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Research-led education at the University of Exeter

Research-led education at the University of Exeter. Moving forward for 2012. Dr Dilly Fung Education Enhancement D.Fung@exeter.ac.uk. Overview Part 1. R esearch-led education and the University vision T heory into practice: Maria: experiencing research as curriculum content

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Research-led education at the University of Exeter

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  1. Research-led education at the University of Exeter Moving forward for 2012 Dr Dilly Fung Education Enhancement D.Fung@exeter.ac.uk

  2. Overview Part 1 • Research-led education and the University vision • Theory into practice: • Maria: experiencing research as curriculum content • Carlo: experiencing learning as practising research • Identifying the full spectrum of high quality practices • Direct relationship with graduate skills , attributes and employability • What the University is excelling at now; four examples- • Students as agents for change • Interdisciplinary initiatives such as Big Dilemma • Research communities as evidenced by staff awards • The ASPIRE accreditation scheme for staff in research-led education

  3. Overview Part 2 • Proposal for enhancement for 2012 • Bringing together research and teaching staff • Mapping and communicating research-rich moments through the curriculum in all subject areas • Introducing University-wide, research-rich experiences: • ‘Meet Your Professor’ • Grand Challenges/capstone courses

  4. Overview Part 3 5. Next steps • Development and discussion of exemplar models for University wide, research-rich moments • College reviews: • Curriculum design • Subject-level events and initiatives • College-level events and initiatives • Embedding University initiatives • Submitting JISC bid on digital literacies • Embedding research-led characteristics into quality processes • Marketing our strengths in providing the highest quality research-led education

  5. Research-led: embedded in the University mission ‘… students benefit from – and want to be taught by – academics at the leading edge of their fields. Thus high quality research-informed teaching is our aim.’ Steve Smith, Vice-Chancellor, University of Exeter Strategic Plan 2011

  6. Student Learning Partnership ‘As a research intensive university, research is at the heart of all we do. .. We want you to be able to share the excitement of research, of working alone and with others to think, challenge and extend the boundaries of knowledge.’

  7. Research and teaching synergy

  8. Research-led Education A high quality, international research profile enables us to build a rich research community and an academically rigorous learning environment. Quality teaching is characterised as enabling students to think analytically, critically and creatively, within and across subject and international boundaries – just as the best researchers do.

  9. So what is research-led education? Putting theory into practice

  10. The research-teaching nexus (Healey and Jenkins, 2006) STUDENTS ARE PARTICIPANTS Research-based Research-tutored Undertaking research and inquiry Engaging in research discussions EMPHASIS ON RESEARCHPROCESSES AND PROBLEMS EMPHASIS ON RESEARCH CONTENT Learning about current research in the discipline Developing research and inquiry skills and techniques Research-led Research-orientated STUDENTS ARE AUDIENCE

  11. What does this theory mean in practice for an individual student? The lived experience of each student will be different, but following Healey’s model we can conceptualise a range of ways of experiencing research-led education.

  12. Emphasis on research content: Maria’s experience • Maria attends classes where latest research in the field is shared and explored • She selects option modules to follow up on individual areas of specialist interest • She discusses implications of latest research for limitations of knowledge in her own subject area

  13. Developing as a researcher: Carlo’s experience • Carlo learns through engaging in research-like activities, as an individual and in research ‘teams’ • He develops, practises and evaluates a range of research perspectives and methodologies • He develops specific research techniques, with associated practical, academic and employability skills

  14. Research-rich moments: by level of delivery Students assessments

  15. Direct links with graduate attributes, skills and employability When students learn as junior partners in their research communities, they not only develop as subject specialists, but also acquirea spectrum of high level graduate and employability skills, from problem-solving, teamwork and project management to leadership, the highest level communication skills and digital literacies.

  16. University of Exeter strengths What are we doing well now?

  17. What else is special at the University of Exeter?

  18. Student opportunities which add value now

  19. Highly regarded and qualified staff ASPIRE Accrediting Staff Professionalism In Research-Led Education

  20. Proposals for enhancement for 2012

  21. Bringing together research and teaching staff A Research-Led Education Forum for bringing together representative senior teaching staff and researchers, along with senior professional staff leading on research-led education, would enable us to capitalise upon our strengths in this area.

  22. Mapping and communicating research-rich moments through the curriculum in all subjects Key Programme/module assessment Subject-wide opportunity College-level activity University-wide activity

  23. Research and the student journey

  24. Introducing University-wide, research-rich experiences: ‘Meet Your Professor’ • We can provide: • A template for a research-led, small group induction experience for first year students • Student brief: to provide a communications artefact (e.g. PowerPoint; leaflet; web page) which introduces the work of a senior staff researcher to a non-specialist audience • Student task: involves meeting and questioning their ‘professor,’ in small groups, to understand his or her aims and activities as a researcher

  25. Introducing University-wide, research-rich experiences: ‘Grand Challenges’ • A range of issues or dilemmas would be offered for study either within or between Colleges. These would relate to cross cutting University strategic research themes e.g. sustainability; climate change. • Teaching and learning approaches would be interactive – possibly using enquiry based learning methods – and there would be a focus on developing and assessing graduate level employability skills including digital literacies.

  26. Next steps include: QUALITY PROCESSES COLLEGE ACTIONS MARKETING

  27. Reference Healey, M. and Jenkins, A. (2006) ‘Strengthening the teaching-research linkage in undergraduate courses and programs’ New Directions for Teaching and Learning 2006: 43–53. Accessible online (18 03 11) at: http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/tl.244/abstract

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