New Book > Developing Undergraduate Research And Inquiry

Mick Healey and Alan Jenkins / The Higher Education Academy  / June 2009

Executive summary

This paper argues that all undergraduate students in all higher education institutions should experience learning through, and about, research and inquiry. In undergraduate research, students learn and are assessed in ways that come as close as possible to the experience of academic staff carrying out their disciplinary research.

The origins of our paper lie, in part, in previous published work worldwide – including our work – on bringing together teaching and disciplinary research. In particular, the paper stems from the United States undergraduate research movement, which started by providing research opportunities for selected students in selected institutions. 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. The argument is complemented by a large selection of mini case studies, drawn particularly from the UK, North America and Australasia.

This paper addresses four main audiences:

—— Academic staff (or faculty in North America) who are interested in engaging their students in research, either as part of the curriculum or as co-researchers;

—— Course leaders, department heads and staff with faculty and institutional responsibilities for research and teaching and learning who wish to develop strategies and practices to support undergraduate students undertaking and understanding the nature of research;

—— Staff engaged in educational and research development in universities, including Academy staff in the Subject Centres and in Academy York, who support staff in developing linkages between research and teaching;

—— Institutional and national higher education policy makers, including professional bodies and those giving research grants, who are concerned to develop policies to encourage undergraduates to become involved with research.

Contents

Preface 2

Executive summary 3

Argument, origins and scope 5

Nature of undergraduate research and inquiry 15

Issues of inclusiveness 33

Disciplinary practices and strategies 47

Departmental and course team practices and strategies 67

Institutional practices and strategies 79

National policies and strategies 105

The research evidence 113

Conclusion: building connections 121

About the authors 125

References 127

List Of Case Studies

Engaging students in research and inquiry at the beginning of their academic studies

Engaging students in research and inquiry later in their academic studies

Undergraduate research and inquiry in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) disciplines

Undergraduate research and inquiry in humanities, social sciences and interdisciplinary studies

Undergraduate research and inquiry in departments and course teams

Undergraduate research and inquiry in institutions

Source And Open Access Text Available

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

!!! Thanks To Alan Jenkins / Professor Emeritus / Oxford Brookes University / For The HeadsUp !!!