Quality Enhancement and Communications

1
Developing a Research Active Curriculum Gail
Sanders Principal LecturerLearning, Teaching
Assessment, Sunderland Business School

• Background
• Teaching-intensive post-1992 university in
  North-East of England
• High percentage of non-traditional and overseas
  students
• Research activity funded under four beacons
• Most teaching provision not included in the
  beacons
• No financial support for staff research unless
  attached to beacon

• Project highlights
• Confusion amongst staff about the meaning of
  research informed teaching
• Little appreciation of the idea that students
  engaged in enquiry-based learning came under the
  banner of RIT
• Little engagement in pedagogical research
• Significant evidence that students at all levels
  appreciated and benefited from engagement in
  research-based activities
• Level one students demonstrate as much awareness
  of tutor research as level three (though puzzling
  dip at level two)
• Policy developed to extend the notion of RIT
  beyond the most commonly accepted RAE definition
  to include enquiry-based learning, student
  research development, and pedagogical research.
• The policy adopted the term RESEARCH ACTIVE
  CURRICULUM to better enforce the notion of
  students being equal partners in the process.

Project How do we embrace the principles of
Research Informed Teaching within the existing
constraints?
Curriculum In all disciplines the curriculum
will be flexible and current, and designed to
stimulate learners natural curiosity. At Level
1 the curriculum will be designed to introduce
students to the skills and processes of active
learning and knowledge construction in their
discipline area. This means a focus on students
as enquirers. The curriculum will be designed
to promote progressive development of graduate
research attributes fostered through increasing
student engagement in enquiry and understanding
of research in a structured way through all
levels. At level 3 UG all programmes will
ensure that students experience a suitable
synoptic activity which help them bring together
their understanding of their discipline and
professional area and prepare them for their
subsequent employment and civic engagement. At
all levels the curriculum will be structured to
allow sufficient space for experimentation,
enquiry and reflection, and will support
reflection in a systematic way. Programmes will
have an assessment regimen that has an
appropriate balance of formative and summative
assessment that assists learners in developing
and evidencing their knowledge, intellectual
development, and higher level skills at the
appropriate level. In all disciplines the
curriculum will promote the integration of
teaching and research.
Students Pre-entry information and induction
processes will be designed to prepare all
students, regardless of gender, social, economic,
ethnic or educational background, for the
experience of active learning.   The University
will provide a learning environment that supports
the development of communities of practice
within discipline areas that seek to engage
students with the curriculum, foster an
atmosphere of trust between academics and
students, and allow students to become confident
users of the specialist language and forms of
research and enquiry of their discipline(s) in an
academic and professional context.
The University of Sunderland is committed to a
curriculum that is research active. We define
this as a curriculum that   Engages our learners
throughout their programme of study, from first
entry, as active participants in enquiry,
research and knowledge creation relevant to their
discipline(s) and/or professional
practice.   Equips learners to be confident
thinkers who have an understanding of the
processes by which knowledge is produced, an
ability to identify the current boundaries in
their subject field, and are motivated to produce
new knowledge and understanding through enquiry,
critique and synthesis.   Is informed at all
levels by current and emerging developments in
research and professional practice in the
discipline.   Is supported by the professional
expertise of staff, and by the Universitys
research and consultancy activities.   Is
designed to provide a learning experience that
ensures that all graduates, by the end of their
programme of study, exhibit the core graduate
attributes of scholarship, global citizenship and
lifelong learning.
Quality Enhancement and Communications The
development and delivery of a research active
curriculum will be promoted as a core and high
quality activity both within and outside of the
university.   Development and delivery of the
research active curriculum will be integral to
all quality assurance and enhancement
processes.   The identification and dissemination
of good practice will be actively supported
through quality enhancement processes.   The
University will support effective relationships
with external bodies and groups engaged with or
impacting upon teaching and learning development.
Staff Taught UG PG curricula will be supported
through focused use of research activity.   The
University will provide a means to support and
encourage the strategic professional development
of staff who teach and support learning, and to
ensure that this development is informed and
underpinned by current pedagogic research,
innovation and professional practice   Staff
development and recognition processes will be
used to support and sustain the research active
curriculum   Faculties will provide processes
for strategic review and scholarly debate around
the subject of research active curriculum.