Developing critical and reflective graduates through a research-based learning project Dr. Agnieszka Rydzik and Year 3 BA International Tourism Management students

What am I interested in?  Research-based learning (RBL)  Students as research assistants  Co-creating new knowledge  Curriculum designed around inquiry-based activities  Scholarship of discovery (Boyer, 1990) ‘Research and inquiry is not just for those who choose to pursue academic career. It is central to professional life in the twenty-first century’ (Brew, 2007: 7)  Co-created learning and co-transformation (Pritchard et al., 2011)

What is RBL? 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 Healey and Jenkins (2009: 7)

 Theme – Discovery: Student as producer ‘Research-based learning is an approach to programme design and implementation in which students have the opportunity to make intellectual and practical connections between the content and skills that characterise their programmes, and the research approaches and frontiers of the underlying disciplines’  Put simply, our mission is: ‘ Creating Responsible Futures ’  To develop people and enterprises that create responsible futures; through their ability to co- create knowledge and to shape their own practice and that of others with regard to the consequences on society.  Enactment of this mission will considerably enhance students’ self belief, critical capacity and personal values, their knowledge and ability to develop and use knowledge and their social capital in relation to future work and employment.

So what is this project about? ‘Developing critical and reflective tourism practitioners through a research-based learning project’ Aims:  to actively engage Level 3 BA International Tourism Management students in a research project exploring the employment experiences of students in part-time tourism/hospitality employment.  to critically reflect on and evaluate the theory, practice and the process of Research-based learning (RBL).

How?  Embedded within the ‘ Social and Political Perspectives on tourism ’ Level 3 module (SPPOT)  From research-led teaching to research-based learning  Students become co-researchers on the project  Funded through Fund for Educational Development (FED)  Gift vouchers for students as recognition of student contribution to the project as research assistants

 As co-researchers, students actively participate in all stages of the project.  4 stages:  Design and Preparation  Fieldwork  Analysis and Discussion  Dissemination  Also, Evaluation of the project throughout

2 stages completed  Design and Preparation stage  Deciding on the focus of the research  Thinking about research aim and objectives  Scoping profile of participants  Choosing the research methods  Discussing research ethics and consent  Collaborative design of the interview schedule  Fieldwork stage  Recruiting participants  Arranging 2-3 short interviews  Conducting the interviews  Transcribing the interviews  Coding the gathered data  Space created on Blackboard site specifically for the research project  with all information about the research project

Next 2 stages  Analysis and Discussion  Dissemination (starts today)  Final Evaluation of the project

Envisaged outcomes of the project and benefits for students Intangible outcomes :  Development of a better understanding of tourism working environments  Allows students to develop new knowledge on part-time workers in tourism  Helps students become critical, reflective and ethical tourism professionals before transitioning from education to industry  Gaining first-hand experience of working on a research project  Improving qualitative research skills  Help with transitioning to employment

Envisaged outcomes of the project and benefits for students Tangible outcomes:  Data gathered can be used in the module assignment (conference paper and Virtual Conference participation)  Good for CV  Opportunity to participate at the Student as Producer event (6 th March 2015) – experience of a real academic conference  Best conference papers will be encouraged to be submitted to an appropriate undergraduate student journal

Reflections and challenges identified so far (academic voice)  Time consuming  Management of the project  Keeping the momentum going  Challenges of embedding critical tourism research into the curriculum  Experimental and innovative – challenging but also exciting and rewarding  Opportunity to combine research and teaching  Collaborative creation of knowledge  Allows for an exploration of the meaning of co- created learning and co- transformation

Student initial reflections: Week 1 of the project

Mid-term reflections (week 6) – student voice  Exploring the 4 dimensions of Student as Producer:  Discovery  Collaboration  Production  Engagement

Discovery Georgia Berryman and Ellen Batteson

Collaboration Miranna Malvinen and Zihao Zhu (Tom)

Engagement Sean-Paul Lynch and Elizabeth Morris

Production Renate Mazgalvina