1 How can research and teaching work together?Paul Blackmore King’s College London
2 A Plan What do we mean by “teaching” and “research”?How is the world changing for universities? How and when does effective learning happen? How can we link research and teaching?
3 Student voice -1 “It’s reassuring that you’re being taught by people who are well respected in their field” “Good that you can know really up to date stuff. It’s also quite cool just seeing articles and stuff written by people in the department.”
4 Student voice - 2 The most interesting course I’ve done this year has been a guy who’s writing a book and developing his theory and taking feedback from us, and you get that feeling that you’re part of his developing theory.
5 Student voice -3 You could so obviously tell he knew what he was saying and he thought there was nothing complex about it whatsoever and it was so obvious to him and we’re all sitting there going, I don’t know, I don’t get it...
6 Student voice -4 I feel that the lecturers who are very involved in research are a little bit carried away and they’re less able to focus on the teaching side and … they wander off. I mean it’s very interesting but it’s not something that you can use or discuss ...
7 Student voice -5 “I don’t think he teaches anything in (the dept), you don’t see him anywhere near a lecture but at least people know about him, he’s in the Times, the FT and the Economist, people know about the University because this amazing man is theoretically here, and it makes your degree worth more, I think.”
8 Student voice -6 “Personally I’m not too bothered to be honest because I’m not really into (the subject), I’m here to get a degree, my motivation is to get a job … But having said that, when I’m forced to do things I do enjoy it. … when you’re … doing everything on your own it’ll probably help you out a lot later on as well to do your research, find a topic and then find your data and stuff without getting it from the department, looking for places to start from … it's good to be forced to do something like that”.
9 Research to date Most empirical studies show little or no relationship, especially in: Natural sciences Research-intensive universities Higher (but low) correlations in Social Sciences Colleges or liberal arts institutions Hattie and Marsh
10 Criticism External report on a UK university“… the research universities have often failed, and continue to fail, their undergraduate populations. Thousands of students graduate without seeing the world-famous professors or tasting genuine research” Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching, 1998 “.. The precise relationship of the link between teaching and learning seems not to have been addressed in any concerted way… there was very little systematic reflection within the University about just what was meant by the claimed interdependence of teaching and research.” External report on a UK university
11 Teaching is …… Research is ……
12 Scholarships Discovery Integration Application Teaching (Boyer, 1990)
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14 The same world? A different world?
15 Dissolving boundariesMass education system Education as a market commodity Globalisation Communication technologies These changes are well documented
16 Networks Globalisation Information speed and complexityKnowledge communities Globalisation Competition Staff and student flow Whose culture?
17 What do we want from a university?Strengthen the national economy? Safeguard all that is best in cultural life? Distribute educational opportunity fairly? Reproduce the academy? Conduct pure research that has no commercial value? Critique aspects of society? Make knowledge freely available to all? Be useful? Encourage international understanding? Contribute to the local community?
18 Some key issues What is a graduate? What is the curriculum?What is its purpose? What is at its heart?
19 What is a graduate? Glasgow Subject specialistsIndependent and critical thinkers Effective communicators Adaptable Ethically and socially aware Investigative Resourceful and responsible Confident Experienced collaborators Reflective learners QMUL Engage critically with knowledge Global perspective Learn continuously in changing world Rounded intellectual development Clarity of communication Research capacity Information expertise
20 Levels of learning Evaluation Synthesis Analysis ApplicationComprehension Knowledge
21 A time when you learnt something effectively?
22 Student-centred? Carl RogersWhen we put together in one scheme such elements as: •A prescribed curriculum •Similar assignments for all students •Lecturing as almost the only mode of instruction •Standard tests by which all students are externally evaluated •Instructor-chosen grades as the measure of learning Then we can almost guarantee that meaningful learning will be at an absolute minimum. Carl Rogers
23 Planning for teaching – “good practice”Evaluation Teaching & learning activities Assessment activities (incl. feedback) Student engagement with the learning materials: content Student learning is assessed Develop aim & learning outcomes
24 Constructive alignment“The teaching methods used and the assessment tasks, are aligned with the learning activities assumed in the intended outcomes... we specify the desired outcomes of our teaching in … topic content (and) …the level of understanding we want students to achieve. We then set up an environment that maximises the likelihood that students will engage in the activities... Finally, we choose assessment tasks that will tell us how well individual students have attained these outcomes...” (Biggs) Everything is known … I know and you don’t …
25 Advice and support with studiesAble to contact staff when needed Good advice available for study choices Course, timetable and changes Library resources, IT and specialist equipment Improving presentation and communication skills Tackling unfamiliar problems Staff are good at explaining things Staff have made the subject interesting Staff are enthusiastic The course is intellectually stimulating Criteria used in marking clear Assessment and marking fair Feedback on work prompt, detailed, clarifying
26 Student disengagement“they just look at the grade … they don’t read my feedback” “ ... where is the continuing conversation about a student’s learning?”
27 Students and learning How can we ensure that students are partners in their learning rather than recipients or customers?
28 The role of research
29 What role did research play in your undergraduate experience?
30 Potential benefits MotivationInspiration from experts in their field, who convey enthusiasm for the subject Active learning Students tend to learn most when they are actively involved in developing their knowledge Skills development Intellectual skills of critical analysis “Transferable” skills: group work, time- and resource-management and data handling
31 Research-Rich Learning ElementsContext Outcomes Process Tools
32 Some tricky aspects You have to give lectures because they don’t read and there is just so much to cover. No use asking them to do anything until they have all the facts – and that takes three years. My research is far too hard for them to understand If all the assignments are different it’ll take me ages to mark them The students won’t like it.
33 Threshold concepts New and previously inaccessible ways of thinking about, or viewing something Otherwise hard to progress Comprehending leads to a transformed internal view Integrative Liminal space (unsettling place where existing certainties problematic and fluid) Troublesome knowledge
34 Threshold concepts designWhat are the concepts necessary for mastery of your subject? What sort of teaching and learning experiences are most likely to lead to students grasping them? What curriculum will invite students into a liminal space necessary (safe enough?) for mastery of a threshold concept?
35 Problem-Based LearningThe problem drives the learning Working on a problem shows students what knowledge they need to learn before they can successfully tackle the problem. Students are facilitated to find and use relevant knowledge (including activating their own prior knowledge). Integrates theory and practice
36 Features of problem-based learning curriculumSmall group, co-operative, & self-directed Few lectures Work on problem-based scenarios in seminars/ tutorials/labs/fieldwork/workshops, supported by appropriate resources (active learning) Embedded assessment (self/peer-assessment) Prompt feedback Learning-focussed (not teaching) Appropriate for....?
37 Student engagement Volunteering and placements Students as researchersStudent-led activities Self- and peer assessment Learning as a core curriculum?
38 Key questions Are courses designed to integrate research both as content in the curriculum and as a learning process? How do students come into contact with the department's research? How do students learn research methods and develop research techniques? What opportunities are there for students to do their own research projects and self-directed work? Does research-rich learning take place throughout all years of undergraduate degree programmes? If not, could this be further developed?
39 Institutional connectionsIs there a focus for R/T links? Are T and R strategies / committees linked? Are R/T links, inc promotion, rewarded? Does course approval and review monitor R/T? Is T impact of R bids considered? Are the effects of the links evaluated?
40 King’s College, London, UKProf Paul Blackmore King’s College, London, UK +44 (0)