Implementing Research-Based Education

Name of Expert

Wolfgang Deicke

Date of Visit

26.11.2015

Themes

Implementing Research-Based Education (RBE)

Objectives of the visit

Provide information on the concept of RBE, different formats of integrating RBE in the curriculum and different models of implementing RBE

Format of the activity (seminar, training, etc)

One-day seminar of lectures and project presentations

Brief description of activities conducted

Three presentations on 1. The concept of research-based education 2. Strategies towards its implementation and 3. Models for integrating RBE in the curriculum

Participants targeted

The presentations were targeted at a mixed audience of political and Higher Education decision makers (ministry of education, rectorate and deans),  curriculum developers at faculty and departmental level (deans and senior academic staff) and teaching staff and students.

The majority of the participants (ca. 25 for the first session) fell into the last group (teaching staff). Three deans were present for part of the day and the VR for teaching opened the first session.

Main ‘take-aways’ from the perspective of the expert

1. There are two different ways of linking research to teaching:
   • Research is used to train future researchers (C3 -Research-based learning/RBL)
   • Research-style activities are used to get students to engage with their subject and become independent learners (undergraduate research/inquiry based learning and various sub-forms of active pedagogy)
2. The implementation of RBE is most likely to be successful when it has clear aims. There needs to be an institutional commitment (at university level) to these aims, but the strategies for implementation need to match the institutional context (staff resources, staff experience, student numbers, graduate careers) at the local departmental or faculty level.
3. When thinking about the right RBE/IBL strategy at departmental level, start backwards from the skills and competences you want your graduates to be able to demonstrate upon graduation.
4. The first type of linking research to teaching might help in developing departmental research culture. The second type can be used generally to enhance the student experience and provide students with opportunities to apply their theoretical and methodological knowledge to practical fields.