Staff and students working as partners in STEM and pedagogic research

Dr Neil Williams, Anhar Khan, Faiz Aziz, Ari Abedhin and Aminur Rahman

Faculty of Science, Engineering and Computing, Kingston University

 

Introduction

• Research Informed Teaching in the curriculum• Summer Undergraduate Research Internship

Scheme• Engaging Students and Academics as Partners in

Pedagogic Research

• “build a partnership that ensures that students and staff are equal, engaged partners in an academic community that drives forward learning, teaching, research and innovation”

Kingston University Led by Learning Strategy

• There is a…., difference between an institution that ‘listens’ to students and…..an institution that gives students the opportunity to explore areas that they believe to be significant, and ……to bring about the required changes.

‘Students as Change Agents’ Dunne, 2011

Students as Partners

 

Developing undergraduate research and inquiry Mick Healey and Alan Jenkins http://www.heacademy.ac.uk/assets/documents/resources/publications/DevelopingUndergraduate_Final.pdf

“Linking discipline-based research with teaching to benefit student learning” by Healey and Jenkins

Undergraduate Research Opportunities Programme (UROP) at Imperial College

Fund summer undergraduate research internships to give students opportunity to work in a research laboratory

http://www.heacademy.ac.uk/assets/documents/resources/publications/DevelopingUndergraduate_Final.pdf

Research-Based Learning

Undergraduate Research Opportunities

They often have these features: 

• for selected students, generally those with high grades;• often outside the formal curriculum; • stronger in the sciences than in the arts• focus on one-to-one mentoring;• may well result in student publication and/or

dissemination

• Staff invited to submit project descriptions- list distributed to all level 5 students. Expenses of up to £400 per project

• Students paid £200 per week for 8-week project• Students apply by submitting a CV and covering

letter• 2010-3 internships awarded to best qualified

students• Short final report to include reflection.

KU Summer Undergraduate Research Internship Scheme

 

Summer Undergraduate Research Internships

Student Reflection 2012

“….I have a clear advantage in the final year project now, “

“I shall now enter the lab with much gained confidence and abilities greater than many of my peers.”

“I met many people who worked in the same research area which made the experience a lot more enjoyable.”

..”was like a preview to what research career would be like. It made a significant mark on the career path I wish to take.”

“The internship assured me that I want to work in research in the future”

“The experience I’ve gained will not only benefit me for future employment prospects but will also help me in my dissertation for this - my final year”

Student Reflection 2012

Student Reflection 2012

“I have come to realise that I am no longer a Biologist at heart (which I believed I was).”

“I have become accustomed to the repetitive nature of research”

I have a new understanding of the effort and dedication and skill required…

“a lot of unseen work is carried out by technicians, leaving many students with an unrealistic idea of the level of work that is undertaken when carrying out real laboratory experiments”

Maximising impact of Internships Scheme 2013 onwards

•How can student experience be publicised to students?•Why don’t more students apply?•Equality, Diversity and Inclusion.

•61% of the interns had parents that had not been in Higher Education. 44% non-traditional entrants

Intern blogs

Intern blogs

 • Grade requirement – deterrent?• Are projects attractive?• Don’t know about scheme?• Lack of confidence?• Research not as popular in some disciplines?• Poor pay?• Length of project? 

Student evaluation

Why don’t more students apply?

• Engaging Students and Academics as Partners in Pedagogic Research.

• Fund pedagogic research projects that ultimately enhance the student experience.

• University as employer improves student engagement with Institution.

• Projects run during term time

The Student Academic Development Research Associate Scheme (SADRAS):

Survey previous interns on their experience of USR Internship. Survey reasons why the majority did not apply for an internship last year, and what would have encouraged them to apply.  How can the scheme be more successfully marketed to students and impact on a greater number of students from a diverse range of backgrounds?

Evaluating and expanding the impact of the Undergraduate Summer Research (USR) Internship Programme

 

Strongly Agree Agree

Neither agree nor disagree Disagree

Strongly disagree

It does not apply/ Don’t know

I improved my research skills 1 2 3 4 5 6

I improved my experimental skills 1 2 3 4 5 6

I developed my time management skills 1 2 3 4 5 6

I gained confidence in tackling problems 1 2 3 4 5 6

Experience of working as part of a team 1 2 3 4 5 6

I developed my communication skills 1 2 3 4 5 6

I am more likely to do postgraduate study in the future having done an internship

1 2 3 4 5 6

help me improve my grades in my final year

1 2 3 4 5 6

better equipped to do well in my final year project

1 2 3 4 5 6

Examples of Projects:

• Identifying links between sports and society involvement and academic achievement

• Using flexible and diverse teaching resources at course or module level.(such as e-resources, etc.)

• Exploring different methods of peer-to-peer mentoring• Comparing drop-in and built-in academic skills instruction.• Ways of engaging students in the personal tutorial scheme