Scholarly activity, curriculum development and student involvement Mick Healey, Alan Jenkins and John Lea 24 June 2014

Scholarly activity, curriculum development and student involvement Aim - To review the contribution of CBHE in the development of research-based learning Collected - Over 50 mini-case studies from UK, Australia, Canada, Ireland, Netherlands, New Zealand and United States

Core principle “All undergraduate students in all higher education institutions should experience learning through, and about, research and inquiry. … We argue, as does much recent US experience, that such curricular experience should and can be mainstreamed for all or many students through a research-active curriculum. We argue that this can be achieved through structured interventions at course team, departmental, institutional and national levels.” (Healey and Jenkins, 2009, 3).

Scholarly activity, curriculum development and student involvement New models of curriculum … should all … incorporate research-based study for undergraduates (Ramsden 2008, 10-11). A positive research and teaching link primarily depends on the nature of the students’ learning experiences, resulting from appropriate teaching and learning processes, rather than on particular inputs or outcomes (Elton 2001, 43).

Scholarly activity, curriculum development and student involvement For the students who are the professionals of the future, developing the ability to investigate problems, make judgments on the basis of sound evidence, take decisions on a rational basis, and understand what they are doing and why is vital. Research and inquiry is not just for those who choose to pursue an academic career. It is central to professional life in the twenty-first century. (Brew 2007, p. 7)

Spot the College Which of the following do you think refer to practices in: a) CBHE/HE in FE; and b) universities? Biotechnology students work as part of a research team Psychology students research students’ quality of life Engaging students in applied research through a community sports development consultancy project Student-led research journal in business Using undergraduates to evaluate student experiences of teaching and learning How research will change engineering artefacts Engaging students with the latest research and publications

Spot the College Biotechnology students work as part of a research team – Massachusetts Bay Community College Psychology students research students’ quality of life – York St John University Engaging students in applied research through a community sports development consultancy project - University of Central Lancashire Student-led research journal in business – Newcastle College Using undergraduates to evaluate student experiences of teaching and learning – Warwick University How research will change engineering artefacts – Imperial College London Engaging students with the latest research and publications - Adam Smith College and Dundee College

Curriculum design and the research-teaching nexus p19 STUDENTS ARE PARTICIPANTS Research-tutored Research-based Engaging in research discussions Undertaking research and inquiry EMPHASIS ON RESEARCH PROCESSES AND PROBLEMS EMPHASIS ON RESEARCH CONTENT Learning about current research in the discipline Developing research and inquiry skills and techniques Research-led Research-oriented STUDENTS FREQUENTLY ARE AN AUDIENCE Curriculum design and the research-teaching nexus (based on Healey, 2005, 70) 8

Students as partners in learning and teaching in higher education Source: Healey, Flint and Harrington (2014) 9

UK review of literature In the UK there is a lively debate in academic literature about STAFF scholarly activity in HE in FE There is also a lively debate about the possible hybrid nature of the pedagogical context, i.e. it borrows from its proximity to wider FE and HE contexts There is also a lively debate about the influence of the wider mission of FECs to be engines of economic growth, and of the effect of their corporate/managerial ethos on HE provision Are there positive lessons to be learnt from this context?

International context In the UK there are currently almost 300 FECs running HE courses; representing 10% of total HE provision; with over 100,000 FTE student numbers; some colleges have over 3,000 FTE students In the USA it is estimated that nearly half the country’s undergraduates (around 12 million students) are studying in community colleges, and around 25% of those will subsequently transfer to four-year schools In Australia there are around 175 HE providers, but only 40 are designated universities. The rest of HE is provided in colleges with a growing provision in publicly funded institutes of vocational education (TAFEs) Should we rally against these developments, or embrace them?

Some key questions What is implied by arguing that we need to enhance the scholarship of staff in CBHE contexts? Are colleges helping us all to widen notions of scholarship in HE? Could student scholarly activity be considered a key impact measure?

CBHE Line-up I want you to position yourself on a line according to the extent to which you agree or disagree with the following statements Talk to the person next to you about why you have positioned yourself where you have and as a consequence you may need to ‘move’

CBHE Line-up “To enhance the quality of learning in CBHE it is more important to focus on engaging students in research and inquiry than raising the research expertise of staff.” Strongly ----------------------------- Strongly agree disagree

Boyer context for CBHE p52

Examples of ways in which learners may engage with Boyer’s four scholarships Types of scholarship Illustrative example of ways of engaging learners Scholarship of discovery Engage in inquiry-based learning; undergraduate research and consultancy projects; co-research projects with staff. Scholarship of integration Engage in integrating material from different sources, including across disciplines; integrate life and work experience with academic studies; reflect on implications of studies for personal development. Scholarship of application / engagement Engage with local, national, and international community service projects; volunteering; knowledge exchange projects; apply knowledge and skills in work-based placements. Scholarship of teaching and learning Engage in mentoring; peer support and assessment; collaborative group work; learners as explicit partners in educational development and inquiry.

Strategies for engaging students at the beginning of their courses In pairs, each skim read at least ONE different year one case study (3.1 – 3.8 pp 22- 27). Discuss whether and how any of the ideas may be amended for application in your contexts. 5 minutes

Strategies for course teams to introduce year one students into research and Strategies to introduce year 1 students into research and knowledge complexity Create a strong opening activity that involves students doing guided research Help students to read academic literature critically Involve library and other learning support staff Demonstrate how research mindedness can support future employability Guide students into the nature of research in their discipline(s) Provide opportunities for students to make their research public Recognise that students will find such work challenging Ensure how the students are assessed supports research mindedness Involve upper level students in supporting student research in year one

Course and programme strategies for engaging students with research & inquiry Strategy one – develop students’ understanding of the role of research and inquiry in their discipline Strategy two – develop students’ abilities to carry out research Strategy three – progressively develop students’ understanding Strategy four – manage students’ experience of research

Developing and enhancing undergraduate final-year projects and dissertations http://www.heacademy.ac.uk/projects/detail/ntfs/ntfsproject_Gloucestershire10 20

Course team, departmental and institutional strategies In a different pair, each skim read at least ONE different case study (5.1 – 5.12 pp 41- 49). Discuss whether and how any of the ideas may be amended for application in your contexts. 5 minutes

Strategies to increase the skills of staff to support student inquiry Celebrate and share what is already in place Create opportunities for staff and students to experiment Review and enhance what is in place Ensure initial training in teaching and subsequent CPD includes an emphasis on supporting student inquiry Require and support all programmes to be redesigned Reshape the timetable structure Create alternative learning spaces

Conclusion 1: A CBHE contribution to higher education? “The relationship between teacher and learner is …completely different in higher education from what it is in schools. At the higher level, the teacher is not there for the sake of the student, both have their justification in the service of scholarship” (von Humboldt 1810) “It [a university] is a place of teaching universal knowledge. This implies that its object is, on the one hand, intellectual, not moral, and, on the other, that it is the diffusion and extension of knowledge rather than the advancement. If its object were scientific and philosophical discovery, I do not see why a University should have students…” (Newman 1854) “What we urgently need today is a more inclusive view of what it means to be a scholar – a recognition that knowledge is acquired through research, through synthesis, through practice, and through teaching. We acknowledge that these four categories – the scholarship of discovery, of integration, of application, and of teaching – divide intellectual functions that are tied inseparably to each other” (Boyer 1990)

Conclusion 2: Some implications? There are many similarities in the different ways in which CBHE and universities engage their undergraduate students in research and inquiry although there are subtle differences in the amount and level of their involvement. We found strong evidence of colleges engaging students in research and scholarly activity at curriculum level, but little evidence of this being embedded at institutional level. What implications might these conclusions have?