Projplan

							National Subject Centre for Geography, Earth and Environmental Sciences (GEES)

                            Linking Teaching and Research:
                                      Project Plan


Background
GEES is strongly committed to promoting ways in which staff's involvement in research can
benefit teaching (Appendix 1). This is an area in which GEES has considerable interest and
previous experience (see below). The fact that this experience is unevenly developed (with
Geography in a leading position) opens up the opportunity for fruitful collaboration both within
and beyond the GEES disciplines. Moreover, the geography, earth and environmental
sciences group of subjects provide an intriguing test ground in which to examine the linkages
between teaching and research because of the position they hold on the intersection between
the natural and physical sciences, the social sciences and the arts. They cover aspects of all
four discipline types (soft, hard, pure and applied) recognised by Biglan (1973). Few of the
other Subject Centres provide this degree of inter-disciplinarity.

Previous Experience
GEES, and its pre-existing subject groups, have been interested in explicitly developing the
linkages between teaching and research for some years, but few have identified specific ways
in which individuals and departments may develop the positive impacts of research on teaching.
Among the current initiatives associated with this bid in which members of GEES are involved
are the following:
     We have held two department-based workshops in the last 12 months concerned with
       examining the relationship between teaching and research (Environmental Sciences at
       UEA, Geography and Geology at Birmingham)
     One of our Senior Subject Advisers represents GEES on the FDTL funded LINK project
       based at Oxford Brookes on 'Linking teaching and research and consultancy in the Built
       Environment disciplines'.
     Four members of the Geography Discipline Network (one of the founding groups of
       GEES) are members of the national Research and Teaching Group, established by Dr
       Roger Brown, and the associated Pedagogic Research Group (Vaneeta D'Andrea, Vince
       Gardiner, Mick Healey, and Alan Jenkins).
     GEES are currently undertaking an LTSN funded project aimed at raising the PedR
       capacity of the GEES community
     GEES are funding 11 small research and development projects in 2002
     The GEES Senior Adviser for Geography (Mick Healey) has been invited, with Alan
       Jenkins, to co-edit the themed section of the third edition of the new Exchange magazine
       on 'Teaching and research'.
     Colleagues at the University of Gloucestershire, including two from GEES subjects (Mick
       Healey and Chris Short), have recently been awarded £16k to examine 'The relationship
       of teaching with research and consultancy: the student experience'.

Aim
To identify, record and disseminate case studies of the way individuals, course teams and
departments within geography, earth and environmental sciences enhance the learning of their
students by developing the links with their research and to promote ways in which individuals
and departments in our subject communities can maximise the benefits for students of these
linkages.
Method
GEES will use its department contacts, its Senior Advisers' networks, subject-based listserves,
and swap shops to identify 20 case studies. These will be put on the Subject Centre
Resources Web site. A dedicated set of Web pages will be developed on linking teaching and
research in the GEES area, including a review essay on the nature of links between research
and teaching in GEES disciplines along with an annotated bibliography of key articles and Web
sites and links to the case studies. A national conference on the topic will be held during the
academic year 2002-03, the outcomes of which will be published in Planet. Ways of
developing teaching-research links along with the case studies will be promoted over the next
three years through running department-based workshops on the topic and contributing to
conferences and meetings (e.g. discipline-based annual conferences; HoDs' meetings;
educational conferences).

Staffing and Responsibilities
Project Leader (responsible for leading project, obtaining case studies from geography
departments, preparation of materials for Web pages, running department-based workshops):
Professor Mick Healey (GEES Senior Adviser for Geography)

Project Team (responsible for obtaining case studies from earth and environmental sciences
departments, running department-based workshops in these disciplines): Jenny Blumhof; Dr
Neil Thomas (respectively GEES Senior Advisers for Environmental Sciences and Earth
Sciences)

Project Manager (based at Plymouth, responsible for administrative and Web support for the
project): Dr Helen King

Outline Budget
Project Leader                                                    £2250
Representatives of other two Subjects (2@£750 each)                      £1500
Travel, subsistence, consumables                              £ 250
Contribution from Subject Centre to support project: including time of Project Manager; run
national conference; support department workshops; produce a special Edition of Planet, the
Subject Centre's journal, focusing on teaching-research relationships (circulation of 2000 copies
in UK and overseas); travel and subsistence involved with above. Total support equivalent to
about £10,000.

Project Timetable
Months: Mar 02-Sept 03        1-3       4-6       7-9     10-12    13-15     16-18      19
Develop Web site

Prepare annotated
bibliography
Collect, edit and publish
case studies on web
National Conference

Prepare review essay

Special Edition of Planet
Key Deadlines

1 April 2002: Agreed project plan with Subject Centre Management Group and Generic Centre
Project Management

1 May 2002: Dedicated section of GEES Web site established

1 June 2002: Added annotated bibliography to Web site; identified, obtained, edited and put on
Web site at least one case study

1 October 2002: Identified, obtained, edited and put on Web site in total five case studies
(including at least one from each GEES discipline)

1 February 2003: Identified, obtained, edited and put on Web site in total ten case studies
(including at least three from each GEES discipline)

1 May 2003: Held national conference; identified, obtained, edited and put on Web site in total
fifteen case studies (including at least our from each GEES discipline)

30 September 2003: Completed review essay; published special edition of Planet; identified,
obtained, edited and put on Web site in total twenty case studies (including at least six from
each GEES discipline).


Appendix 1: Types of Linkage between Teaching and Research
We recognise that students in our subject areas may benefit from research in a variety of ways
including, where:
     the content of courses is informed by staff research;
     students learn about research methods;
     teaching methods adopt a research-based approach, such as through problem based
       learning;
     they undertake their own research projects, whether individually or in teams;
     they participate in staff research projects as subjects, as in, for example, perception
       studies;
     they assist staff with their research projects;
     staff undertake pedagogic research which benefits the quality of their teaching.

Research in this context is interpreted widely to include RAE-level research, consultancy for
clients, and action research aimed primarily at improving practice. We recognise that there are
also potential negative impacts from staff involvement in research, such as staff absences and
lower priority being given to teaching. Our experience is that for the benefits to be maximised
and the disadvantages to be minimised, the relationship needs to be managed.