Delegates gathered at the Higher Education Academy in York to discuss the variety of ways in which research and teaching can be linked and the benefits for students of learning in a research-informed environment.
The content of the day was as follows:
Alan Jenkins, Oxford Brookes University
Alan opened with a series of thoughts and questions for the day. He stated that the research and teaching nexus is under threat (the RAE and 'Teaching only' universities) and only recently has been made explicit. Much of the research evidence questions the nexus and national polices are subject to change. Ultimately it is a question of values and what is distinctive about higher education. Alan's exposition on these and other issues is encapsulated in the handout available below
View the handout from Alan's talk
View Alan's key web-based publications
Led by Ian Hughes, Director, Centre for Bioscience, and University of Leeds
Ian focused the discussion down from the general aims of linking teaching and research, to questions of importance from a science perspective. He too posed thorny questions such as 'Should the teacher be, or have been, an active researcher in the discipline?'. He also went on to list the potential benefits of making a link between teaching & learning and research. Ian was also keen to stress that there is no single correct answer, and that workable solutions will be varied, reflecting institutional strengths and priorities and the different aspirations, abilities and career plans among students
View Ian's "Linkage at different levels - from first to final year?" slides
Chris Willmott, University of Leicester
Scientific papers are one of the main methods of communication within the scientific community and students frequently have to write up a research project or lab report in the style of a scientific paper. However, the skills necessary for the comprehension and writing of scientific papers are often not taught explicitly. Chris described a module in which first year undergraduate students are introduced to scientific papers through a variety of tasks, including writing an abstract as well as a one-to-one tutorial, enabling students to improve both their comprehension of scientific papers and their ability to write in a scientific manner.
View Chris's "Introducing undergraduate students to scientific reports" slides
BEE-j paper - Introducing undergraduate students to scientific reports
Ian Hughes, Director, Centre for Bioscience, and University of Leeds
Ian began by discussing the ways in which experimental design may be taught to students and the difficulties associated with each method. One way in which he links teaching and research is in the use of examples from his own investigations to demonstrate the research process to undergraduate students and aid the teaching experimental design. Telling the story of a research programme, including the pitfalls and where constraints and problems occur, as well as the successes of an investigation, help students understand the different aspects of the research process and may help then when they have to design their own experiments.
View Ian's "Teaching experimental design using research based examples" Slides
Mark Langan, Manchester Metropolitan University
Students often benefit from observing first-hand the process of active research. Mark described how a field course, run with undergraduate students and staff from several institutions, provides opportunities for this. Students conduct their own research projects while at the same time staff are conducting subject or pedagogic research. Students are able to both observe, and take part in, various aspects of the research process, including data analysis and discussion of referees comments. Both students and staff benefit from this interaction with the additional advantage that students may develop an interest in the areas of staff research. Or equally decided that scientific and/or pedagogic research is not for them, leading to a more informed choice of final year project and ultimately career path.
View Mark's "Students and staff - research in tandem" slides
Facilitated by Alan Jenkins, Oxford Brookes University
The workshop gave delegates a chance to reflect on the mornings' case studies on how to introduce students to research and also an opportunity to hear some case studies from other delegates.
View the workshop tasks
Richard Cowie, Cardiff University and Co-ordinator of the Final Year Projects Special Interest Group
Final year projects provide an opportunity for students to experience first-hand various aspects of the research process. Richard described the variety of alternative final year projects available, for example an enterprise elective, writing a grant proposal and web-based projects as well as the more traditional lab-based project. He outlined why these alternative projects occur and how they may benefit students, especially those who were not intending to work within a research environment. Richard concluded by outlining some of the generic research skills that undergraduates might expect to take away from a research project (both traditional and alternative). At the end of his talk, Richard asked the audience to participate in a a quick project skills survey. The results are given below.
View Richard's "Final year: What are valid research projects?" slides
Project Skills Survey
The Special Interest Group: Final Year Project Work in the Biosciences undertook a survey of bioscience final year projects. The results from this survey are given in a report - A snapshot of final year project practice in UK science departments by Richard Cowie.
The event concluded with 3 personal reflections on the day from Prof Chris Branford-White, Dr Keith Elliot and Dr Martin Luck.
Linking Teaching and Research resource list
Other Linking Teaching and Research items of potential interest:
Linking Teaching and Research in the Biosciences - this project collected and shared examples of how colleagues across the Biosciences create links between research and teaching.
Origin - a journal of undergraduate research in the biosciences
Linking Research and Teaching in Departments - an LTSN Generic Centre Guide by Alan Jenkins and Roger Zetter
Exchange Magazine - focus on Linking Teaching and Research
A Guide to the Research Evidence on Teaching-Research Relations by Alan Jenkins
