Scholarship as a Basis of the Academic Profession

1. Scholarship as a Basis of the Academic Profession Andrzej M. Goscinski October 2009

2. Plan • Why are we, academics, here? • What academics face these days? • What to do? • University and scholarship • Scholarship, scholars and their work • Scholarly work standards • Research scholarship standards • Teaching scholarship standards • “what” scenario • “how” scenario • Academics and university these days • Conclusion

3. Why Are We, Academics, Here? • We want to “invent a wheel” • We love freedom of thinking • We like continuously and periodically changing work • We want to control our work life • We enjoy a social aspect of our work • We value flexible work arrangements • We like whinging • We like expressing our opinions but only within the walls • We don’t like strong hierarchical management structures • We don’t want to work hard

4. What Academics Face These Days? • Students demand service for their money • Poor learning attitude of students • Lack of teaching and research assistants • Employers not being happy with the graduates • Not enough money for research • Disciplines’ overlap • Gap between theory and practice • Computing / IT becoming experimental in their nature • Administration more complex and powerful • Universities forced to attract external funds to support teaching and research • Tax payers wanting both to know about outcomes of research and to understand the results and their value

5. What to Do? • Academics • Enjoy university life! • Are forced to do a lot! • Question: • Is it possible to define the work of academics to reflect more realistically the full range of their activities? • Answer: • Exploit Scholarship andGive Scholarship a Broader Meaning!

6. University and Scholarship • Three items form a platform for the discussion of scholarship • Academics • University • Discipline • Academics and support staff, with the students as partners (not clients / customers!), constitute a university

7. University and Scholarship • A university has four purposes • Store accumulated knowledge • Transmit knowledge • Create new knowledge through the process of research • Use knowledge and wisdom to test and challenge society’s values • Scholarship is a measure of academic achievement • A scholar is an academic who builds and maintains scholarship • Assessment of each academic must be based on scholarship measured in four dimensions

8. Scholarship Dimensions • The scholarship of research (discovery - concerned with sponsored research, discovery of new laws, theories, methods and systems, and leading students through inquiry • The scholarship of teaching - concerned with the mastery of effective teaching and supporting students learning in all its forms • The scholarship of integration - concerned with multidisciplinary work • The scholarship of service - concerned with professional service, i.e., making one’s expertise available to others through consulting, professional society work, and committee work

9. Scholarship, Scholars and Their Work • To be involved in the above four scholarships dimensions each academic must have a wide, deep and current knowledge of their discipline! • Each member should enter into a self development and university development process that specifies the balance among contributions and effort in each of the four scholarship dimensions

10. Scholarship, Scholars and Their Work • Scholarship defined in the four dimensions implies that academics are • Loyal to their profession (discipline) • Loyal to their university • The quality of scholarship depends on • Academic vigour • Knowledge • Goal seeking • Assessment • Vitality • Openness • Generosity: sharing knowledge, time, ideas, praising • Professional ethics

11. Scholarship, Scholars and Their Work • Scholars should be humble in the face of the discovery (they do not have to be personally humble) • A scholar should demonstrate • Integrity • Perseverance • Courage • Drive for free thinking • Creativity • Attitude • Ability to set priorities and manage time

12. Scholarship, Scholars and Their Work • Scholars must generate good outcomes of their work • How to prove that the work is good? • Must be well documented • Documentation should demonstrate quality • Documentation should refer to the standards • Assessed by peers • There is a need for standards for carrying out and assessing scholarly work

13. Scholarly Work Standards • Scholarly work (activity) is guided/measured by the following quality standards [Glassick 1997] • Clear goals • Scholarly work, to be successful, must have goals clearly stated • Scholars are question raisers • Adequate Preparation • Scholars know what is going on in their field/discipline • Scholars must bring the wealth of knowledge, depth experience

14. Scholarly Work Standards • Appropriate methods/methodology • A yardstick that must be used in all aspects of academic work • Significant results • What was achieved/accomplished? • Was any new area opened? • Are the results significant?

15. Scholarly Work Standards • Effective communication • A report must be written well • Good oral communication is a must • Good reporting with integrity is very important • Scholarship is public property, thus must be communicated well • Reflective critique • Start with self-conscious practice • Ask for and value opinions of others/peers • Develop your learning over time • Respond positively to criticism

16. Research Scholarship Standards • In general, the goal of research is the advancement of knowledge • Creating new knowledge • Adding to existing knowledge • Connecting knowledge to other knowledge • Clear goals • Are the basic purposes of scholar’s work clearly stated? • Are defined objectives realistic and achievable? • Are important questions in the field/discipline identified? • Are the expected results beneficial?

17. Research Scholarship Standards • Adequate preparation • Are the necessary skills being brought to the work? • Is an understanding of existing knowledge in the field/discipline demonstrated? • Are necessary resources available to carry out the work? • Appropriate methods/methodology • Are the selected methods appropriate to the goals? • Are the selected methods applied effectively? • Are the procedures modified in response to changing circumstances?

18. Research Scholarship Standards • Significant results • Have the goals been achieved? • Has the work created new knowledge? • Does the work add to knowledge of the field/discipline? • Does the work open additional areas for further study/exploration? • Are the results significant? • Effective communication • Is a suitable style and effective organisation used to present the work? • Are appropriate forums for communicating/presenting work used to its intended audience? • Is the work presented with clarity and integrity?

19. Research Scholarship Standards • Reflective critique • Does the scholar critically evaluate the work? • Is there an appropriate breadth of evidence to the work critique? • Does the scholar use evaluation to improve the quality of future work?

20. Teaching Scholarship Standards • Elements to assess teaching scholarship • What does a scholar teach? • How does a scholar teach? • What scenario:A scholar is participating in the development of a new curriculum/preparing a new unit

21. Teaching Scholarship Standards • Clear goals • Are the basic aims of the curriculum/unit stated clearly? • Are important topics of the discipline/area covered? • Adequate preparation • Is the existing knowledge in the discipline/area covered? • Have the expectations of students, and needs of the employers been identified? • Are the necessary resources (human/financial/equipment) available/achievable? • Are there academics that can carry out the project?

22. Teaching Scholarship Standards • Appropriate methods/methodology • Are teaching methods appropriate to the goals identified? • Are the selected laboratory exercises educational? • Will the students acquire the necessary skills? • Are the assessments methods suitable? • Is the curriculum/unit modifiable in response to changing requirements/technology etc? • Significant results • Has the new curriculum/unit been developed? • Has the work created a new approach to teach the discipline/unit? • How do we know that the result is good? (Accreditation committees, accreditation bodies, peers)

23. Teaching Scholarship Standards • Effective communication • Has a report been written to show the new curriculum/unit? • Is a suitable style used to present the work? • Are appropriate forums used for communicating/presenting work? • Is the work presented with clarity and integrity? • Reflective critique – seek the opinion of others • Does the scholar critically evaluate the curriculum/unit? • Has the comments/critique taken into consideration? • Is evaluation used to improve the quality of future work?

24. Teaching Scholarship Standards • How scenario: A scholar is coming into a lecture theatre • Clear goals • Why am I here? • What should I do for students today? • Adequate preparation • Am I well prepared? • What is in the literature? • Do I know current software? • Do I have good teaching materials / tools (.ppt, overhead slides)

25. Teaching Scholarship Standards • Appropriate methods • How should I delivery knowledge? • How should I pass skills? • How should I develop students’ skills? • How could students be challenged? • How can I establish a working rapport with students? • Significant results • How will I assess the student knowledge? • How will I assess the student skills (professional and generic)? • Can I stimulate the students’ interest by this lecture? • Can I link the presented material to other units / disciplines?

26. Teaching Scholarship Standards • Effective communication • Do I organise well my lecture to deliver knowledge? • Do I take into consideration the students’ attention span? • Can I challenge the students? • Is the relevant part of the study guide well written? • Are the .ppt / overhead slides well prepared? • Do I act as a role model? • Reflective critique • What did the students learn today? • What did I learn today? • Did I act as a role model? • What can be done better? • Did I use comments from the peers/students? • Did I use student questions / comments to improve my teaching and enhance their learning?

27. Academic and University These Days • Broadening scholarship has implications for • Universities • Individual academics • Implications • Universities must specify their distinctive missions • Blind following of the so called “prestigious” institutions could lead to disastrous outcomes • Attracting money in a non-discriminatory manner leads to lower standards • Academics must specify the balance among contributions and effort in each of the four scholarship dimensions • To enrich scholarship, university must relate its purpose to the reward system of academics

28. Academic and University These Days • Scholars must • Carry out and publish research • Teach well • Think freely and creatively • Communicate effectively • Have the capacity and inclination to place ideas in a larger context

29. Conclusion - Outcomes of this Presentation • All academics should specify the balance among contributions and the effort in each of the four scholarship dimensions • It is necessary to prepare new academics in such a manner that they are able to satisfy the scholarship requirements: • Providing mentoring • Development of short and long term goals • Discussion with project leaders • Postgraduate and postdoctoral education should create the opportunity to get involved in building scholarship in the four dimensions (in particular, building teaching scholarship should be incorporated)