Staff and students working as partners in STEM and pedagogic research

1. 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

2. Introduction • Research Informed Teaching in the curriculum • Summer Undergraduate Research Internship Scheme • Engaging Students and Academics as Partners in Pedagogic Research

3. Students as Partners • “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

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

5. Research-Based Learning “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

6. 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

7. KU Summer Undergraduate Research Internship Scheme • 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.

8. Summer Undergraduate Research Internships

10. 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.”

11. Student Reflection 2012 ..”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”

12. 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”

13. 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

14. Intern blogs

15. Intern blogs

16. Why don’t more students apply? • 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

17. The Student Academic Development Research Associate Scheme (SADRAS): • 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

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

20. 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