The Design and Development of an Institutional Digital Toolkit to Enhance Research Teaching Integration

Abstract

A research-teaching nexus (RTN) involves integrating research and teaching, with the benefits being increasingly recognised by universities. There exists a myriad of contextual factors that impact successful RTN integration. This is further complicated as many RTN models and frameworks are theoretical, lacking empirical evidence, or practical pedagogic support tools [1][2][3][4]. Those models and frameworks which are practical e.g., Connected Learning at University College London [5] tend to be customised to the institution(s) where they are used. Consequently, this paper reports on how a survey study conducted at Ulster University helped to understand the perception and practice of academics at Ulster, identifying limitations, challenges and conceptual misunderstandings. This analysis led to the development of a practical RTN toolkit, emphasising the opportunities for active and enquiry-based learning, the resulting RTN benefits for students' skills development, and practical suggestions for how academics (specifically early career academics) can achieve this research teaching integration. This became the basis of the design and development of a customised digital toolkit, responding to the gap in RTN practical pedagogic support for academics. This toolkit is now freely available online as an interactive PDF [6]. It provides more practical information, expanding primarily upon Healey's types of RTN [7], and has been informed and customised by studying the literature, survey findings (from Ulster academics), and case studies collected at Ulster University. The toolkit identifies RTN Activities, that are organised along a spectrum of passive-to-active student engagement, the RTN Competencies that can be developed amongst students by engaging in these activities, and a series of RTN Checklists to design and inspire RTN decision making. This toolkit has been piloted with academics from a range of disciplines with positive feedback. Early findings confirm that, for even experienced academics, it has helped to clarify conceptual understanding and led to new ideas for strengthening research teaching integration. This research contributes to the knowledge base on RTNs, providing a practical RTN case study at a large university, which is of relevance to universities with vested interests in strengthening the impact of research teaching integration for both academics and students.