Student experiences of the relationship between teaching and research consultancy: the case of a new university

The relationship between research and teaching in higher education has been the subject of much academic inquiry and research activity over the last decade and a half. The majority of these investigations have been conducted from the perspective of the academic teacher and researcher, but recently there has been a growth of interest in asking about the nature of the student learning experience in relation to research, and this study adds to what is known about the way students understand and experience (staff) research. Firstly, it may be argued that learning through teaching and research is the primary function of higher education. Secondly, the integration of research with teaching finds a resonance with the enhancement of learning through inquiry that it promotes. The rise in interest in academic scholarship an.d professional and pedagogic development has also promoted new approaches to academic work, where the division between research and teaching is seen as simplistic, and overlooking critical linkages. So the nexus is complex and not necessarily one-way, with teaching having an equal share in the balance. The research uses a mixed-method approach over two stages of data collection. Initially an electronic questionnaire survey is conducted to obtain an appropriate sample population of students and to determine the aspects of the student learning experience to be tested further in the subsequent smallgroup discussions. These discussion groups build on the questionnaire to explore the issues it raises, and allow students the chance to develop and articulate their experiences of and beliefs about, teaching and research. Nearly 200 students figure in the questionnaire survey and 17 are included in I the subsequent small-group discussions. There are both undergraduates and postgraduates at each stage of the data collection. The research takes place in a single new university and is the first to ask students explicitly about consultancy, seen as a complement to previous investigations specifically into research. From the research undertaken it can be concluded first that students are generally positive about research and consultancy. There are disciplinary differences in the findings which support the findings of previous studentcentred research, as well as variations between levels of study. lt is argued that the negative consequences of research and consultancy can be largely resolved through readdressing staff-student relationships and effective management of the relationship between teaching and research at departmental level. A model of student learning is proposed which responds to the main findings of this current research by reconceptualising the relationship between academic staff and students The relationship between research and teaching is central to this model

The research-teaching nexus: A case study of students' awareness, experiences and perceptions of research

This paper presents a case study of students' awareness, experiences and perceptions of research in a 'new' university in the UK. The findings are based on a questionnaire of almost 200 students and five small group interviews. Many of the students participating in this research perceived clear benefits to their learning from staff research, including being taught by enthusiastic staff, enhanced staff credibility, and the reflected glory of being taught by well-known researchers. However, they also perceived disadvantages, particularly with regard to staff availability, and did not believe that staff research should take priority over their needs as learners. They recognised that their awareness of the nature of research and the development of research skills increased most when they were actively involved in undertaking research projects. Several students also perceived benefits for future employment from their participation in research activities. The questionnaire has been used by several other universities around the world to benchmark their practices. © 2010 Taylor & Francis

Student experiences of the relationship\ud between teaching\ud and research consultancy: the case of a new\ud university

The relationship between research and teaching in higher education has\ud been the subject of much academic inquiry and research activity over the last\ud decade and a half. The majority of these investigations have been conducted\ud from the perspective of the academic teacher and researcher, but recently\ud there has been a growth of interest in asking about the nature of the student\ud learning experience in relation to research, and this study adds to what is\ud known about the way students understand and experience (staff) research.\ud Firstly, it may be argued that learning through teaching and research is the\ud primary function of higher education. Secondly, the integration of research\ud with teaching finds a resonance with the enhancement of learning through\ud inquiry that it promotes. The rise in interest in academic scholarship an.d\ud professional and pedagogic development has also promoted new approaches\ud to academic work, where the division between research and teaching is seen\ud as simplistic, and overlooking critical linkages. So the nexus is complex and\ud not necessarily one-way, with teaching having an equal share in the balance.\ud The research uses a mixed-method approach over two stages of data\ud collection. Initially an electronic questionnaire survey is conducted to obtain\ud an appropriate sample population of students and to determine the aspects of\ud the student learning experience to be tested further in the subsequent smallgroup\ud discussions. These discussion groups build on the questionnaire to\ud explore the issues it raises, and allow students the chance to develop and\ud articulate their experiences of and beliefs about, teaching and research.\ud Nearly 200 students figure in the questionnaire survey and 17 are included in\ud I\ud the subsequent small-group discussions. There are both undergraduates and\ud postgraduates at each stage of the data collection. The research takes place\ud in a single new university and is the first to ask students explicitly about\ud consultancy, seen as a complement to previous investigations specifically into\ud research.\ud From the research undertaken it can be concluded first that students are\ud generally positive about research and consultancy. There are disciplinary\ud differences in the findings which support the findings of previous studentcentred\ud research, as well as variations between levels of study. lt is argued\ud that the negative consequences of research and consultancy can be largely\ud resolved through readdressing staff-student relationships and effective\ud management of the relationship between teaching and research at\ud departmental level. A model of student learning is proposed which responds\ud to the main findings of this current research by reconceptualising the\ud relationship between academic staff and students The relationship between\ud research and teaching is central to this model

Ecological effects of invasive alien species on native communities, with particular emphasis on the interactions between aphids and ladybirds

The ecological effects of introduced species on native organisms can sometimes, but not always be significant. The risks associated with invasive alien pests are difficult to quantify. This paper concentrates on the ecological effects of invasive insect predators that feed on pest insects, because the former may potentially affect the biological control of the latter. The literature indicates that invasive predatory insects generally are resistant to changes in environmental conditions, long-lived and voracious with a high reproductive rate, high dispersal ability, able to spread very rapidly across landscapes and exhibit phenotypic plasticity. Their colonization of patches of prey may induce native predators to leave, but the evidence that invaders negatively affect the abundance of the native species is scarce and not persuasive. Insect predators do not substantially affect the abundance of their prey, if the ratio of generation time of the predator to that of the prey is large (the generation time ratio hypothesis), therefore the effect of an invasion by long-lived alien predators on systems consisting of long-lived native predators and short-lived prey on the abundance of the prey is hard to detect