Teaching-research nexus
Teaching-Research nexus- In a nutshell - 5 minute overview
- Introduction
- Teaching-research nexus and the Teaching and Learning framework
- Indicators of the teaching-research nexus
- How the Learning and Teaching Unit can collaborate with Schools to support the teaching-research nexus
- Examples of the teaching-research nexus at UniSA
- Resources and references
- Further assistance
Introduction
Rowland describes the 'enquiring' university as one founded on a culture of open and critical enquiry, underpinning both teaching and research. It is therefore in the spirit of such intellectual enquiry that information and resources are shared on these pages, to start conversations and stimulate ideas. There is no unitary, uncontested view of what the teaching-research nexus looks like (see for example Hughes in Barnett, 2005). Links between teaching and research are likely to be multiple, diverse, dynamic and discipline-specific. Evidence of strong links can be found in a variety of contexts; at Institutional, Divisional/disciplinary and individual teacher-researcher levels.
Teaching-research nexus and the teaching and learning framework
Critical enquiry is an explicit feature of the teaching-research nexus, through an emphasis on enquiry based learning experiences that develop research skills and critical dispositions. More broadly though, critical enquiry is a concept linking the different aspects of the University's teaching and learning framework. It can be found in each of the the core elements of the framework.
- It is expressed in the Graduate Qualities, through the development of critical and creative thinking, problem solving skills, reflective dispositions, the ability to question knowledge, values and assumptions and to understand and apply disciplinary and professional research methods.
- It is at the core of active student engagement, through which students reflexively and actively contribute to their own learning.
- It underpins the design of flexible learning environments that enable and stimulate experiential learning.
- Discipline and profession-specific methods and principles of critical enquiry are developed in distinctive disciplinary contexts.
- Research in professional practice is encouraged through practice based learning.
- Service learning can be understood to contain an implicit assumption that applying knowledge for the 'public good' requires a level of critical judgement informed by enquiry.
Indicators of the teaching-research nexus
Students learn through authentic enquiry
- students undertake learning activities which reflect the processes of research (e.g. student presentation of paper, student run conference, peer review each others’ essays)
- assessment activities mirror research processes (e.g. students are assessed on their peer review)
- students undertake enquiry-based activities
- students undertake enquiry-based extended projects as part of the curriculum
Students learn about research
- students learn about the role of research in their discipline/professional practice
- students learn about disciplinary constructions of knowledge
- students understand the contested nature of knowledge
- curriculum incorporates cutting-edge research and knowledge/evidence–based practice
- teachers discuss their own research within the classroom environment
- students critique the role of research in society/in their discipline/their future professional practice
- students learn about the drivers of new knowledge in their professional field
Students learn to do research
- students learn about research methods as part of the curriculum
- students practise/ engage in research methods and generate new knowledge (e.g. conduct interviews, undertake an experiment)
- students learn through research processes (e.g. undertake literature critique)
How the Learning and Teaching Unit can collaborate with Schools to support the Teaching-research nexus
The Learning and Teaching Unit is one of several service units which work to improve the teaching and learning environment for students and staff. The team includes academic and professional staff based on campus in Learning and Teaching Unit and in the Officer of the Director at 160 Currie St, Adelaide.
Examples of support for the implementation include:
- curriculum mapping to illustrate where research-related learning opportunities are currently available in programs
- identification of further opportunities for embedding links between research and teaching in curriculum
- evaluation of current critical enquiry approaches
- provision of discipline-specific examples
- development of tailored student support resources for assignments involving critical enquiry
- supporting research staff develop teaching effectiveness through programs such as Teaching @ UniSA, Supervising@UniSA, Tutoring @ UniSA and the Graduate Certificate in Higher Education (University Teaching)
Examples of the Teaching-research nexus at UniSA
Undergraduate courses:
- Case studies in Introductory Biotechnology 201 allow students to use research method to address problems.
- Social Research methods from the David Unaipon School
- Electrical circuit theory from the Electrical Information Engineering School
- Applied Physics Project A allows undergraduates to conduct a research project
- Applications Research Project 1 in the School of Pharmacy and medical Science
- Physiology 2 - poster project (Word document, 45 KB )
Resources and references
- Discussion paper (PDF, 96 KB) about Teaching-research nexus by Peter Lee (February 2007).
- Australian Learning and Teaching Council (ALTC) - The Academic's and Policy-Maker's Guides to the Teaching-research Nexus. Includes case studies of good practice in the T-R nexus sorted different categories including discipline groupings, year levels and strategy examples.
- Stehlik, Tom (2008) (Word, 380 KB) LTU/EASS Academic fellowship report: The teaching-research nexus in the Division of Education, Arts and Social Sciences.
- The Higher Education Academy - Linking teaching and research in departments and disciplines (PDF, 281 KB) by Alan Jenkins, Mick Healy and R Zetter (2007) and Institutional strategies to link teaching and research (PDF, 465 KB) by Alan Jenkins and Mick Healey.
- Oxford-Brookes - 15 points from LINK - Linking Teaching with Research and Consultancy in the disciplines of Planning, Land and Property Management, and Building.
- Useful ethics documents: National Statement on Ethical Conduct in Human Research and the Australian Code for the Responsible Conduct of Research
- Linking Teaching with Research and Consultancy in the disciplines of Planning, Land and Property Management, and Building; a project conducted by Oxford Brookes University, The University of the West of England, University of Westminster and Sheffield Hallam University, UK
Further assistance
Further assistance with Teaching-research nexus is available from your:
- Head of School
- Divisional Dean: Teaching and Learning
- Academic development staff at Learning and Teaching Unit, specifically the Academic developer - Research education
- Library - Academic librarians