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 Chinastudies at Oxford Polytechnic/Oxford Brookes.

Founding editor Journal of Geography in Higher EducationThen 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/publications/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 Do-see 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

Research-tutored

Engaging in research discussions

Research-based

Undertaking research and inquiry

Research-led

Learning about current research in the discipline

Research-oriented

Developing research skills and techniques

STUDENT-FOCUSED

STUDENTS AS PARTICIPANTS

EMPHASIS ON RESEARCH CONTENT

EMPHASIS ON RESEARCH PROCESSES AND PROBLEMS

TEACHER-FOCUSED

STUDENTS AS AUDIENCE

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 ReflectionUse the typology to examine ‘your current practice – as

anindividual 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/