Initiatives and events

NTU runs a Postgraduate Diploma in Research Informed Teaching which is part of the MA Academic Practice course and is mentioned as a case study on page 99 of Healy M and Jenkins A (2009) Developing Undergraduate Research and Inquiry which may be downloaded free from the Higher Education Academy. 

The NTU Working Party for Research Informed Teaching which operated from 2006-2011 introduced various initiatives aimed to strengthen links between teaching and research.  

Initiatives

SPUR (Scholarship Projects for Undergraduate Researchers)

This was introduced by the Nottingham Trent Working Party for Research Informed Teaching with the aim of cultivating and strengthening the links between teaching and research.  The scheme runs on an annual cyclical basis, and involves NTU staff bidding for bursaries to involve second year students in research projects.  Detailed information can be found on the SPUR webpages.

The SPUR 2 Success (S2S) Scheme 

This was introduced by the NTU Working Party for Research Informed Teaching in 2009.  Where the SPUR (Scholarship Projects for Undergraduate Researchers) scheme provides opportunities for undergraduate students to get a taste of real research through involvement in in staff research projects, SPUR to Success similarly provides opportunities for staff that are new to research to work on established research projects in order to develop their research skills and knowledge alongside established experts. The research knowledge gleaned is implemented into teaching to benefit student learning.

The experienced researchers hosting the research projects gain practical research support, improved research quality through the role of the associate researcher as critical friend, and the opportunity to share their own knowledge, expertise and research legacy in the role of mentor. More broadly the scheme provides an opportunity to identify and develop NTU's home grown research potential and foster teaching-research links within the curriculum.

The successful projects needed to be ones with the potential to foster relationships between teaching and research; provide a quality mentoring environment encompassing opportunities for the professional and personal development of the associate researcher and provide benefit to wider cohorts of staff and students beyond the participating individuals and their students.

The two projects which were selected to receive grants in 2009 were:

The realities of marketing in Small and Medium Size Enterprises (SMEs)
Project description
Presentation

The domestication of childhood in guarded societies: Social and cultural proximities in children's play and daily lives
Project description
Presentation

Associate Researcher Cyndy Hawkins has produced a screencast on researching with children. This is available from NOW in the School of Education technology enhanced learning and teaching room. You will need to be in reviewer mode if you are not in the School of Education.

It is hoped that the SPUR to Success model will build into the research process a capacity for future research development with a view to enhancing both professional development and student learning.

Events

The British conference of Undergraduate Research 2013
The third British Conference of Undergraduate Research (BCUR) will take place at the University of Plymouth in 2013.  A small amount of student funding will be made available; more details in due course.

Research informed teaching symposiums
NTU hosted the following Symposiums on Research Informed Teaching:

• 2009

The symposiums acted as showcases for Research Informed Teaching initiatives such as SPUR (Scholarship Projects for Undergraduate Researchers) and provided a forum for the exchange of ideas, knowledge and practice of linking teaching and research.