Undergraduates as researchers –the impact of active participation in research and conference presentation on psychology undergraduate identity and career aspirations

Although research-led teaching has been identified as an important part of psychology curricula in the United Kingdom, less is known about the impact of undergraduate research collaborations with academics, culminating in a conference presentation. The present study was a qualitative investigation into the experience of student-staff collaboration from a student perspective. We conducted semi-structured interviews with five psychology students who worked together with staff conducting research during their undergraduate degrees, disseminating the findings at an academic conference. The interviews were analysed using a thematic approach. We identified three themes, which were around the relationship with their tutor, career aspirations, and identity as a researcher/psychologist. Overall, the interviews indicated that undertaking research and attending academic conferences has a positive impact on future career aspirations, and helps students to feel that they are part of an academic community. Academic staff teaching in research-led psychology programmes should consider giving students opportunities to immerse themselves fully in the research process, ideally leading to a conference presentation for academic audiences

Name It and Claim It: Cross-Campus Collaborations for Community-Based Learning

This article describes the value of cross-campus collaborations for community-based learning. We argue that community-based learning both provides unique opportunities for breaking academic silos and invites campus partnerships to make ambitious projects possible. To illustrate, we describe a course Writing for Social Justice that involved created videos for our local YWCA\u27s Racial Justice Program. We begin by discussing the shared value of collaboration across writing studies and librarianship (our disciplinary orientations). We identify four forms of cross-campus collaboration, which engaged us in working with each other, with our community partner, and with other partners across campus. From there, we visualize a timeline, turning from the why of cross-campus collaborations to the how. Finally, we underscore the need to name and claim--to value and cultivate--cross-campus collaborations for community-based learning

Colleagues, Classmates, and Friends: Graduate versus Undergraduate Tutor Identities and Professionalization

This study provides a new framework for thinking about the value of writing center work by illuminating how tutors define and negotiate their various and emergent identities as students and as professionals. We build on conversations about tutor identity to argue that tutors’ multiple roles affect the dynamics of the writing center as a whole. From interviews with graduate and undergraduate tutors about professionalization and the writing center, we reveal that the tutors’ level of resistance to or acceptance of writing center work impacts the extent to which they see themselves as burgeoning professionals within that space and, concomitantly, affects the sense of community in the writing center. At our site of study, undergraduate tutors who self-selected into writing center employment generally had much more positive associations with their writing center experiences than their graduate student counterparts, who were often compelled to work in the center as part of their assistantships. We argue then that while writing centers can be valuable in building the professional identities of both undergraduate and graduate tutors, the ways in which these different populations affect our centers is significant. As such, writing center professionals at all levels should work to acknowledge different identities and foster community among tutors who come to us with multiple backgrounds, purposes, and agendas.University Writing Cente

Men of Color: A Role for Policymakers in Improving the Status of Black Male Students in U.S. Higher Education

This report calls for greater involvement by federal and state policymakers and others to improve black male college readiness and completion. It presents policy-relevant trends concerning black male college students, highlights promising practices on campuses across the country, and proposes suggestions for policymakers and other stakeholders

Improving Faculty Preparation in Research Universities: Insights From The Teagle Foundation's Graduate Student Teaching in the Arts and Sciences (GSTAS) Initiative

This white paper describes findings and lessons learned from site visits to seven GSTAS grantees: Northwestern University, Cornell University, Stanford University, Columbia University, Princeton University, the University of California-Berkeley, and the American Historical Association (AHA). We argue that a key element of success in these programs was their treatment of the development of knowledge and practice in teaching, and the development of knowledge and practice in research, as both similar and synergistic. We also observe that, despite substantial differences in project design, the Teagle projects constituted a graduate-level version of "highimpact practice," such that participants experienced first-hand the kinds of instructional strategies supported by much of the scholarly literature they were reading

Astrobites as a Community-led Model for Education, Science Communication, and Accessibility in Astrophysics

Support for early career astronomers who are just beginning to explore astronomy research is imperative to increase retention of diverse practitioners in the field. Since 2010, Astrobites has played an instrumental role in engaging members of the community -- particularly undergraduate and graduate students -- in research. In this white paper, the Astrobites collaboration outlines our multi-faceted online education platform that both eases the transition into astronomy research and promotes inclusive professional development opportunities. We additionally offer recommendations for how the astronomy community can reduce barriers to entry to astronomy research in the coming decade

Higher Education Research in Scotland: Report of a Survey Undertaken by Universities Scotland Educational Development Sub-Committee

The aim of this study was to gain an insight into a range of higher educational research taking place across Scotland with a particular focus on the nature, expertise, support and dissemination of this research. For the purposes of this study, we used the term ‘research into higher education’ to refer to a range of higher educational research activity that included: research into higher education policies and practice, pedagogical research, research into learning and teaching taking place in higher education and research about transition from further education or school into higher education. The findings point to the underground nature of pedagogic research taking place in Scotland. Many researchers are based within disciplines and their pedagogic research is disseminated in a variety of settings that do not always make it easily accessible within generic higher education research discourse. Pedagogic research is also apparently undervalued, with many academic staff experiencing pressure to prioritise publishing within their main discipline over and above pedagogic research. In addition there appears to be a lack of capacity within Scottish institutions to maximise the profile of higher educational research in the forthcoming UK Research Excellence Framework (REF) exercise

Closing the Gap: A Practical Guide to Science in the Writing Center

University Writing Cente

Every student counts: promoting numeracy and enhancing employability

This three-year project investigated factors that influence the development of undergraduates’ numeracy skills, with a view to identifying ways to improve them and thereby enhance student employability. Its aims and objectives were to ascertain: the generic numeracy skills in which employers expect their graduate recruits to be competent and the extent to which employers are using numeracy tests as part of graduate recruitment processes; the numeracy skills developed within a diversity of academic disciplines; the prevalence of factors that influence undergraduates’ development of their numeracy skills; how the development of numeracy skills might be better supported within undergraduate curricula; and the extra-curricular support necessary to enhance undergraduates’ numeracy skills

Nip & Tuck: The Humanities and Social Sciences under the Knife

The British government has cut funding for teaching the humanities and social sciences by 100%. This monumentally foolish decision directed by Lord Browne – the former CEO of BP, who arguably has no connection, experience or qualifications to oversee educational provision – was implemented by the Coalition. Lord Browne’s Report argues that STEM subjects; science, technology, economics and mathematics are prioritised as strategically important subjects for higher education, securing a sustainable future for them. Browne here seems to be suggesting that encouraging students to think, engage with critique, analysis and evaluation (as the humanities and social sciences do) is harmful to the longevity of educational provision. This is not only senseless it is restrictive to development opportunities and employability enhancement for young people. To imply that art, culture, language, history, philosophical and theological debate, interfaith dialogue etc. are irrelevant to society is absurd. This ill-considered and very short sighted decision is extremely dangerous long term, and will have far reaching consequences. Indeed, we are already seeing the repercussions as consumerism and marketization take priority over education; Britain’s universities are fast becoming the most expensive in the world – those that have not had to close down – impacting upon the social and cultural experience of young people and also their social capital and mobility. We have all seen the ‘botched’ jobs of unqualified cosmetic surgeons and the long standing, often irrevocable consequences of the ‘nip n tuck’ that promised so much and gave so little. The consequence of these surgical attempts made by incompetent so-called practitioners cause severe anguish and distress at best and extreme complications, radical or permanent damage at worst. Basically, a negligent ‘incision’ not only causes long and far reaching damage, it is extremely difficult to rectify incurring unwarranted expenditure. Perhaps something Lord Browne should consider when he assumes the power of a would-be ‘cosmetic surgeon’, and rather than attempting a procedure he is ill equipped to deal with – cutting funding from crucial sections of education – he should leave the decisions to professional educationalists. This paper discusses the implications of funding cuts to the humanities and social sciences and argues that government utilitarian reasoning is radically short-sighted. The humanities and social sciences are crucial to understanding society – past, present and future – and the complexities of relationships; local, national and international. Indeed, the humanities and social sciences are the foundations of democracy and therefore essential to understanding economies