Post Graduate Certificate: Developing Professional Practice in HE

Chapter 10

Research and Scholarship in Higher Education Learning and Teaching

Professor Simon Haslett

and

Professor Hefin Rowlands

22nd July 2010

Overview of Chapter

• Introduction.• Supervision of research students:

– Role of the supervisor;– Attributes of a supervisor;– University requirements.

• Links between research and teaching:– Research-informed Teaching;– Research-Teaching Nexus.

Introduction

• What makes HE Higher? Research?• Research underpins the curriculum.• Academics get involved in research

projects, apply for grants to research councils, etc.

• Collaboration is often important.• Research culture development is important.• Publications and conferences are output.

Supervision of Research Students

• Outline– Role of the supervisor– Attributes of a supervisor– University requirements

Role of the supervisor (1)

• The supervisor’s role is to guide and support the research student with their project.– Different students will need different amounts of

guidance and support depending on their background and previous exposure to a research project.

– How much support a student needs is often down to the judgment of the supervisor. It is however important for regular contact with the student to be maintained.

– The student needs to take responsibility for their own work with guidance and direction from the supervisor.

Role of the supervisor (2)

• The supervisor needs to provide critical comments on the student’s work and advise on the academic direction of the project.

• The supervisor needs to expose the student to a research environment of active researchers and research active staff.

• Where appropriate the supervisor can put the student in touch with other academic groups in their discipline in the UK and across the world.

• The supervisor needs to coordinate with other members of the research team and external advisors where applicable.

Role of the supervisor (3)

• The Director of Studies should coordinate the activities of the supervisory team.

• The supervisor needs to advise students on ethical issues and in completing their ethical form in line with the University’s ethical policy.

Role of the Supervisor (3)

• Support the student in making formal presentations at seminar and conferences.

• Advice the student on their progress at key milestones of their project.

• Encourage the student to publish their research during their studies.

• To keep their student motivated during their study.

Attributes of a Supervisor

• The supervisor must be able to provide advice to the student in a supportive and encouraging manner.

• The supervisor should be research active in their own research area and able to provide subject specific guidance to the student.

University Supervisory Requirements

• The supervisor must meet regularly with the student.• The supervisor is required to write a progress report at 6 or 12

monthly intervals depending on the individual University’s requirements.

• The supervisor should make the appropriate arrangements for the MPhil/PhD transfer.

• Some Universities arrange a mock viva for the students to prepare for their final viva examination. The supervisor should make appropriate arrangements for a mock viva before or shortly after final submission.

• In general it is the role of the supervisor to make arrangements for the viva including identifying a suitable external examiner.

Scholarship of Learning and Teaching

• individually-focused scholarship for personal use;• internally-focused scholarship for local (e.g.

departmental, institutional) use;• externally-focused scholarship, such as defined by the

Research Assessment Exercise (RAE, 2005, p. 34) as “the creation, development and maintenance of the intellectual infrastructure of subjects and disciplines”; and

• research for external dissemination at conferences and in publications (i.e. pedagogic research).

TASK: Where does your SoLT sit? Reflect on these definitions and provide examples for any based on

your experience in your current role.

(from Haslett, 2009)

Scholarship of Learning & Teaching and Pedagogic Research

• Why do/would you do it?– Strategic e.g. research-informed teaching– Contractual e.g. teaching-led research– Personal professional updating/reflection and career– Disseminate examples of practice

• What do/would you research?– Generic issues e.g. student engagement– Case studies e.g. examples of teaching

• How do/would you do it?– Individually or collaboratively?– Funding for research and publication e.g. grants?– Output types e.g. books, articles, conferences?– Time and space to undertake research and writing?

Research-informed Teaching

Research-Teaching Nexus

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 and inquiry skills and techniques

STUDENTS ARE PARTICIPANTS

EMPHASIS ON RESEARCH CONTENT

EMPHASIS ON RESEARCH PROCESSES AND PROBLEMS

STUDENTS FREQUENTLY ARE AN

AUDIENCE

Source: M. Healey & A. Jenkins (2009) Developing students as researchers. In: S. K. Haslett & H. Rowlands (eds) Linking research and teaching in Higher Education. University of Wales, Newport, pp. 7-11.

TASK: How does your current teaching map within the R-T Nexus? Does it mainly fall within one quadrant or more?

From Haslett (2009)

The Research-Teaching Complex

(from Haslett, 2009)

Communities of Practice

• Newport CELT encourages staff to become active members of L&T communities of practice.

• Apply for Fellowship of the Higher Education Academy (HEA) in the UK (24 subject centres).

• Membership of the Society for Research into Higher Education (SRHE).

• Membership of the International Society for the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning (ISSoTL).

• Also, join and support internal institutional communities, such as the CELT at Newport, and participate in their activities.

References and Reading

• Haslett, S. K., 2009. Unpicking the links between research and teaching in Higher Education. Newport CELT Journal, 2, 1-4.

• Haslett, S. K. (ed.), 2010. Linking research and teaching in Wales. HEA, York.

• Healey, M. & Jenkins, A. 2009. Developing students as researchers. In: S. K. Haslett & H. Rowlands (eds) Linking research and teaching in Higher Education. University of Wales, Newport, pp. 7-11.

• Jenkins, A., Healey, M. & Zetter, R., 2007. Linking teaching and research in disciplines and departments. HEA, York.

• Lee, A., 2008. How are doctoral students supervised? Concepts of doctoral research supervision. Studies in Higher Education, 33 (3), 267-281. [available to Newport staff and students through EBSCO].