Research staff: the missing link in teaching and learning?

School:  Geosciences

Team Members:  Cecile Menard, Gabi Hegerl, Simon Shackley, Dan Swanton

Abstract

Research staff (RS) are rarely included in teaching and learning (T&L) strategies even though the early career researchers and postdocs of today are the lecturers of tomorrow. Nevertheless, increasing the teaching capacity with RS who want to engage in T&L has the potential to impact positively on students’ engagement and sense of belonging. Not only are RS extremely well-placed to engage in research-led learning activities, but, as the most diverse population in academia, they can contribute to reducing the diversity gap between staff and students. Taking the School of Geosciences - which has a broad teaching and research remit as it encompasses human and physical sciences - as a case study, the aim of this proposed project is to investigate and to evaluate how research staff engagement in T&L could enhance student learning. The project will (1) explore how bringing RS and students together could foster a more inclusive and research-led learning environment (2) provide a structure to support the development of research staff as educators. To achieve these, we will pilot the co-design of a research-led course, create a structured framework that will increase opportunities and transparency around the contribution of research staff in T&L and supervision, and build a T&L community of practice inclusive of research staff. The outcomes of this project will feed into curriculum transformation and teaching allocation discussions, as well as create structures and resources that could be shared within the university and beyond.