The University of Hull : From a ‘research informed’ to a ‘research
active’ curriculum?
Alan Jenkins ,Professor Emeritus Oxford Brookes University : (UK) HE Academy Consultant :
advisor to QAA Scotland on the Teaching Research Nexus Enhancement Theme
Confirming the Focus
Our focus today is on (staff) research in the disciplines (e.g. Philosophy
or interdisciplinary areas such as womens’ studies ) and student
Learning, not on (pedagogic) research on higher education.
(except of course if your discipline is education!)
Our focus will also be on the undergraduate curriculum on the
assumption of its strategic importance; the view that it’s ‘easier’ to
ensure effective teaching /research links at postgraduate level; and
that the principles from the undergraduate curriculum also broadly
apply to the (taught) postgraduate curriculum.
A starter
Please get into groups of 3-4 and appoint one of you as ‘spokesperson’ for the
group
Then 3 minutes private discussion of these quotations.
“… universities should treat learning as not yet wholly solved problems and
hence always in research mode” (Humboldt, 1810, quoted by Elton, 2005, 110)
“The United States undergraduate research movement…started by providing research
opportunities for selected students in selected institutions. This book argues that
such curricular experience should and can be mainstreamed for all or many students
through a ‘research active curriculum’. The authors argue that this can be achieved
through structured interventions at course team, departmental, institutional and national
levels”. Healey M and Jenkins A: Developing Undergraduate Research and Inquiry. (UK) HE
Academy, 2009)
About myself
Career focus on teaching …
Long taught/researched geography /contemporary China
studies at Oxford Polytechnic/Oxford Brookes.
Founding editor Journal of Geography in Higher Education
Then moved into educational development/research at
Brookes ..
Now educational consultant and SKI enthusiast –Spending
Kids’ Inheritance
Available from the HE Academy
http://www.heacademy.ac.uk/rtnexus.htm
www.heacademy.ac.uk/assets/York/documents/resources/publicati
ons/DevelopingUndergraduate_Final.pdf
Recalling the University Strategic Plan and
teaching
Strategic aim 3.1: To provide an outstanding experience for our students
Identified by the Times Higher Education Supplement as one of the ‘Access Elite’, the University has
maintained research informed curricula (emphasis added) while excelling at widening participation
and delivering a high quality student experience. Our task during the next planning period will be to
build on this reputation..
We will achieve our aim by
•
giving renewed priority to the student experience
•
ensuring that learning and teaching activities are conducted in a research-rich
environment (emphasis added)
•
delivering programmes which stimulate innovation and imagination
•
equip students for a knowledge economy
•
are relevant to the needs of employers and society
Recalling the Strategic Plan and Research
Strategic Aim 3.3 :To expand and promote research excellence
Commitment to research and scholarship remain fundamental to our institution. We will continue to develop
and support an active and vigorous research community in a range of academic disciplines and foster interdisciplinary
collaborations.
We will achieve our aim by
•
selective submission in RAE 2008 to maximise grade profile ( emphasis added)
•
targeted investment in areas of research excellence to ensure that we have the quality of both staff and
infrastructure to be successful
•
continued promotion of interdisciplinary research through selective investment in staff and facilities
•
promoting translational research … to meet the needs of business and society
•
rigour in academic appointments, ensuring that new staff build on or complement existing research strengths,
or otherwise meet the strategic needs of the University
•
encouraging and enabling current staff to realise their full research potential, with the
expectation that all academic staff will be engaged in scholarship to inform and enhance
learning and teaching (emphasis added)
•
ensuring that planned growth in postgraduate research students aligns with undergraduate and continuing
professional development strategies
•
translating excellence in research and scholarship into learning opportunities for students
LEARNING & TEACHING STRATEGY
2008-2012
6.2. To educate students within a research rich learning environment
We will achieve our aim by:
6.2.1. providing increased opportunity for learners to develop their understanding of the processes of knowledge
creation and of the fluidity, uncertainty and contested nature of knowledge in their discipline(s)
6.2.2. promoting critical engagement with the intellectual and creative works that constitute the focus or evidence
base of the chosen discipline(s), including the problems it poses and the questions it raises
6.2.3. enhancing opportunities for staff and students to work collaboratively and participate actively with peers,
researchers, and employers;
6.2.4. promoting student confidence and abilities in the application of research methodologies and techniques, and in
interacting with diverse sources and formats of information.
With these principles in mind, the integrated implementation plan will:
• promote the development of departmental action planning as the primary, and most
appropriate, tool for enhancing the quality of the student learning experience; (emphasis added
Aims
•
Discussed what you already do as individuals , course teams …. to link teaching
and discipline based research
•
Noted the key research evidence
•
Clarified your view on the current relationship between (staff/faculty) research and
student learning in your role, courses, discipline and in your department
/institution
•
Considered a range of discipline based and department wide case
studies
•
Explored how those relationships could be more ‘effectively’
constructed and/ or ‘managed’.
•
Discussed whether the University focus needs to move from a ‘research
informed’ to a ‘research active’ curriculum?
Line-up
To be an effective teacher in HE one
needs to be centrally involved in
discipline based research
Strongly ------------------------------- Strongly
Agree
Disagree
ONE thing that came out of our discussion was …
Line Up
‘Undergraduate Research is for ALL
undergraduates’
Strongly ------------------------------- Strongly
Agree
Disagree
ONE thing that came out of our discussion was …
Something to think about ..
Our discussion on these issues clearly reflected we
are university academics and thus our discussions
were solidly based on the research evidence…
Strongly ------------------------------- Strongly
Agree
Disagree
Research Evidence
Loosely Coupled
“Based on this review we concluded that the common belief that teaching and research
were inextricably intertwined is an enduring myth. At best teaching and research are
very loosely coupled" (Hattie and Marsh, 1996)
At Arms length
Students at “arms length” from the worlds of university research (Brew, 2006)
Unintended Consequences
‘We found little evidence to suggest that synergies between teaching and research were managed or
promoted at departmental or institutional level…There were some attempts to manage teaching and
research workloads in departments, partly to allow more time for research. Some strategies may be
having the unintended consequence of driving research and teaching apart for some staff.’ (J.M
Consulting, 2000 :36)
The Elephant in the Room ;RAE /REF
‘Despite the evidence of a synergistic relationship
between teaching and research, we make no
recommendation about this: it would be wrong to
allow teaching issues to influence the allocation of
funds for research.’
HEFCE, (2000) 00/37Review of Research, para 175, 26.
Acting on the Research Evidence
“The aim is to increase the circumstances in which teaching and research have
occasion to meet….
Increase the skills of staff to teach emphasizing the construction of
knowledge by students rather than the imparting of knowledge by
instructors......
Ensure that students experience the process of artistic and scientific
productivity." (Hattie and Marsh, 1996,emphasis added)
Teaching and research are correlated when they are co –related ‘.
One way to achieve this is to “exploit further the link between
teaching and research in the design of courses.” (Brew and
Boud,1995,261,272, emphasis added)
Ron Barnett and Knowledge complexity
Barnett (2000, p.163) has argued that universities need to be reformulated to help
society deal with ‘supercomplexity’.
In this context, he argues that teaching and research are activities (that) are separate
and distinct and are not to confused. However, research is a strong condition for
teaching: being engaged in research of a frame-developing kind and projecting that
research to wide publics is a strong - although not exactly necessary and certainly not
sufficient - condition of teaching that is aimed at bringing about supercomplexity in the
minds of students… Institutions, but also their students, have a right to expect that their
lecturers are engaged in research …but the issue is whether lecturers adopt
teaching approaches that are likely to foster student experiences that mirror
the lecturers’ experiences as researchers. (emphasis added)
My Perspectives
•
Student ‘understanding’ of the complexity of knowledge lies at the centre of higher education.
(Ron Barnett)
•
From the level of the academic, the student … and the institution there are tensions between
teaching and research
•
The phrase the ‘teaching research nexus’ is perhaps best avoided?
•
We need to maximise the (potential) synergies and minimise the conflicts
•
This requires actions at a variety of levels
•
The link at undergraduate level is both most problematic and most important ?
•
There are important disciplinary / ‘professional’ and institutional variations in teaching
/research / professional knowledge relations
•
Practices and policies can be adapted to different disciplinary institutional and national
contexts
A ‘Language’ to Help Us Examine What We Dosee handout p 8
•
Learning about others’ research
•
Learning to do research – research methods
•
Learning in research mode – enquiry based
•
Pedagogic research – enquiring and reflecting
on learning
STUDENT-FOCUSED
STUDENTS AS 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
skills and techniques
TEACHER-FOCUSED
STUDENTS AS AUDIENCE
EMPHASIS ON
RESEARCH
PROCESSES
AND
PROBLEMS
Tasks :Using that typology/language
Consider the case study of geography at University College London ,
page 15 ; and /or mechanical engineering Imperial pp 25-6
Don’t get lost in is this ‘good’ or ‘bad’ practice ? Let’s see it as
‘interesting practice’
A :Using the language of the handout page 8 ; what forms of teaching
/research links do you see there ? Relatedly are students here
experienced ‘research informed’ or ‘research active’ curricula
B :What ‘strategies’ /’tactics’ /’procedures’ has the department done to
seek to bring teaching and research together through this ‘initiative’?
Task : Course Design-see Annex 1 p 43
Group Reflection
Use the typology to examine ‘your current practice – as an
individual or member of a course team
What do you consider you are already doing effectively?
What might you strengthen or develop?
Reporter to state – ONE thing worth saying to everybody here
that comes out of this task is...
Moving to a ‘research active’ curriculum
“… universities should treat learning as not yet wholly solved
problems and hence always in research mode”(Humboldt, 1810, quoted
by Elton, 2005, 110)
The United States undergraduate research movement…started by providing
research opportunities for selected students in selected institutions. This book
argues that such curricular experience should and can be mainstreamed for
all or many students through a ‘research active curriculum’. The
authors argue that this can be achieved through structured interventions at
course team, departmental, institutional and national levels”. Healey M and
Jenkins A: Developing Undergraduate Research and Inquiry. (UK) HE Academy,
2009)
Task :Case Study : Handout pp 10-22
Task : In your groups consider ONE of these case studies
Discuss what conclusions draw from this case study as to whether and how all students should
experience a research active curriculum
p10 University College science undergraduates build on research of previous students
p10 Inquiry Based Learning – or ‘Scale Up’ – in Introductory Science Classes intro classes
P12 Reinvented Enquiry Labs in Year One Chemistry at Warwick University
P12 Chemistry ‘Concentrated Study’ Project at the University of St Andrews
P13 Undergraduate Research Elective in Medicine: Queens University
P13 Inquiry-based learning introductory course for social sciences McMaster University,
P13 Psychology Students Research Students’ Quality of Life at York St John University
P14 Tourism students’ virtual conference at University of Lincoln
P15 Community sports development consultancy project at University of Central Lancashire
P19 First year English students in the international research community at University of Gloucestershire,
P20 History students contribute research findings to a Web site at Victoria University
P22 At Cornell University, USA, all first year biologists have research experiences
A Conclusion from you
A Round
One thing I am going to do in my own practice is …
One thing I am going to propose to my subject
group is …
One thing we should do at Department /Institutional
level is …
A conclusion from me
•
Students understanding the ‘complexity of knowledge’ lies at
the centre of what makes HIGHER education distinctive (Ron Barnett)
•
That requires purposeful action at a variety of levels
•
Both one’s own teaching and to an extent at course team and departmental level
one does have some levers for action
•
Institutional and departmental structures, policies and cultures are very important
•
Focussing on a ‘research active curriculum’ moves the focus to the
student and then potentially values all staff …
•
Sane institutional and departmental promotion policies would help
•
Sane national ‘research policies would help –including learning from the US
National Science Foundation’s requirements re research dissemination and
‘undergraduate’ student involvement in research projects
Some Web Resources
Jenkins A (2003 ) Designing a Curriculum that values a research-based approach to student learning
http://www.heacademy.ac.uk/resources.asp?id=163&process=full_record&section=generic
Jenkins A ,Healey M and Zetter R (2007) Linking Research and Teaching in Disciplines and Departments
http://www.heacademy.ac.uk/research/LinkingTeachingAndResearch_April07.pdf
Jenkins A (2004) A Guide to the Research Evidence on Teaching Research Relations, York, Higher Education
Academy
http://www.heacademy.ac.uk/resources.asp?process=full_record&section=generic&id=383
Jenkins A and Healey M (2005 ) Institutional Strategies to Link Teaching and Research . York .Higher Education
Academy
http://www.heacademy.ac.uk/resources.asp?process=full_record&section=generic&id=585
Healey M and Jenkins A Developing Undergraduate Research and Inquiry York .Higher Education Academy
http://www.heacademy.ac.uk/assets/York/documents/resources/publications/DevelopingUndergraduate_Final
.pdf
Healey M and Jenkins A Web Sources on Linking Teaching and Research
http://www.heacademy.ac.uk/ourwork/research/teaching
Adapting US Undergraduate Research to ..other national contexts
http://www2.warwick.ac.uk/fac/soc/sociology/research/cetl/ugresearch/
QAA Scotland http://www.enhancementthemes.ac.uk/themes/ResearchTeaching/