opportunities Program
(http://mit.edu/urop/)
The Undergraduate Research Opportunities Program (UROP) supports research partnerships
between MIT undergraduates and academic staff. Formed in 1969, it is one of the earliest such
programmes. “UROP projects take place during the academic year, as well as over the
summer, and research can be done in any academic department or interdisciplinary laboratory.
Projects can last for an entire semester, and many continue for a year or more. UROP students
receive academic credit, pay, or work on a voluntary basis.” MIT is now working with the
department of engineering at Cambridge University (UK) to develop an undergraduate research
programme there (http://www.eng.cam.ac.uk/teaching/urops/). MIT conducts an audit of UROP
participation among graduating seniors each year. For the class of 2004, 82 per cent of
graduating seniors had participated in UROP at least once during their undergraduate careers
(personal communication, 2005).
Mainstreaming Undergraduate Research and Inquiry at Miami University, Ohio, US
Miami University, Ohio is moving from a teaching paradigm to a leaning and discovery paradigm.
The TOP 25 project calls for innovative approaches that moves learning away from “too much
time telling students what we think they need to know, and not enough time using their curiosity
to drive their learning.” The TOP 25 Project involves the largest recruiting courses (actually 31 of
them) being rewritten as inquiry-based courses. Each course has been allocated $35,000 to
fund curriculum revision. Learning technologists and educationalists support the teams of staff
involved. Seven or eight courses per annum are being redesigned over a four year period.
Together the courses account for almost a quarter of total credit hours. All courses with more
than 1,000 credit hours are in the programme. Many of the courses are being redesigned using
the inverted classroom model in which most of the lectures are provided electronically using, for
example, videos, I-pods, and VLEs, while most of the contact time is used for interaction
between faculty and students. Some of the physical spaces are being redesigned to provide
flexible furniture to encourage discussion.
Sources: Hodge et al., 2007; 2008; http://www.units.muohio.edu/led/Top_25_Project/Index.htm
Undergraduate research programmes to support first year success racial and cultural
diversity and widening participation: University of Michigan, US
A number of Undergraduate Research Opportunity Programs (UROPs) focus on what in the UK
would be called ‘widening participation’. At the University of Michigan there is targeted support
for largely Afro–American students from inner-city Detroit. While the University had been
successful in recruiting these students, their drop out rate was high. Special UROPs were
targeted at these students in year one and two to enhance their integration and academic
success. There has since developed related projects to support transfer students into Michigan
from community colleges and four-year colleges. Research demonstrates significant positive
impacts (Locks and Gregerman, 2008). In addition linked to the University wide UROP
programme a first year residential programme for some 80 students is aimed at culturally and
geographically diverse US students and international students. Research is conducted with
selected faculty and supported by resident second and third year peer mentors.
Source: Huggins et al. (2007); Locks and Gregerman (2008);
http://www.lsa.umich.edu/mrc/index.htm
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September 2011
The Stanford University Research Communication programme
The I-RITE and I-SPEAK programs provide faculty, postdoctoral scholars, and advanced
graduate students with time-efficient, intense training in effectively communicating their ideas to
a broader audience. Participants in I-RITE work on crafting a written statement that describes
their research in understandable and compelling ways to high school seniors or university
undergraduates, while participants in I-SPEAK produce and practice readily understood oral
presentations on their work.
Source: www.stanford.edu/group/i-rite/
Final Year Project Presentation at Alaska Pacific University
At Alaska Pacific University, a small private university, all students in all disciplines undertake a
senior project and present it to the campus community on designated days at the end of each
semester. Thus students experience both the experience of doing research, but also
communicating it through spoken presentation.
The institution has a strong commitment to active and research based learning and they now
market themselves as "The University of Active Learning." They have a strong year one
orientation to active learning and a range of required courses in all years involving research
techniques and projects which lead into the required final year senior project. This has a strong
applied focus. As well as a formal research paper, students in discipline groups (mainly
Environmental Sciences, Human Services, and Business) present their research as a
professional public presentation. These end of semester presentations are advertised for the
faculty, staff and students, as well as interested members of the public. Other classes are
cancelled so that the student body may attend. Often members of the site where the
investigation takes place attend. The final assessment is on the 40-60 page research paper, the
quality of the presentation and handling of questions at the presentation. While numbers of
graduating students are small (c70 per year) the idea of a public presentation as part of the final
year project could be adapted by larger departments and institutions.
Sources: Correspondence with Carl Hild;
http://distance.alaskapacific.edu/course/info.php?id=387
http://www.alaskapacific.edu/Pages/default.aspx
Arts of Citizenship Program at the University of Michigan, US
In this program students combine learning and research with practical projects that enhance
community life. Each year Arts of Citizenship directly sponsor 8-12 projects, and awards grants
for another 8-12 projects. Projects in the arts, the humanities, and design are wide-ranging and
include:
 Students on Site is a major collaboration with the Ann Arbor and Ypsilanti Public Schools.
SOS staffers and UM students teach weekly class lessons over a three to five week period.
Through field trips, hands-on classroom work, and an online archive, third- and fourthgraders learn to investigate the history of their communities
(www.artsofcitizenship.umich.edu/sos).
 In the Underground Railroad project, Arts of Citizenship has collaborated with the African
American Cultural and Historical Museum of Washtenaw County to research 19th-century
antislavery activism and African American community life in the area. The youth-oriented
historical exhibit, Midnight Journey, has been displayed to over 20,000 people at schools,
libraries, and museums in Michigan and Ontario.
 The Broadway Park Design project (a collaboration with the Ann Arbor Department of Parks
and Recreation) proposes designs for public art, public history, and cultural amenities in the
historic park on the Huron riverfront. (www.artsofcitizenship.umich.edu/broadway).
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September 2011
In partnership with Detroit’s Mosaic Youth Theatre, Arts of Citizenship teams used oral
history and archival research to help create 2001 Hastings Street, a nationally touring
musical drama about coming of age in 1940s Detroit. The production and an accompanying
exhibit were part of the celebration of the Detroit’s 300th anniversary in 2001.
 In partnership with UM’s School of Art and Design, UM students in Arts of Citizenship’s
Detroit Connections serve as mentors for after school art workshops in Detroit elementary
schools. By using art to reinforce maths and science concepts, this project aims to improve
overall educational outcomes.
 Arts of Citizenship has collaborated with Michigan Radio on a series of student-created radio
documentaries, including award-winning pieces on the 1967 Detroit riots and on ArabAmerican youth. The latter has a companion website at
www.artsofcitizenship.umich.edu/listen. Plans are underway for additional documentaries on
citizenship, youth, and diversity.
David Scobey (2006), the key originator of this programme has now led its adaption to a whole
institution initiative, and its adaption to other disciplines - The Harward Center for Community
Partnerships - at Bates College Maine.
Sources: www.artsofcitizenship.umich.edu/about/program.html; www.bates.edu/harwardcenter.xml

Hampshire College: Linking research and teaching is key element of the college’s
mission
(http://www.hampshire.edu/)
Hampshire is a small private liberal arts US college focused on self-initiated, individual research
programs of study negotiated by students with academic staff. More specifically:
 Beginning and Division 1 Requirements: ‘Students must formulate substantive questions on a
range of specific subjects and then reflect critically on the implications of the analytical
frameworks and methods they used in pursuing the questions’ (Prince and Kelly, 1997, p.7).
 Division 2 Requirements: ‘Working with at least two or three faculty, students … define a
substantive area of study and then specify key questions that will serve as general guides
through the concentration... In the second step … the student designs a program of study,
including … independent study’ (ibid., p.8).
 Division Three and Capstone Requirements: This is ‘primarily devoted to a … thesis or
artistic project’ (ibid., p.9).
Southern Illinois University: Paul Simon Award
(http://www.siue.edu/graduate/internalgrants/simon.shtml)
The Paul Simon Outstanding Scholar award is presented to an SIUE faculty member in order to
recognize the role of research and creative activities in excellence in teaching. The Award
confirms SIUE's belief that an individual must be a good scholar to be a good teacher. A plaque
and a $5,000 award, routed through the payroll system, is presented to the honoree. The Simon
Award will not be given automatically each year; it will only be awarded when a nominee of
superior merit is selected. Only one Award will be given annually. The Simon Awardee will be
expected to make a presentation for graduate students and faculty about integrating research
into teaching activities during the Graduate School Research Symposium.
First-year on-line introduction to research course at Virginia Tech University, US
The Undergraduate Research Institute at the College of Liberal Arts and Human Sciences at
Virginia Tech is piloting in 2008-9 an on-line course to introduce students to undergraduate
research. Virginia Tech, like many other large research universities faces the dilemma of
knowing the importance of exposing undergraduates in year one to the research culture of the
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institution while not having the resources to give each one of them an individualized experience
with a faculty member.
Research about undergraduate inquiry was explored in addition to models from other
institutions, and student development theory pertaining to working with first-year students.
LAHS 2984: Introduction to Undergraduate Research spans both semesters. Assignments vary
from readings that help students understand the culture of a research university and the
importance that research plays in university life, to them attending the Undergraduate Research
Institute Kickoff and experiencing the Virginia Tech Undergraduate and Prospective Graduate
Student Research Conference. Students are not just exposed to what research means in their
major field of study, but gain an interdisciplinary perspective by examining the ways that
research and creative work is conducted across disciplines.
In its first year enrolment is limited to c30 students – but the intention is to use this ‘experiment’
to then ‘scale-up’ the course so that it can support many students by crafting assignments that
would be thought provoking and informative but easily evaluated by graduate students and
second year students who have passed the course.
Sources: Correspondence with Diana Ridgwell, Director of Student Development and the
Undergraduate Research Institute, College of Liberal Arts and Human Sciences, Virginia Tech.
http://www.uri.clahs.vt.edu/Student%20Resources.html
Experiential learning for all at Indiana University-Purdue University, US
In 2008 the university launched an initiative to encourage all students to undertake experiential
learning activities in two of four areas: undergraduate research (defined within each
department), service learning, international experience, or other experiential active work. The
work must be within a course and pass muster, for undergraduate research, as meeting the
university’s broad definition of ‘undergraduate research’. The Assistant Vice Chancellor for
Research “expect(s) this initiative to increase student research on campus and looks forward to
it ultimately being required for all students. Right now only some of our departments require
this.” (Wilson, 2009)
Sources: Kathryn J. Wilson, Assistant Vice Chancellor for Research, Indiana University-Purdue
University Indianapolis (IUPUI), posting to Council on Undergraduate Research web site 30
January 2009; http://www.iupui.edu/administration/acad_affairs/rise/;
http://www.iupui.edu/administration/acad_affairs/rise/rise_proposal.pdf
On campus undergraduate research employment: Northwest Missouri (US) and York
University (UK)
Undergraduate students being employed in a variety of roles, including academic roles, on
campus is an important feature of many US universities. The scheme at Northwest Missouri is a
strong example of such structured programmes - with c40% of university employees (over 540)
being students. Some have roles of considerable responsibility and their employment is an
integral part of their learning experience. In the UK and elsewhere there is strong pressure from
government to expand and link employment and higher education. York University, through its
careers service and supported by a National Teacher Fellowship, aims to expand the breadth
and number of part-time and temporary higher level employment opportunities available to York
students - in part shaped by the Northwest Missouri example. The project involves scoping and
prototyping a comprehensive on-campus student employment scheme, with a particular focus on
higher skilled work, and to explore the application of this scheme with local businesses. York is
particularly interested in exploring how the scheme may be used to involve students in a variety
of forms of undergraduate research.
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Further information
Charlotte Melia, York University; DIUS (2008); catpages.nwmissouri.edu/m/lgmf/documents/
Investigating ‘writing across the curriculum’ at Utah State University, US
At Utah State undergraduate students with outstanding communication skills are selected to
serve as rhetoric associates to support student writing. This institutional strategy came out of a
project which reviewed the amount and kinds of writing in over 700 syllabi at the undergraduate
level. It was undertaken by about 20 undergraduates as part of a seminar on tutoring writing
across the curriculum. “Although the research problem - what is the nature of writing
assignments at this institution - was not one developed by the students, they engaged in the
research process and decision making from thereon” (Kinkead, 2009). They started by studying
current research on writing across the curriculum and, guided by the instructor, devised common
research protocols and methodologies which each then separately applied to particular
departments and shared the results and proposed interventions.
Sources: Kinkead (2009); www.usu.edu/raprogram/
Women in Science and Engineering (WISE): University of Southern California, US
Research Fellowships are granted each year to support summer and academic year research.
The goal is to familiarize students with laboratory research and link them with a mentor early on.
It is hoped that through the experience of first-hand research at the undergraduate level, the
chances will increase that students will choose to pursue a graduate degree in science or
engineering. The WISE programme was established in 2000 through a £20 million pound
anonymous endowment.
Source: http://www.usc.edu/programs/wise/programs/undergrad_research/
Diversity Research Scholars Programmes at Indiana University–Purdue University
Indianapolis (IUPI)
IUPI is an urban State university with a strong focus on supporting diversity. There is a range of
undergraduate research programmes supporting that goal with priority to academically able
minority students and Indiana residents. These include:
 an eight week summer programme for (incoming) first year students who are matched
with a faculty research mentor to develop a new project or to continue on a previous
student project.
 Selected first year students are immediately placed in a mentored research setting.
Research mentors are primarily IUPUI faculty and in some instances can be members of the
corporate sector. The goal is to have the mentor and scholar work together to develop a
scholarly research project during the next four years. The programme provides individualized
support to the students on an ‘as needed’ basis. A range of other undergraduate research
programmes have a similar focus on supporting minority students, some with a particular
disciplinary focus
Sources: http://crl.iupui.edu/extras/UndergradFunding.asp;
http://www.crl.iupui.edu/extras/urop_new.asp
Adding a ‘Research Intensive’ designation to specific courses at University of Toledo,
USA
In 2009-10 the Toledo University Senate endorsed a proposal from the Director, Office of
Undergraduate Research, to designate certain mainstream courses as Research Intensive (RI).
These would then be registered on the student graduating transcript. The rationale for
introducing then was: a) RI experiences are viewed very positively by prospective employers
and/or graduate school admissions committees; and b) the RI designation will greatly assist the
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Office of Undergraduate Research in maintaining a more complete survey of the multitude of
research activities undertaken by UT undergraduate students.
In order for a course to be identified as "Research Intensive (RI)", all of the following four criteria
must be satisfied:
1. Students must make serious attempts to advance (and/or make significant contributions to)
the knowledge or understanding in the field of the investigation.
2. Neither the students nor the instructor have a priori knowledge of the final result(s).
3. The student investigators must present and/or disseminate their results to a wider audience
than to just their class population.
4. A summary Course Report from the instructor of each RI course must be submitted to the
Office of Undergraduate Research at the end of the semester the course is offered.
Source: http://www.utoledo.edu/utlc/undergradresearch/ResearchIntensiveCourses/mainresearchintensive.html
Senior Capstone at Portland State University, US
During the final year each undergraduate student is required to participate in a Senior Capstone,
the culmination of the University Studies program. The Senior Capstone is a community-based
learning experience that a) provides an opportunity for students to apply the expertise they have
learned in their major to real issues and problems in the community; and b) Enhances students
ability to work in a team context necessitating collaboration with persons from different fields of
specialization. Each student works with a team of students and faculty. Each Senior Capstone
must result in some form of summation, closing project, or final product that puts closure to the
students' experience.
Source: www.oirp.pdx.edu/portweb/published_pages/prototype/themes/cp/capstone/
Library Undergraduate Research Fellowship at California State University, Irvine, USA
The Library at Irvine has established annual awards to selected students involved in the
institutional Undergraduate Research Opportunities Program (UROP). The students chosen
have research projects that:



make significant use of scholarly information resources, the library, and its collections;
demonstrate comprehensive or creative applications of research methodology; and/or
focus on research about the scholarly information-production process itself.
The chosen students receive enhanced access to library facilities and the opportunity to work
closely with a research librarian who is a subject expert in the student’s field of inquiry
Source: http://www.lib.uci.edu/about/projects/urop/undergraduate-research-opportunitiesprogram.html; www.urop.uci.edu/about.html
Cross-Discipline Faculty-Student Community Development in Uganda at University of
San Diego, USA
Led initially by the Graduate School of Nursing, the University in collaboration with partners in
Uganda has developed a cross-disciplinary initiative to research and community development
project in Mbara, Uganda. The focus is to save the lives of many children at risk from
preventable diseases. Now involving disciplines including nursing, business, biology, and
education, cross disciplinary teams of faculty and selected undergraduates have undertaken a
range of investigations. Following graduation a number of these undergraduates have returned
to work as interns in hospitals in the region.
Sources: James et al. (2009); http://www.holyinnocentsuganda.com/Default.htm
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Building Excellent Scientists for Tomorrow at Bradley, USA
The BEST Research Internship program is designed to provide high school students and
undergraduates with hands-on experience in scientific research. Students are placed in
research labs in the Peoria area for full- or part-time internships, to be completed during a 10week period in summer. They will learn first-hand about the scientific research process, working
side-by-side with top researchers and their teams. They will also receive additional training in
science methods, scientific ethics, also safety and related topics. Participants will receive a
stipend for the research internships, and one hour of college credit for the classroom portion of
the programme.
Source: http://www.bradley.edu/academics/las/bio/bestprogram/
4.5 Canada
University of British Columbia: University-wide research-based learning experience
(http://www.trek2000.ubc.ca/index.html; http://www.research.ubc.ca/UGConf.aspx)
TREK 2000, 2010 and the University Academic Plan state undergraduate students who choose
to attend UBC should have the opportunity to benefit from attending a major research institution.
Every student should have the opportunity to engage in research and experience the excitement
of discovery should they desire. In order to support this type of learning experience, the
Undergraduate Research Committee out of the VP Research Office developed the
Multidisciplinary Undergraduate Research Program (MURP) in 2004. Supported by a Teaching
and Learning Enhancement Fund Grant (TLEF), MURP’s goal is to develop a cohesive
undergraduate research program at UBC that will support the enhancement of research
experiences for their undergraduate students.
Undergraduate students are selected from all possible disciplines to participate in this novel and
exciting program. Students who participate have the opportunity to develop skills to support a
research project they are involved in within their discipline (be it through directed studies,
honours programs, volunteer work or research assistantships). In this way, they hope to bring
together the wide variety of research avenues students can take part in, demystify the research
process, and helping students to get the most out of their research experience.
University of Alberta: Institution-wide project ‘Research makes sense to students’ leads
to strategic focus on ‘discovery learning’
In 2003-4 the University introduced a "Research Makes Sense for Students" initiative under the
Office of the VP (Research). This raised awareness among faculty of the issues and
international literature on teaching research relations, and various task forces considered how
then policies and practices could be enhanced. Relatedly in conjunction with the Student Guild
there was a range of activities focused on undergraduates and graduate students making them
aware of the potential benefits of learning in a research environment. This led in the 2007-2011
planning cycle to a range of funded initiatives and policies to support ‘discovery learning’ with a
clear focus on year one courses and final year small capstone courses.
Source: www.uofaweb.ualberta.ca/researchandstudents/;
www.president.ualberta.ca/daretodiscover.cfm;
www.president.ualberta.ca//pdfs/DaretoDeliver.pdf
McMaster University: Inquiry-based courses available across the curriculum
(http://www.mcmaster.ca/cll/inquiry/index.htm)
The University has a tradition of innovative problem-based learning in medicine and engineering.
In 1998 it launched an initiative to develop an inquiry-based approach across the whole
curriculum, starting initially in selected courses in years one and two. “Inquiry courses are skill64
September 2011
driven rather than content-driven, focusing on the skills required to perform effectively at
university and well beyond university. These generalizable skills help students hone skills
equally useful for advanced levels of academic research.” This is supported through the
teaching development unit and through programme leadership responsibilities for senior staff.
Teaching is done in teams of generally research active, tenure stream staff, with a three-year
rotation, reflecting the commitment needed to teach such courses, but also better ensuring that
the skills of inquiry teaching are disseminated across the university.
Some 20% of students in year one and two take at least one inquiry-based course and the
research evidence is that such students generally achieve well in subsequent courses. The
institution is now faced with the challenge of scaling this innovation across the whole institution
or keeping it for those students who select these perhaps more demanding courses (Elliot, 2005;
Sutherland, 2005).
For details of the research evidence on the beneficial impact of the Social Science Inquiry
course see section 2.2 above
University of Toronto: Awards for Linking Teaching and Research
(http://alumni.utoronto.ca/s/731/index.aspx?sid=731&gid=1&pgid=663#frye)
The Northrop Frye Awards are co-sponsored by the University of Toronto Alumni Association
and the provost of the university. Annually one individual faculty member and one department or
division are recognized with the award for demonstrating exemplary and innovative ways of
linking teaching and research.
McMaster University: Petro-Canada Young Innovator Award
http://www.mcmaster.ca/cll/awards.and.recognition/petro.canada/index.htm
The Petro-Canada Young Innovator Award is a program that provides the opportunity for
McMaster to build on this connection and engage undergraduates in faculty research to deliver
greater benefits for undergraduate education. Campus-wide recognition for innovative research
achievement by a young faculty member. $25,000 support for a candidate designed project to
make this research accessible to undergraduate students. Under normal circumstances, the
project needs to be completed in the year following receipt of the Award.
University of Calgary: Student inquiry strategy
(www.ucalgary.ca/mp2003/AnnualReports/AR2006-07.pdf)
The University has an institutional strategy that sees student inquiry as ‘core to a researchintensive university’. The e-learning strategy has been reshaped to directly support student
inquiry with a focus on developing ‘communities of inquiry’ using computer conferencing.
Vancouver Island University: Building design to link research and teaching
The institution is in the initial stages for planning for a new Integrated Science Centre. This
provides the Faculty of Science and Technology with the opportunity to link research and
teaching into the design of the facilities. Students will take specific courses with a strong
research component, often requiring extended use of laboratory spaces instead of the traditional
three-hour classroom sessions. New lab spaces will be designed to accommodate this. Faculty
research areas will be places where students will engage in research with their teachers using
an apprenticeship model combined with problem-based teaching. The new building will also
contain many spaces where students can work in groups, with each other and with academic
staff, on research projects, both inside and outside the laboratories.
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5 Linking Teaching and Research in Postgraduate Courses on Teaching and
Learning in Higher Education
University of Plymouth (UK): Teaching Research
(http://www.plymouth.ac.uk/pages/view.asp?page=17290)
A 20-credit Masters level module on ‘Teaching Research’ within the Learning and Teaching in
Higher Education course provides the opportunity for both new academics and established
members of staff to examine the links between research in their own discipline and their
teaching. The intended learning outcomes are that participants should be able to construct
theoretically-informed arguments about the relationship between teaching and research, explain
and justify their own position with regard to becoming/being a teacher of research and explain
the principles and critically appreciate the practices of teaching research.
University of East Anglia (UK): Research–Led Teaching
http://www.uea.ac.uk/lhi/rltl/
As part of a University wide project on Research led teaching MA in Higher Education Practice
comprises six individual units and short courses covering additional topics. Unit 2 focuses on
research-led teaching and learning http://www.uea.ac.uk/lhi/rltl/ma.html. Participants produce a
reflective report on the development of research-led teaching and learning in their area of
practice to include:
 a statement of current practice of 'research-led teaching and learning' in the particular
profession or discipline in which you work
 a personal audit of teaching skills based on self-reflection and peer observation
 a description of how research informs teaching in your field currently,
 organisational and other constraints to developing the link between research and teaching
more closely, and ways in which you think it might be possible to overcome these
 identifying strategies for enhancing research-led teaching and learning in practice in your
field
 an action plan for you to develop your own work.
University of Northumbria (UK): CPD Module
http://www.northumbria.ac.uk/static/worddocuments/resdocs/rtmodule.doc
Staff at Northumbria can take a module on ‘The Link between Teaching and Research.’ As well
as presenting conceptual frameworks and key research evidence, participants are supported in
an initiative in their practice that seeks to enhance the links. Specifically they produce “a 3,000
word report on the development of a project/approach aimed at strengthening the link between
teaching and research in your own work contexts. This report will draw on the research
evidence, models and conceptual frameworks introduced in the module and contain reflections
on the implementation and critical evaluation of the project/approach (or plans for
implementation and evaluation).” This module is part of the Academic Practice Programme.
The programme offers accredited and unaccredited CPD, comprises a wide range of optional
modules and is extremely flexible. Modules can be taken as freestanding units or to contribute
to one of the PG awards: PGCert, PGDip, MA and Professional Doctorate. This module is linked
to a university wide initiative in linking teaching and research supported by HEFCE’s Research
Informed teaching fund
http://northumbria.ac.uk/sd/central/ar/lts/researchandteaching/
Source: Above websites and correspondence with Nicola Reimann, University of Northumbria
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Nottingham Trent University (NTU): Research Informed Teaching
NTU have introduced a Postgraduate Diploma (PGDip) in Research Informed Teaching which
helps members of academic staff develop skills in research practice in order to become better
placed to teach and to supervise projects at undergraduate / postgraduate / PhD level. It is
aimed particularly at those lecturers who have previously worked as practitioners before entering
university teaching, and have therefore joined the university sector as teachers in mid-career. It
offers a teaching and learning experience for lecturers who wish to familiarise themselves with
the skills and perspectives that inform current research practice, and who wish to gain direct
experience in conducting high-quality empirical research.
Source: http://www.ntu.ac.uk/apps/pss/courses/cf/605651/10/PGDip_Research_Informed_Teaching.aspx
6 Teaching and Learning Courses integrated into Doctoral Programmes
Stanford University (USA)
www.stanford.edu/group/i-rite/
The I-Rite Program provides training to doctoral students (and mainstream researchers) on how
to write and communicate their research to a wider public, including new students in their
discipline (Marincovitch and Reis, 2000). See also section 2.1.
Madison University (with Michigan State University and Pennsylvania State University)
(USA)
http://cirtl.wceruw.org/index.html
The Center for the Integration of Research, Teaching, and Learning in science, technology,
engineering, and mathematics focuses on changing the practice and culture of graduate training,
through developing their understanding and practice of ‘teaching as research’ (Mathieu, 2004).
University of Oxford (UK)
http://www.learning.ox.ac.uk/oli.php?page=196
The Centre for Excellence in Preparing for Academic Practice, started in September 2005, is
adapting the ideas of the US doctoral initiatives above to the UK context. It involves three areas
of activity:
 increasing the teaching development support and teaching opportunities for Oxford
research students and contract research staff;
 sharing knowledge about preparing future academics across a network of seven
institutions;
 a continuous contribution to local and international knowledge through investigations of
practice.
Rather than seeing teaching development as an addition to research, the pedagogic intent of the
planned programmes is the integrated development of competencies in teaching, research, and
graduate transfer skills. Scholarship of teaching will be introduced as an activity aligned with
research thinking.
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7 Linking Research and Teaching in National Systems
7.1 Research councils support the research-teaching nexus
US: National Science Foundation (NSF) grant applicants have to demonstrate their
experience of engagement with pedagogy and service
(http://www.nsf.gov/pubs/2003/nsf032/start.htm Section II c) 2 f iv)
All Senior Project Personnel applying to the NSF in the United States have to complete a section
under the bibliographic sketch entitled ‘synergistic activities’. This involves listing “up to five
examples that demonstrate the broader impact of the individual’s professional and scholarly
activities that focuses on the integration and transfer of knowledge as well as its creation.
Examples could include, among others: innovations in teaching and training (e.g., development
of curricular materials and pedagogical methods); contributions to the science of learning; …
broadening the participation of groups underrepresented in science, mathematics, engineering
and technology; and service to the scientific and engineering community outside of the
individual’s immediate organization.” This is potentially a powerful lever for change. There is
anecdotal evidence from top research institutions in the States that this requirement is leading to
greater recognition of research staff with a strong public service and teaching ethos and in some
cases has led to departments re-designing the organisation of research bidding so that staff with
strong expertise in dissemination are firmly based into bidding teams.
US: National Science Foundation (NSF) have established the Undergraduate Research
Collaborative Program which seeks to include first and second year college students
http://www.nsf.gov/pubs/2006/nsf06521/nsf06521.htm
The Undergraduate Research Collaboratives (URC) Program seeks new models and
partnerships with the potential (1) to expand the reach of undergraduate research to include firstand second-year college students; (2) to broaden participation and increase diversity in the
student talent pool from which the nation's future technical workforce will be drawn; and (3) to
enhance the research capacity, infrastructure, and culture of participating institutions.
Collectively, these outcomes will substantially strengthen the nation’s research enterprise. For
this program, research should be in the chemical sciences or in interdisciplinary areas supported
by the chemical sciences. Projects should allow students to create new knowledge that is
potentially publishable by providing exposure to research of contemporary scientific interest that
is addressed with modern research tools and methods.
The program developed from two NSF workshops - Exploring the Concept of Undergraduate
Research Centers: A Report on the NSF Workshop (http://urc.arizona.edu/) and Workshop on
the Implementation of Undergraduate Research Centers
(http://www.scu.edu/cas/research/urc.cfm). The emphasis on participation of first- and secondyear students in authentic research – the creation of new knowledge that is potentially
publishable - will challenge the imagination and creativity of the community to rethink the
directions of undergraduate education.
“Each award provides approximately $3-million over a five-year period. The projects under way
through that program can provide blueprints for research-oriented curricula for thousands of firstand second-year college students http://www.nsf.gov/news/news_summ.jsp?cntn_id=104533.
An initial award, for a project led by, The Center for Authentic Science Practice in Education,
Purdue University, includes nine academic institutions in Illinois and Indiana.
http://www.purdue.edu/dp/caspie/
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The project has created research modules for traditional courses around such themes as
biodiesel fuels, solar-energy conversion, and food chemistry. The consortium will:
1. Provide first and second year students with access to research experiences as part of the
mainstream curriculum.
2. Create a collaborative, “research group” environment for students in the laboratory.
3. Provide access to advanced instrumentation for all members of the collaborative to be
used for undergraduate research experiences.
4. Help PUI faculty develop research projects so that their own research capacity is
enhanced and the students at these institutions can participate in this research.
5. Create a research experience that is engaging for women and ethnic minorities and
appropriate for use at various types of institutions, including those with diverse
populations.
Part of the collaborative framework for undergraduate research is the remote instrumentation
resource. This networked resource allows partnership institutions to have an authentic research
focus for our laboratory course by making a suite of high-end instruments available to first- and
second-year students via the Internet. These instruments are integrated into the research
projects that the students will be carrying out in the course.
Another project includes 15 public colleges, led by Ohio State University, across Ohio. It is
expected to involve 15,000 first- and second-year undergraduates in research projects annually
by 2010. …
New types of institutional partnerships are a particularly promising aspect of the URC awards
made thus far. Especially noteworthy has been the participation of two-year institutions that
traditionally have been outside the research mainstream. A project led by the University of
South Dakota, for example, embraces community and tribal colleges. Nearly half of all
undergraduate students attend community colleges, and those students represent a huge,
diverse, largely untapped talent pool. By involving them and their instructors in research, we can
both build our institutional capacity for innovation and encourage talented students who may
otherwise overlook promising, productive careers in science and technology” (Ellis, 2006, B20).
Ireland: Science Foundation for Ireland (SFI) sponsor undergraduate research experience
and knowledge awards (UREKA)
http://www.sfi.ie/content/content.asp?section_id=505&language_id=1
SFI’s Undergraduate Research Experience & Knowledge Award (UREKA) Programme offers
undergraduate students the opportunity to work in research and to acquire a range of scientific
skills during a ten to twelve week period during the summer. Students get the chance to conduct
an independent research project within a cutting edge research group. Students participating in
a UREKA site will also attend a variety of events to further develop the skills needed for a career
in research. The programme aims to afford students from Ireland and abroad with an
exceptional chance for interaction with world-class scientists and engineers in an innovative
environment. SFI currently funds eleven UREKA sites at academic institutions throughout the
country. It is expected that up to 200 students will participate in the UREKA programme during
Summer 2006.
Ireland: The Programme for Research in Third Level Institutions (PRTLI) places great
emphasis on developing sustainable strategies for Teaching & Learning, Research and
Knowledge Transfer
http://www.hea.ie/PRTLI/
Improving Ireland’s research capacity is a major Government priority and the Strategy for
Science Technology and Innovation (SSTI) launched in 2006 aims to develop an international
profile for Ireland as a premier location for carrying out world-class research and development.
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The Programme for Research in Third Level Institutions (PRTLI) started in 1998 provides the
bedrock for the expansion of research in the higher-education system and also enables the
education of researchers who will work throughout the economy and society.
Applicant institutions are required to demonstrate a sustainable strategic and planned approach
to the long-term development of their teaching and knowledge transfer capabilities. Statements
on their teaching & learning, and knowledge transfer strategies have to be submitted and their
track record in these areas is assessed by international experts. An implementation plan for
future teaching and research linkages is required and site visits are conducted by international
peer reviewers to assess the viability of their plans.
Each PRTLI programme is three years in duration and institutions can submit projects in any
discipline. There have been four PRTLI cycles to date with €835 million awarded to innovative
research and infrastructural projects across the areas of biopharmaceutical, medicine, food
science, the creative arts, technologies, humanities, and climate change.
The fourth cycle of PRTLI recently launched features a strong education focus with 10 of the 16
programmes funded to create Graduate Programmes producing approximately 200
postgraduates.
Brazil: The Program of Scholarships for Scientific Initiation (PIBIC) sponsor
undergraduate research experience
http://www.memoria.cnpq.br/english/aboutcnpq/index.htm Note the general text is in English with full details in Portuguese
The National Council for Scientific and Technological Development (CNPq) is a foundation
linked to the Ministry of Science and Technology (MCT), to promote and stimulate the scientific
and technological development in Brazil. CNPq is one of the major funding sources for research
in Brazil, contributing directly to the training of researchers in all levels and fields of knowledge.
Specifically to promote scientific knowledge, engage new talents into research, and strengthen
the link between undergraduate and postgraduate programs, CNPq sponsor undergraduate
scholarships through the Institutional Program of Scientific Initiation (PIBIC). The Council
distributes a number of scholarships for teaching and research institutions that have a clear
program of students’ engagement in research. The scholarships last for 12 months and provide
opportunities for the students to work part-time in research projects under the advisory of
qualified professionals. The number of scholarships available annually to each institution
depends on the annual budget of the Council and the qualification of the research institution
within the criteria established by the Council. The students have to apply for specific projects
and the award is given primarily on the students’ grades and secondarily on their skills relevant
to the project. The PIBIC aims to stimulate students to continuing education, to improve their
qualifications and skills, and to reduce the average time students require to obtain their
postgraduate degrees.
Source: Correspondence with Luciana Esteves, University of Plymouth, 2007
UK: Research Councils UK sponsor Fellowship Awards to support postdoctorates to
develop career paths into teaching and research and move from short term contracts to
permanent positions
http://www.rcuk.ac.uk/acfellow/
RCUK have sponsored two rounds of fellowships since 2004. The Government has provided
funds to create up to 1,000 new academic fellowships (200 a year, each lasting five years).
Award recipients should have a PhD or be of postdoctoral standing. Rosie Beales, who
coordinates the academic fellowships at RCUK, said “Fellowships should be in areas where a
university wants to build research and support individuals. They should provide a clear path into
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teaching and research and outreach to schools” (THES 28/4/06). Typically recipients do an
increasing amount of teaching over the course of the fellowship.
Qatar National Research Fund (QNRF) and Undergraduate Research Experience Program
(UREP)
The Qatar National Research Fund was established in 2006 to establish Qatar as a knowledgebased economy and has funded a whole array of research and educational initiatives including
the Undergraduate Experience Program. This supports selected students and faculty through
competitive grants for mentored research experiences. These can be at Qatar University or in
those (foreign – largely US - universities); and also in research companies in Education City, a
designated area for education and knowledge based industries.
Source: http://www.qnrf.org/fund_program/urep/
7.2 Legislative and national quality assurance support
NZ: The research-teaching nexus is enshrined in legislation
In New Zealand, the Education Amendment Act (1990) states that “university teaching and
research should be interdependent and that most of the teaching should be by those who are
active in advancing knowledge.” New Zealand's Academic Audit Unit "is required to audit not
only the research policies and procedures of the university, but also how it links research and
teaching, and the effect of this link" (Woodhouse 1998, 39). This national review of all
universities in terms of their delivery of the teaching/research nexus took place in 2000, but the
policy appears to have received less emphasis recently as more attention has been given to the
Performance-Based Research Fund (PBRF)
http://www.tec.govt.nz/funding/research/pbrf/pbrf.htm. Michael Cullen (Tertiary Education
Minister) recently suggested lifting the requirement that degrees must be taught by people
involved in research.
Sources: Woodhouse (1998, 2001); Cullen (2006)
UK: Professional Standards Framework for Teaching and Supporting Learning in Higher
Education
http://www.heacademy.ac.uk/ourwork/policy/framework
The UK Professional Standards Framework for teaching and supporting learning in higher
education has been developed for institutions to apply to their professional development
programmes and activities and thus demonstrate that professional standards for teaching and
supporting learning are being met. Standard descriptor have been devised to apply to for
example, postgraduate teaching assistants, staff who have a substantive role in teaching and
learning, and experienced staff. From 2006, the expectation is that new academic staff with less
than three year’ teaching experience should obtain a national professional teacher qualification
accredited by the Higher Education Academy. The programmes are locally determined and
organized, and are typically equivalent to certificates at Masters-level and involve approx 400600 study hours.
In order to demonstrate application of the standards, six areas of activity, core knowledge and
professional values are applied to learning outcomes and assessment activities within the
institution’s professional development programmes. “The ability to incorporate research,
scholarship and/or professional practice into … activities” is common to all three standard
descriptor levels; and the “integration of scholarship, research and professional activities with
teaching and supporting learning” is one of the six areas of activity.
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UK: Quality Assurance Agency Benchmark Statements
http://www.qaa.ac.uk/academicinfrastructure/benchmark/default.asp
The honours degree benchmark statements, of which there are currently over 50, almost all refer
to aspects of the nexus as central to the requirement for honours classification. For example the
Benchmark statement for English states that honours graduates “will be able to conduct
research through self-formulated questions and tasks, supported by the gathering of relevant
information and organised lines of enquiry, resulting in a sustained piece or pieces of work”
(QAA, 2007, 8).
Scotland: Funded Research Teaching Links as a Quality Enhancement Theme
http://www.enhancementthemes.ac.uk/themes/ResearchTeaching/default.asp
Scotland’s quality assurance system has a strong focus on enhancement and collaboration
between different agencies – with particular themes identified as areas for action. From 2006-8
research–teaching links is one such theme. Activities will include sector-wide discussions on
reflecting on, and exploring Research-Teaching Linkages and how they can be maximised to
enhance the achievement of graduate attributes
<http://www.enhancementthemes.ac.uk/themes/ResearchTeaching/attributes.asp>
and a secondary discipline-level strand which will focus on, the sharing of and developing on,
current and emerging practice at the discipline level. Both strands are supported by funded
projects.
7.3 National support for investigation and promotion of the researchteaching nexus
England: Some of the Higher Education Funding Council for England’s (HEFCE) Centres
for Excellence in Teaching and Learning (CETLs) are focused on inquiry and researchbased learning
http://www.hefce.ac.uk/cetl
HEFCE established 74 CETLS in 2005 each of which received up to £2.35m capital and £0.5m
recurrent expenditure pa for five years. Several are centrally concerned with aspects of the
teaching-research nexus:
1. Sheffield Hallam University, the Centre for Promoting Learner Autonomy
http://extra.shu.ac.uk/cetl/cpla/cplahome.html
2. University of Gloucestershire, the Centre for Active Learning in Geography, Environment and
Related Disciplines (http://resources.glos.ac.uk/ceal/)
3. University of Manchester, Centre for Excellence in Enquiry-Based Learning
(www.manchester.ac.uk/ceebl)
4. University of Oxford Centre for Excellence in Preparing for Academic Practice
(http://www.learning.ox.ac.uk/cetl.php?page=54)
5. University of Reading Centre for Excellence in Teaching & Learning in Applied
Undergraduate Research Skills (http://www.reading.ac.uk/cetl-aurs/)
6. University of Sheffield, Centre for Inquiry-based Learning in the Arts and Social Sciences
(CILASS) (http://www.shef.ac.uk/cilass/)
7. University of Surrey, Surrey Centre for Excellence in Professional Training and Education
(SCEPTrE) (http://www.surrey.ac.uk/sceptre/)
8. Universities of Warwick and Oxford Brookes, The Reinvention Centre for Undergraduate
Research http://www2.warwick.ac.uk/fac/soc/sociology/research/cetl/
Seven of these formed the Learning Through Enquiry Alliance (LTEA) www.ltea.ac.uk
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UK: The Higher Education Academy has recognised supporting the research-teaching
nexus is a priority
They have sponsored a number of initiatives including:
 Administering the Research Teaching Forum
http://www.heacademy.ac.uk/ourwork/research/teaching/forum
 Organising a national conference in 2005 ‘The Teaching and Research Relationship:
Developing Institutional Policy and Practice’
http://www.heacademy.ac.uk/events/detail/research_and_teaching_conference_2005 and
another in 2006 on ‘Bringing Research and Teaching Together’
http://www.heacademy.ac.uk/events/detail/research_and_teaching_conference_2006
 Funding a project on ‘Developing teaching research links through the disciplines’
http://www.heacademy.ac.uk/ourwork/research/teaching/disciplines;
http://www.brookes.ac.uk/genericlink/; which covered five main subject centres; a follow-up
project is collecting discipline-based case studies and interpretative essays in most of the
remaining subject centres under the SNAS programme
http://www.heacademy.ac.uk/ourwork/professional/snas/snasdatabase
 Funding five projects on ‘How do academics in different discipline areas conceptualise,
understand and develop the relationships between discipline-based research and teaching?’
http://www.heacademy.ac.uk/resources/projects.
Australia: Department of Employment, Training and Youth Affairs sponsored a study of
the Research-Teaching Nexus in three contrasting universities
This early study of the research-teaching nexus compared the situation in three contrasting
Australian Universities - University of Western Australia, Curtin University of Technology and
Ballarat University.
Source: Zubrick et al 2001; see also Monash and Sydney benchmarking project below
Australia: Australian Learning and Teaching Council (ALTC)
http://www.trnexus.edu.au/
The ALTC (formerly the Carrick Institute) identified the nexus between teaching and research as
an issue of emerging and continuing importance for funding in 2006-08 in the competitive grants
programme. This includes a project led by University of Melbourne with Griffith University and
Queensland University of Technology - The Academic's and Policy-Maker's Guides to the
Teaching-research Nexus: A suite of resources for enhancing reflective practice.
US: Reinvention Center
http://www.reinventioncenter.miami.edu/
The Reinvention Center at Miami is a national center focusing on undergraduate education at
research universities, including supporting undergraduate research. The Center was born of the
excitement and intense national and international interest generated by the Boyer Commission
Report, Reinventing Undergraduate Education: A Blueprint for America's Research Universities
(1998).
US: Council on Undergraduate Research (CUR)
http://www.cur.org./
CUR, founded in 1978 and based in Washington DC, is a national organization. Members
include nearly 3,000 individuals and 575 colleges and universities. Its focus is on supporting
undergraduate research in all types of institutions .Its leadership works with agencies and
foundations to enhance research opportunities for faculty and students, and assists
administrators and faculty members in improving and evaluating the research environment at
their institutions.
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US: National Conferences on Undergraduate Research (NCUR)
http://www.ncur.org//basics/index.htm
Holds an annual three-day conference of (mainly) student presenters, which has become a
national celebration of undergraduate scholarly activity involving all academic disciplines and all
institutions of higher education. NCUR's annual conferences also include sessions for faculty
members and administrators to discuss starting, supporting, or maintaining departmental or
institutional undergraduate research programs.
US: Project Kaleidoscope
http://www.pkal.org/
Project Kaleidoscope (PKAL) is one of the leading advocates in the United States for building
and sustaining strong undergraduate programs in the fields of science, technology, engineering
and mathematics (STEM).
US: Center for the Integration of Research, Teaching, and Learning (CIRTL)
http://cirtl.wceruw.org/
CIRTL promotes the development of a national faculty in science, technology, engineering, and
mathematics (STEM) committed to implementing and advancing effective teaching practices for
diverse student audiences as part of their professional careers. CIRTL is designing,
implementing, and evaluating programs for STEM future faculty development. Present and
future STEM faculty create, offer, and evaluate these programs, in partnership with colleagues
from the social sciences. CIRTL is also creating a network of research universities that will
extend the development and implementation of such programs.
The Pillars of CIRTL: Teaching-as-Research, Learning Communities, and Learning-throughDiversity underlie all CIRTL activities. The network is run from Wisconsin-Maddison. Current
other members are: Howard University, Michigan State University, The Pennsylvania State
University and University of Colorado at Boulder. The CIRTL Network will grow to ten
universities between 2006 and 2007. Expansion of the CIRTL Network to all interested
universities will follow.
Canada: Canadian Summit on the Integration of Research, Teaching and Learning
http://www.ualberta.ca/summit
This annual summit, hosted by the University of Alberta at Edmonton, was first held in 2005.
The purpose is to bring together major Canadian and other international universities for
discussion about the integration of teaching and research as a fundamental pillar of the
undergraduate learning environment. See also: Hoddinott and Wuetherick (2006).
Canada: Policy Roundtable on Research, Teaching and Learning
http://www.mcmaster.ca/stlhe/projects/index.html
The Canadian Federal Government and University of Guelph held a Policy Roundtable
Discussion on Research, Teaching and Learning in post-secondary education in April 2006. The
roundtable consisted of approx 35 leaders from government, universities and colleges, research
councils, and professional bodies in Canada, plus an international adviser. Their report outlines
the challenges and opportunities associated with the research/teaching/learning nexus in
Canadian post-secondary education (PSE) and for identifies potential strategies for creating
national, provincial and institutional contexts in which all of these activities might thrive. See:
Christensen Hughes and Rog (2006).
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September 2011
7.4 National initiatives to broaden conceptualisation of academic work
US: Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching promotes Boyer’s four
scholarships, particularly SoTL
http://www.carnegiefoundation.org;
http://www.carnegiefoundation.org/CASTL/highered/index.htm
The Carnegie Foundation has done much to promote the benefits of Boyer’s four scholarships –
discovery, applied, integration and teaching. The Carnegie Academy for the Scholarship of
Teaching and Learning (CASTL) Program in Higher Education focuses on the fourth of these.
The CASTL Higher Education Program includes three components: Carnegie Scholars Program;
Campus Program; and Scholarly and Professional Societies Program.
Hong Kong: Research Assessment Exercise (RAE) is based on Boyer’s four scholarships
http://www.ugc.edu.hk/eng/ugc/publication/prog/rae/rae.htm
Both the 1999 and 2006 RAEs in Hong Kong adopted Boyer’s four scholarships as a framework
for assessing academic work. They have been advised by the Carnegie Academy.
7.5 National awards for integrating research and teaching
‘The aim is to provide rewards not only for better teaching or for better research but for
demonstrations of the integration between teaching and research’ (Hattie and Marsh 1996, 533
emphasis added).
US: The Howard Hughes Medical Institute (HHMI) have established HHMI Professors
http://www.hhmi.org/news/083101.html; http://www.hhmi.org/grants/individuals/professors.html
HHMI awarded $1 million to each of 20 research scientists on the basis of their plans to transmit
the excitement and values of scientific research to undergraduate education in 2002 and 2006.
Those selected received the title "HHMI Professor" and received 4-year grants of $250,000
annually to apply their creativity and enthusiasm to undergraduate teaching.
US: National Science Foundation Recognition Awards for the Integration of Research and
Education
http://www.nsf.gov/od/oia/archives/raire.jsp
The Recognition Awards for the Integration of Research and Education (RAIRE) activity was
created in 1996 to identify and recognize research-intensive universities that had been
innovative and effective in promoting the integration of research and education at the highest
level of the organization. In 1998 the NSF conducted a similar activity open to Baccalaureate I
and II institutions under the Awards for the Integration of Research and Education (AIRE)
program.
US: National Science Foundation Director's Awards Recognize Connection Between
Research and Teaching
http://www.nsf.gov/od/lpa/news/02/pr0239.htm
In 2002 six faculty members received $300,000 each to expand their work. Each had found
significant ways to connect research with teaching and received the National Science
Foundation (NSF) Director's Awards for Distinguished Teaching Scholars (DTS) for imaginative
teaching applications in such areas as multimedia visualization, online resources for the study of
fractal geometry, and spectroscopy and photochemistry to teach chemistry.
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September 2011
7.6 National designated funding for developing the research-teaching
linkage
England: The Higher Education Funding Council for England (HEFCE) are supporting the
development of research-informed teaching environments, with funds allocated inversely
proportional to an institution’s research funding
(http://www.dfes.gov.uk/hegateway/hereform/heresearchforum/index.cfm;
http://www.hefce.ac.uk/pubs/hefce/2006/06_11/
http://www.hefce.ac.uk/learning/enhance/quality.htm)
HEFCE announced in March 2006 additional funding to support research informed teaching
(RIT) to be allocated in inverse proportion to an institution's research funding. This is part of
HEFCE’s Teaching Quality Enhancement Fund. £40m has been allocated over three years.
The division between which universities received funding and those which did not largely mirrors
the old/new university divide.
HEFCE state (2006, 6-7) that “All students have a right to learn in an environment that provides
the opportunity to fully develop their knowledge, understanding and skills. A learning
environment informed by research provides learners with an understanding of knowledge
creation (the research process and research methods) and its application (in economic, social,
health and global contexts). It also stimulates key skills of critical analysis, respect for evidence
and informed decision-making. We feel that a research-informed environment to stimulate the
development of knowledge and skills is appropriate to all levels of student learning in higher
education.
We have identified four areas where institutions could seek to invest funds:
 keeping the curriculum up-to-date and active, effectively supported by appropriate
learning resources linked to recent research
 enabling staff to engage with developments in their field and link to developments in their
teaching
 ensuring that courses are designed in ways that support the development of learning
outcomes appropriate to the knowledge economy, including appropriate pedagogy – that
is, students experiencing research, and developing research skills
 embedding research-informed teaching in institutional structures, including human
resources strategies and quality assurance processes.”
The money represents a significant shift in government thinking away from earlier discussions
about ‘teaching-only’ universities. The argument that initially convinced the Department for
Education and Science (DfES) was the need in an international higher education market place to
develop research-informed teaching environments to assure the quality of the honours-level
dissertation, which the large majority of students in England undertake. However, of the 158
institutions in receipt of this funding, 85 are FE Colleges teaching HE work. This indicates an
acceptance, by HEFCE at least, that a research informed teaching environment is important at
all levels of higher education.
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September 2011
8 International Initiatives to Promote Research and Teaching Linkages
Carnegie Academy for the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning (CASTL) Institutional
Leadership Programme
http://www.carnegiefoundation.org/programs/sub.asp?key=21&subkey=2021&topkey=21
One of the themes under CASTL’s institutional leadership three year programme (2006-09) is on
undergraduate research. Malaspina University College is coordinating 10 institutions from
Canada, UK and USA.
Southampton Solent International Colloquia
http://portal-live.solent.ac.uk/university/rtconference/rtcolloquium_home.aspx
Southampton Solent University have organised two invited colloquia in 1999 and 2003; the
second had participants from around the world. The first led to a report The Relationship
between Research & Teaching in Higher Education: Present Realities, Future Possibilities, while
the second was entitled “Research and Teaching: Closing the Divide?”. Copies of the papers
prepared for the Colloquium are available on the first web site above. A third International
Colloquium was held in April 2007 and was entitled “International Policies and Practices for
Academic Enquiry”. Papers are available on the web site above.
Pre-ISSoTL Seminars on Undergraduate Research and Inquiry
International seminars have been held since 2010 at:
Liverpool 2010 – http://www.cur.org/issotl/2010/materials.html
Milwaukee 2011 - http://www.cur.org/issotl/2011/information.html
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Prosser, M (2006) ‘Enabling staff to engage with research developments and link them to their teaching’,
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developing action plans for TQEF funding, 17 May, York
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L (eds) Research-teaching linkages: enhancing graduate attributes: information and mathematical
sciences. Glasgow: QAA Scotland
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Robertson, J and Blackler, G (2006) Students’ experiences of learning in a research environment, Higher
Education Research and Development 25(3), 215-229
Robson, E (2006) Helping them to do it better themselves: supervising geography dissertations
Unpublished MA Learning and Teaching in Higher Education Dissertation, Keele University
Scobey, D (2006) Making use of all our faculties: public scholarship and the future of campus compact, in
Campus Compact (eds.) Campus Compact 20th Anniversary Visioning Papers. Available at:
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Scott, P (2002) High wire, Education Guardian, 8 January, 13
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Struthers, J., Laidlaw, A., Aiton, J., Humphris, G., and Guild, S. (2008) Research-Teaching linkages:
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Sukumaran, B, Jahan, K, Dorland, D, Everett, J, Kadlowec, J, Gephardt Z and Chin, S (2006)
Engineering clinics: an integration of research into the undergraduate engineering curriculum, Council
on Undergraduate Research Quarterly 26(3), 115-121
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Sutherland, P (2005) Whither inquiry, presentation at the Canadian summit on the integration of teaching
and research, Edmonton.
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=32191
Swansborough, S. Turner, D and Lynch, K. (2007) Active Learning Approaches to develop skills for
sustainability, in Roberts C. and Roberts J. (eds) Greener by Degrees: Exploring Sustainability
Through Higher Education Curricula. Cheltenham: Geography Discipline Network, University of
Gloucestershire http://resources.glos.ac.uk/gdn/active/student.htm
Taylor, C and Green, B (2007) The Sydney Basin Aerobiology Survey: engaging students in a current
research program, as part of the first year Biology curriculum, poster presented to ISSoTL
Conference, Sydney
Taylor PC and Geden JV (2008) Reinvented Labs, in Bates, S, Aliotta, M, Sinclair, B and Kohnle, A (Eds)
Physical Sciences Discipline Project Enhancement Themes: Research-Teaching Linkages: Enhancing
Graduate Attributes: Physical Sciences Discipline Project
http://www.enhancementthemes.ac.uk/themes/ResearchTeaching/RT_PS.asp
Thomas, N (2003) Using independent, investigative learning in environmental geology,
http://www.gees.ac.uk/projtheme/linktr/Thomas.htm
Todd, M, Bannister, P & Clegg S (2004) Independent inquiry and the undergraduate dissertation:
perceptions and experiences of final-year social science students, Assessment and Evaluation in
Higher Education 29 (3), 335-355
Turner, N, Wuetherick, B, and Healey, M (2008) International perspectives on student perceptions of
research: the role of academic development in implementing research-based teaching and learning in
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University of Alberta (2005) Canadian Summit on the Integration of Teaching and Research, 3-5 August
http://www.uofaweb.ualberta.ca/researchandstudents/nav01.cfm?nav01=32191&
University of Oxford (2005) Corporate Plan 2005–6 to 2009–10 http://www.ox.ac.uk/gazette/20045/supps/corporate.htm
University of Western Australia (2009) Embedding Research Working Party Report Future Framework
Implementation http://www.news.uwa.edu.au/200910071748/new-courses-2012-staff/working-partyreports-now-available
Vick, B (2006) Constructing a Research-led Seminar Programme at Level 3
http://www.heacademy.ac.uk/hca/resources/detail/constructing_a_research_led_seminar_programme
Wiegant, F,Scager, K and Boonstra, J (2011) An Undergraduate Course to Bridge the Gap between
Textbooks and Scientific Research, CBE Life Sci Educ. 10(1): 83–94
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3046892/
Willmott, C J R, Clark, R P and Harrison, T M (2003) Introducing Undergraduate Students to Scientific
Reports Bioscience Education e-journal 1 (1)
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Willison, J W & O'Regan, K (2006). Research skill development framework.
http://www.adelaide.edu.au/clpd/rsd/framework/
Willison, J W & O'Regan, K (2007) Commonly known, commonly not known, totally unknown: a
framework for students becoming researchers, Higher Education Research and Development 26(4),
393-409
Woodhouse, D (1998) Auditing research and the research/teaching nexus. New Zealand Journal of
Educational Studies, 33(1), 39–53
Woodhouse, D (2001) The teaching/research nexus: lessons from New Zealand audits, presentation at
the VC Symposium: The Teaching–Research Nexus: Enhancing the Links, University of Wollongong,
3 October [Online] http://cedir.uow.edu.au/nexus/dwoodhse.html
Wuetherick, B and Berry, D A (2008) Faculty perceptions about the integration of research, teaching and
learning: a disciplinary case study, paper presented at 5th International Scholarship of Teaching and
Learning Conference, Edmonton, Canada
Zadnik M, and Radloff A. (1995) A new approach to a communications unit: A student organised
conference. In L. Summers (Ed.), 4th Annual Teaching and Learning Forum. Quality in teaching and
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Zetter R (2002) Making the departmental link between research and teaching, in Healey M, and Jenkins
A (eds) Linking Teaching and Research, Exchange, 3, Milton Keynes, Centre for Higher Education
Practice. http://www.exchange.ac.uk/
Zubrick, A, Reid, I and Rossiter, P (2001) Strengthening the nexus between teaching and research.
Department of Employment, Training and Youth Affairs, Australian Government Publishing Service:
Canberra http://www.dest.gov.au/archive/highered/eippubs/eip01_2/01_2.pdf
9.2 Further reading
For those requiring shortish executive summaries of many of the arguments about linking teaching and
research see particularly: Brown (2003; 2004); Healey and Jenkins (2005); Hoddinott and Wuetherick
(2006); Jenkins (2004c); Rameley (2004); Scott (2002); and Woodhouse (2001). The most
comprehensive texts on the teaching-research nexus are Jenkins et al. (2003), Barnett (2005) and Brew
(2006).
For over 300 references and a list of useful Web sites which is regularly updated see: Healey, M
Linking Research and Teaching: A selected bibliography www.mickhealey.co.uk/resources
Barnett, R (ed) (2005) Reshaping the university: new relationships between research, scholarship and
teaching. Maidenhead: McGraw-Hill/Open University Press
Boyer Commission on Educating Undergraduates in the Research University (1998) Reinventing
undergraduate education: a blueprint for America's research universities, Stony Brook: State University
of New York at Stony Brook. Available at naples.cc.sunysb.edu/Pres/boyer.nsf/
Brew, A (2006) Research and teaching: beyond the divide. London: PalgraveMacmillan
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Brown, R. (2004) Research and teaching: closing the divide? Report of an International Colloquium,
Southampton: Southampton Institute http://portallive.solent.ac.uk/university/rtconference/2004/resources/colloquium_report.pdf
Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teachng (2006) Opportunities for Scholarship, Presentation
to Hong Kong University Grants Committee, Hong Kong 23-24 January 2006
http://www.ugc.edu.hk/eng/ugc/publication/prog/rae/rae.htm
Colbeck, C L (1998) Merging in a seamless blend, The Journal of Higher Education 69 (6), 647-671
Elton, L (2005) Scholarship and the research and teaching nexus, in: R. Barnett (Ed.) Reshaping the
university: new relationships between research, scholarship and teaching, 108-118. Maidenhead:
McGraw-Hill/Open University Press
Hattie, J and Marsh, H W (1996) The relationship between research and teaching: A meta-analysis,
Review of Educational Research 66 (4), 507-542
Healey, M (2005b) Linking research and teaching to benefit student learning, Journal of Geography in
Higher Education 29(2), 183-201
Healey, M and Jenkins, A (2005) Supporting research informed teaching, HERDSA News 25(3), 6-9 –
http://www.herdsa.org.au/?page_id=145
Healey M, Jordan F, Pell B and Short C (forthcoming) The research-teaching nexus: an institutional case
study of student experiences of research, Innovations in Education and Teaching International
Hoddinott, J and Wuetherick, B (2006) The teaching-research nexus, Education Canada 46(1), 32-35
Jenkins, A (2004a) Supporting undergraduate research (in the UK): An outline proposal, paper presented
to Research and Teaching: Closing the divide? An international colloquium, Marwell, Winchester,
February 13-14. http://portallive.solent.ac.uk/university/rtconference/2004/resources/colloquium_report.pdf
Jenkins, A (2004b) A guide to the research evidence on teaching-research relationships. York: Higher
Education Academy www.heacademy.ac.uk/embedded_object.asp?id=21570&file
Jenkins, A, Breen, R, and Lindsay, R with Brew, A (2003) Re-shaping higher education: Linking teaching
and research. London: RoutledgeFalmer
Jenkins, A and Healey, M (2005) Institutional strategies to link teaching and research. York: The Higher
Education Academy
http://www.heacademy.ac.uk/assets/York/documents/ourwork/research/Institutional_strategies.pdf
Jenkins A, Healey M and Zetter R (2007) Linking teaching and research in departments and disciplines
York: The Higher Education Academy http://www.heacademy.ac.uk/ourwork/research/teaching
Jenkins, A and Healey, M (2007) Critiquing excellence: undergraduate research for all students, in
Skelton A (ed) International perspectives on teaching excellence in higher education London:
Routledge 117-132
Johnson R A, Mack K, Seaton M (2005) Developing a complete research cycle (CRC) in science,
technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM), Council on Undergraduate Research Quarterly
26 (1), 28-33 www.cur.org/Quarterly/sept05/sept05UMES.pdf
Kaufman, L R and Stock, E (eds) (2004) Reinvigorating the undergraduate experience: Successful
models supported by NSF’s AIRE/RAIRE program Washington: Centre for Undergraduate Research.
http://www.cur.org/publications/AIRE_RAIRE/toc.asp
Kinkead, J (ed.) (2003) Valuing and supporting undergraduate research: New Directions for Teaching
and Learning 93, San Francisco: Jossey-Bass
Rameley, J (2004) The integration of research and education: the National Science Foundation USA,
paper presented to Research and teaching: closing the divide? an international colloquium. Marwell,
Winchester, February 13-14. Available at http://portallive.solent.ac.uk/university/rtconference/2004/marwell2004papers.aspx
Reinvention Center (2004) Integrating Research into Undergraduate Education: The Value Added.
Conference Proceedings, Washington DC, 18-19 November
http://www.sunysb.edu/Reinventioncenter/Conference_04/proceedings.htm
Scott, P (2002) Let’s stop trying to separate the inseparable, Exchange 3, 27-28. Available at:
http://www.exchange.ac.uk/archive.asp
Smith, C (2008) Conceptions of embeddedness: RBL, generic skills and the undergraduate curriculum,
Keynote address to the Scottish QAA Themes conference, 6 March
http://www.enhancementthemes.ac.uk/documents/AETC2008/CalvinSmith.pdf
9.3 Useful web sites
See also CETL web sites in Section 7.3
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Australian Learning and Teaching Council The Academic's and Policy-Maker's Guides to the TeachingResearch Nexus http://www.trnexus.edu.au/
Canadian Summit on the Integration of Teaching and Research
http://www.uofaweb.ualberta.ca/researchandstudents/nav01.cfm?nav01=32191&
Council on Undergraduate Research (CUR) http://www.cur.org./
FDTL Project LINK http://www.brookes.ac.uk/schools/planning/LTRC/index.html
Higher Education Academy http://www.heacademy.ac.uk
Research and teaching http://www.heacademy.ac.uk/ourwork/research/teaching
Research and Teaching Forum http://www.heacademy.ac.uk/ourwork/research/teaching/forum; for
2007 Colloquium see: http://portal-live.solent.ac.uk/university/rtconference/rtcolloquium_home.aspx
Hong Kong University Grants Committee Research Assessment Exercises
http://www.ugc.edu.hk/eng/ugc/publication/prog/rae/rae.htm
Learning through enquiry alliance http://www.ltea.ac.uk/
Linking Teaching and Research in the Disciplines http://www.brookes.ac.uk/genericlink/
McMaster University Centre for Leadership in Learning, Inquiry-based learning resources
www.mcmaster.ca/cll/inquiry/inquiry.resources.htm
Monash University and University of Sydney Teaching and Research Nexus Benchmarking Project
http://www.adm.monash.edu.au/cheq/about/cheq-docs/council-rep-04/quality-report-council04att3.html; http://www.adm.monash.edu.au/cheq/academic/
National Academy for Integration of Research and Teaching and Learning, Ireland http://www.nairtl.ie/
New Zealand Inquiry Based Learning Project http://akoaotearoa.ac.nz/projects/inquiry-based-learning
Reinvention Center at University of Miami http://www.reinventioncenter.miami.edu/
The Scottish Higher Education Enhancement Committee (SHEEC) Enhancement Themes: ResearchTeaching Linkages http://www.enhancementthemes.ac.uk/themes/ResearchTeaching/default.asp
includes a sector wide discussion, 9 subject-based reports, and an overview summary
Undergraduate research journals list www.unc.edu/depts/our/students/students_publish.html
University of Birmingham Enquiry Based Learning http://www.ebl.bham.ac.uk/index.shtml
University of Gloucestershire: NTFS Projects ‘Rethinking dissertations and final year projects: creative
honours and capstone projects’ and ‘Leading, promoting and supporting undergraduate research in
new universities’ http://resources.glos.ac.uk/tli/prsi/current/ugresearch/index.cfm; see also Centre for
Active Learning ‘Undergraduate Research case studies’
http://resources.glos.ac.uk/ceal/resources/casestudiesactivelearning/undergraduate/index.cfm
University of Lancaster Enhancing the teaching-research nexus
www.lancs.ac.uk/fass/projects/nexus/index.htm
University of New South Wales Research-Teaching Nexus
http://learningandteaching.unsw.edu.au/content/RandI/research_nexus/rtn_resources.cfm?ss=5
University of Sydney, Institute for Teaching and Learning, Research-led teaching and the scholarship of
teaching http://www.itl.usyd.edu.au/RLT/
UREKA (Undergraduate Research Experience & Knowledge Award)
http://www.sfi.ie/content/print_friendly.asp?section_id=448&language_id=1
Annex 1: Linking Teaching and Research in Departments: Questions and
Strategies
Curriculum and research-based learning
 What is your departmental (and disciplinary) understanding or conception of research ‘led’,
‘based’ or ‘informed’ learning?
 What forms of pedagogy and their assessment do you consider appropriate to support these
conception
 Can you clearly identify where research-based learning is integrated in the programme?
 Where is current research in your field presented in the programme? Check your:
o programme design and programme outcomes
o curriculum content and delivery in the modules
o assessment methods
 Where are research methods/skills/ethics taught and practiced? Is this progressive? Is a variety
of appropriate skills/methods delivered?
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





Is the research knowledge/skills the student will have acquired made clear in the module learning
outcomes?
Can/do students participate in departmental research projects as eg research assistants?
Where is the scope for students to conduct independent research in their programmes? and in
what ways do the programmes allow progression?
How are research skills and the links between teaching and research embedded in monitoring
and review of modules and programmes?
How are students supported in making explicit how this research training/knowledge supports
their employability?
How are undergraduate students made aware of postgraduate research opportunities?
Management, organisational structure and staffing at departmental level
 How does the department’s learning and teaching strategy articulate research and
teaching/learning links?
 How does the department’s research strategy articulate teaching and research/learning links?
 How are the teaching and research activities, organised, motivated and resourced? Are they
managed for mutual engagement? Are (all) researchers involved in teaching? How are ‘nonresearch active’ teaching staff mentored and encouraged to develop a research/scholarly profile,
and valued for their particular contributions to the nexus?
o How do research teams and course teaching teams link with each other? How are these
links facilitated?
o Are research 'clusters' also 'teaching teams'?
 How are teaching staff ‘managed’ in developing research and/or scholarly capacity and vice
versa?
 How are new staff acculturated into the department values and practices?
 How are incoming students acculturated into the department values and practices?
 How is the staff and student experience of the nexus monitored and the results fed back into
policies and practices?
Inclusive culture
Developing the links between teaching and research requires cultural change too:
 What are the mechanisms for disseminating and communicating research outputs and teaching
practice development in the Department?
 How is the research culture and activity given visibility to students? How do students come into
contact with departmental research?
 What are the strategies to disseminate research-based teaching experience from the module
level?
 What profile is given to (discipline based) pedagogic research? How is this research
disseminated and applied in programmes?
And finally
 Allow for diversity
 Remember it is the individual’s scholarly engagement with her/his subject and how this is brought
to their teaching and research setting which mediates the relationship between teaching and
research. You cannot tightly programme the nexus
 Recognise that the relationships between teaching and research are reciprocal.
Source: Based on: Zetter (2002) and Jenkins and Zetter (2002)
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Annex 2 Strategies for Linking Teaching and Research within Courses and
Programmes
Strategy 1: Develop students’ understanding of the role of research in their discipline
 Develop the curriculum to bring out current or previous research developments in the discipline
 Develop students’ awareness of the nature of research and knowledge creation in their discipline
 Develop students’ awareness of learning from staff involvement in discipline research
 Develop students’ understanding of how research is organised and funded in the discipline, institution
and profession.
Strategy 2: Develop students’ abilities to carry out research
 Students learn in ways that mirror research processes
 Assess students in ways that mirror research processes (e.g. requiring students to have their work
assessed by peers according to the house-style of a journal before submitting it to you)
 Provide ‘training’ in relevant research skills and knowledge
 Ensure students experience courses that require them to do research projects; and that there is a
progressive move to projects of greater scale, complexity and uncertainty (Strategy 3)
 Develop student involvement in research
 Develop abilities of students to communicate the results of their research - in ways that are
appropriate to the disciplinary community in which they are now participating.
Strategy 3: Progressively develop students’ understanding
 Ensure that introductory courses induct students into the role of research in their discipline and
present knowledge as created, uncertain and contested
 Ensure that advanced courses develop students’ understanding of research, and progressively
develop their capacities to do research
 Ensure that graduating year (capstone courses) require students to carry out a major research study
and help them to integrate their understanding of the role of research in their discipline.
Strategy 4: Manage students’ experience of research
 Limit the negative consequences for students of staff involvement in research; most important here is
managing the student experience of the days (and sabbatical terms) when staff are 'away' doing
research
 Evaluate students’ experience of research and feed that back into the curriculum
 Support students in making clear to them the employability elements of research; this is particularly
important for those students whose focus is on using a degree to get employment, and who may not
otherwise appreciate the value of a research-based approach.
Based on: Jenkins et al. (2003, 63-4) and Healey and Jenkins (2006)
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Annex 3: Institutional Strategies to Link Teaching and Research: A Framework
Developing institutional awareness and institutional mission
Strategy 1: State linking teaching and research as central to the institutional mission and formulate
strategies and plans to support the nexus
Strategy 2: Make it the mission and deliver it
Strategy 3: Organise events, research studies and publications to raise institutional awareness
Strategy 4: Develop institutional conceptions and strategies to effect teaching-research links
Strategy 5: Explain and involve students and parents in your institutional conception of teachingresearch relations
Developing pedagogy and curricula to support the nexus
Strategy 6: Develop and audit teaching policies and practices and implement strategies to strengthen
the teaching-research nexus
Strategy 7: Use strategic and operational planning and institutional audit to strengthen the nexus
Strategy 8: Develop curriculum requirements
Strategy 9: Review the timetable
Strategy 10: Develop special programmes and structures
Developing research policies and strategies to support the nexus
Strategy 11: Develop and audit research policies and implement strategies to strengthen the
teaching-research nexus
Strategy 12: Ensure links between research centres and the curriculum and between student learning
and staff scholarship
Developing staff and university structures to support the nexus
Strategy 13: Ensure the nexus is central to policies on inducting and developing new staff and for
strategies to support the professional development of established staff
Strategy 14: Ensure teaching-research links are central to policies on promotion and reward
Strategy 15: Ensure effective synergies between units, committees and structures for teaching and
research
Strategy 16: Link with related university strategies
Strategy 17: Participate in national programmes
Strategy 18: Support implementation at department level
Other strategies you consider appropriate
Source: Jenkins and Healey (2005)
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September 2011
Annex 4: Possible Strategies for National and International Organisations
Strategy 1: Build it into the statutory / legal definitions of HE institutions and degree and
professional requirements
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Build the nexus into statutory definitions of a university
Build it into any public classifications of universities
Build it into the (statutory) definitions of a degree
Professional bodies (both national and international) can also make requirements for students being
involved in /doing research / understanding research
Strategy 2: Ensure there are limited negative impacts from research selectivity
Strategy 3: Require research selectivity to support research areas that directly support the nexus
 Support discipline based pedagogic research
 Require applications for research awards and in particular through national research selectivity
exercises such as the RAE to identify how undergraduate and postgraduate students benefit from
staff research
 Make undergraduate student involvement a condition of some research awards
 Target some competitive grants to institutions to support (undergraduate) student researchers
 Target some competitive grants to institutions to support the nexus
 Ensure that textbooks and educational software are valued
 Selectively build grants / requirements for data from research studies to be widely available to teacher
/ scholars and students
 Harness the Internet to foster the nexus
Strategy 4: Fund and support all institutions and staff for (discipline-based) scholarly activity
Strategy 5: Develop external reviews of teaching and research which explicitly support the
linkage
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Make limited adjustments to separate reviews of teaching and research
Focus the reviews, or periodic reviews, on the nexus
Auditing the Teaching / Research Nexus in New Zealand
At institutional level, reviews should focus on the nexus as it ‘professed’ by that institution
Strategy 6: National and international disciplinary organisations can support the nexus
Strategy 7: Develop national and international organisations and projects to support the nexus
Source: Based on: Jenkins et al. (2003, 148-78)
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