The Research Skill Development Framework: A Lingua Franca for Undergraduate Research Collaborations

2016 ◽  
Vol 36 (4) ◽  
Author(s):  
Anne Gerbensky-Kerber ◽  
◽  
Sylvia Tiala ◽  
Kitrina Carlson
Keyword(s):  
Undergraduate Research ◽  
Skill Development ◽  
Research Skill ◽  
Lingua Franca ◽  
Research Collaborations ◽  
Development Framework

scholarly journals PhD prepared: research skill development across the undergraduate years

2016 ◽  
Vol 7 (1) ◽  
pp. 63-83 ◽  
Author(s):  
John Willison ◽  
Femke Buisman-Pijlman
Keyword(s):  
Academic Staff ◽  
Skill Development ◽  
Research Capacity ◽  
Developed Countries ◽  
Health Science ◽  
Research Skill ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Degree Programme ◽  
Undergraduate Study ◽  
Development Framework

Purpose Many countries are looking for ways to enable students to engage more effectively with PhD study. This paper aims to consider the effects of explicit discipline-specific research skill development embedded in multiple semesters of an undergraduate degree on PhD preparedness. Design/methodology/approach This case study of one Bachelor of Health Science programme determined the effectiveness of the implementation of a conceptual model, the Researcher Skill Development framework, across the undergraduate degree programme. Data were gathered through interviews of 9 academic staff and 14 students in their fourth year of undergraduate study, which is a research-focused year. Findings All students and academics stated the benefits of the use of the Researcher Skill Development framework in undergraduate study including: deepening metacognition of research processes; assisting students toward acting and thinking like researchers; and the research-capacity building of the school. While all academics and all but one student recommended that the framework be used early in the degree programme, a number of interviewees specified problems with the existing implementation of the framework. Research limitations/implications While the results are not generalisable, the approach is worth studying in other degree programme-wide contexts to determine its broader capacity to enable students to be more research ready for PhD study when compared to current practice. Practical implications When adapted to the context, whole-of-degree research skill development may enable developing countries to have more students and developed countries to better prepared students commencing PhD studies. Originality/value No studies currently provide results for explicit research skill development across a degree programme, or of the benefits of this approach for PhD preparation.

scholarly journals Frameworks and freedoms: Supervising research learning and the undergraduate dissertation

2018 ◽  
Vol 15 (4) ◽  
pp. 17-31
Author(s):  
Gina Wisker ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Undergraduate Student ◽  
Undergraduate Research ◽  
Skill Development ◽  
Current Debate ◽  
Research Skill ◽  
Student Research ◽  
Construction Of Knowledge ◽  
Student Researchers

Much current debate about undergraduate student research involves a focus on ‘students as partners’ and co-constructors of knowledge (Healey, Flint & Harrington 2014, 2016). This debate reveals interesting tensions between student freedom and the role of structuring frameworks. Undergraduate lecturers and research supervisors might feel we are in a quandary concerning how far we can help manage a balance between supportive frameworks and the independence that student researchers need to develop. Will the use of the Research Skill Development (Willison & O’Regan, 2006/2018) framework and other frameworks at every step of the undergraduate research journey form a constraint, or an essential scaffold? This paper considers frameworks, scaffolds and the need for freedom and creative co-construction of knowledge to enable successful undergraduate research within the context of final year research and writing at undergraduate third year (UK), honours (Australia) or senior/fourth year (US and Canada).

scholarly journals Evaluating undergraduate research conferences as vehicles for novice researcher development

2016 ◽  
Vol 7 (2) ◽  
pp. 159-177 ◽  
Author(s):  
Pauline Kneale ◽  
Andrew Edwards-Jones ◽  
Helen Walkington ◽  
Jennifer Hill
Keyword(s):  
Undergraduate Students ◽  
Undergraduate Research ◽  
Skills Development ◽  
Learning Context ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Research Conference ◽  
Researcher Development ◽  
Development Framework ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
The Impact

Purpose This paper aims to focus on the undergraduate research conference as its sphere of study and investigate the impact of significance of participation and socialisation in such activities on student attitudes and professional development. Using situated learning to theoretically position the undergraduate research conference as an authentic learning context, connection is also made with the concept of graduate attributes. Design/methodology/approach The Vitae (2014) Researcher Development Framework (RDF) is used to provide a template for charting the experiences and development of undergraduate students as researchers. This can be applied to short-term activities and programmes and to long-term career plans. The insights from 90 undergraduate students participating in three national undergraduate research conferences were obtained through interviews, and thematically analysed to map the students’ skills development against the RDF criteria. Findings Three main aspects of undergraduate research conference participation were considered particularly important by the students: the value of paper presentations, the value of poster presentations and the value of the overall conference experience. Within these themes, participants identified a wide range of skills and attributes they felt they had developed as a result of either preparing for or participating in the conferences. The majority of these skills and attributes could be mapped against the different domains of the RDF, using a public engagement lens for comparing actual with expected developmental areas. Research limitations/implications This research helps undergraduate research conference organisers construct programme content and form it in such a way that students’ skill development can be maximised prior to, and during, the course of an event. Learning developers can also use these findings to help understand the support needs of students preparing to deliver papers at such conferences. So far, little empirical research has examined students’ skills development within the undergraduate research conference arena. Originality/value The outcomes of this study show the diversity of the skills that students developed and the value of the conference format for offering networking practice and enhancing the communication skills which employers value.

scholarly journals Interdisciplinary Training in Mathematical Biology through Team-based Undergraduate Research and Courses

2010 ◽  
Vol 9 (3) ◽  
pp. 284-289 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jason E. Miller ◽  
Timothy Walston
Keyword(s):  
Mathematical Biology ◽  
Undergraduate Research ◽  
Lessons Learned ◽  
State University ◽  
Interdisciplinary Training ◽  
Research Experiences ◽  
Research Collaborations ◽  
Mathematics Program ◽  
And Mathematics ◽  
Interdisciplinary Courses

Inspired by BIO2010 and leveraging institutional and external funding, Truman State University built an undergraduate program in mathematical biology with high-quality, faculty-mentored interdisciplinary research experiences at its core. These experiences taught faculty and students to bridge the epistemological gap between the mathematical and life sciences. Together they created the infrastructure that currently supports several interdisciplinary courses, an innovative minor degree, and long-term interdepartmental research collaborations. This article describes how the program was built with support from the National Science Foundation's Interdisciplinary Training for Undergraduates in Biology and Mathematics program, and it shares lessons learned that will help other undergraduate institutions build their own program.

A Survey of Practical Experiences & Co-Curricular Activities to Support Undergraduate Biology Education

2016 ◽  
Vol 78 (9) ◽  
pp. 719-724 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lauren E. Parker ◽  
Sara R. Morris
Keyword(s):  
Biological Sciences ◽  
Student Perceptions ◽  
Undergraduate Research ◽  
Skill Development ◽  
Biology Education ◽  
Colleges And Universities ◽  
Educational Opportunities ◽  
Educational Travel ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
Practical Experiences

Active-learning experiences – in classrooms, laboratories, and outside of courses – are highly valued components of preparing undergraduates to become biologists. We characterized the educational opportunities available to students in the biological sciences at colleges and universities within the eastern Great Lakes region and student perceptions of a variety of opportunities. We surveyed biology departments at 33 institutions to determine the availability of and participation in educational travel, internships, laboratories, skill development, and undergraduate research involvement. There was variation in the availability of internships, the types of skill development and educational travel offered, and the numbers of labs required in different biology curricula. Undergraduate research was offered at all institutions, and most research-active students presented results at least locally. Most colleges and universities offer a wide range of educational experiences and opportunities that complement traditional biology curricula and that are valued by students. Because fewer than half of the students took advantage of most of these experiences, schools still have the opportunity to increase their value in undergraduate education through increased student participation.

Mentoring for Research Skill Development

2003 ◽  
Vol 42 (12) ◽  
pp. 553-557
Author(s):  
Kathie Records ◽  
Roberta J Emerson
Keyword(s):  
Skill Development ◽  
Research Skill

scholarly journals Extra-curricular Undergraduate Research Training: Notes on the Pedagogical Practices Behind the Sydney Undergraduate Journal of Musicology

2013 ◽  
Vol 10 (2) ◽  
pp. 90-103
Author(s):  
Christopher Coady ◽  
◽  
Kathleen Nelson ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Undergraduate Students ◽  
Research Training ◽  
Undergraduate Research ◽  
Pedagogical Practices ◽  
Original Research ◽  
Research Projects ◽  
Research Skills ◽  
Arts And Humanities ◽  
Development Framework ◽  
Music Faculty

Although there is a clear body of evidence supporting the idea that undergraduate students benefit from participation in original research projects, many units of study – particularly in the creative arts and humanities – have been slow to embrace curriculum renewal along these lines. In this paper, we detail a pragmatic approach to meeting this curriculum challenge in a music faculty through an extra-curricular initiative that embraces, rather than challenges organisational structures already in place. The writing workshop associated with the Sydney Undergraduate Journal of Musicology provides a pathway for students looking to develop papers they have written for class assignments into original research projects. The design of the workshop uses the Madeline Hunter Direct Instruction Model as a vehicle for introducing students to the central tenets of the Willison and O’Regan Research Skills Development Framework – an increasingly popular tool for the development of original research skills. The effect of the workshop on students’ engagement with the requirements of original research and their eagerness to engage in original research projects is then explored through the presentation of data derived from a focus group comprised of workshop participants that took place one year later.

scholarly journals Student Perceptions of Staged Transfer to Independent Research Skills During a Four-year Honours Science Undergraduate Program

2017 ◽  
Vol 8 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Sarah L Symons ◽  
Andrew Colgoni ◽  
Chad T Harvey
Keyword(s):  
Student Perceptions ◽  
Time Management ◽  
Skill Development ◽  
Original Research ◽  
Research Skill ◽  
Management Skills ◽  
Research Skills ◽  
Integrated Science ◽  
Career Plans ◽  
Nous Utilisons

We describe interim results of an ongoing longitudinal pedagogical study investigating the efficacy of the Honours Integrated Science Program (iSci). We describe the pedagogical methods we use to prompt research skill development in a model from instructor-dependence to independent original research. We also describe a tool we use to help students organise their group research during their first attempts. Finally, we discuss students’ perceptions of how well iSci develops their research skills. Our results show that students are attracted to the iSci program because of the opportunities for research-based learning and skills development. We also found that in-program students value research skill development as a tool for successful completion of their degree and for their future academic or career plans. We conclude that our study methods help identify areas where we can support our students by building their research confidence and, in particular, their time-management skills. Nous présentons une description des résultats intérimaires d’une étude pédagogique longitudinale qui vise à évaluer l’efficacité du programme spécialisé intégré de sciences (iSci). Nous faisons une description des méthodes pédagogiques que nous utilisons pour déclencher le développement des compétences en recherche au sein d’un modèle qui va de la recherche qui dépend de l’instructeur à la recherche indépendante originale. Nous décrivons également un outil que nous utilisons pour aider les étudiants à organiser leur recherche par groupe au cours de leurs premières tentatives. Pour finir, nous discutons les perceptions des étudiants sur la manière dont le programme iSci développe leurs compétences en recherche. Nos résultats indiquent que les étudiants sont attirés vers le programme iSci à cause des occasions d’apprentissage basé sur la recherche et de développement des compétences. Nous avons également remarqué que les étudiants inscrits au programme apprécient le développement de compétences en recherche en tant qu’outil qui leur servira à terminer leurs études et à obtenir leur diplôme, ou pour leurs projets de carrière, à l’avenir. En conclusion, nous déclarons que nos méthodes d’études aident à identifier les domaines où nous pouvons soutenir les étudiants en renforçant leur confiance en matière de recherche et, en particulier, leurs compétences en gestion du temps.

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