Department for Curriculum and Quality Enhancement
University of PortsmouthCenter for the Studies of Higher Education
Nagoya University

Foreword

Why Link Research and Teaching?
The hallmark of university education is that it involves the production of knowledge rather than simply the communication of that knowledge. Knowledge canbe communicated by good teachers who are not engaged in research, but thedistinguishing feature of university education is that knowledge is communicated in an environment in which that knowledge is being produced.
Linking research and teaching also has a number of advantages in enhancing
student learning. Students’ knowledge about a subject can benefit fromexposure to the cutting edge of a discipline. However, immersing students in
the relevant disciplinary and departmental research cultures and the process of
doing research and enquiry can be of wider benefit. Designing research strategies, collecting and analyzing data and discussing and presenting researchfindings provide vital transferable skills, which are useful for subsequent
careers both inside and outside the academic environment.
On a more practical level, students who will be completing their own dissertations or research projects need to be introduced to the principles and practicesof research throughout their time at university. There is also evidence tosuggest that students who are actively involved in the process of research are
more motivated and engaged (Baldwin, 2005); furthermore, this method ismore effective in promoting deep rather than surface learning.
Researchers can also benefit from involving students in their research activities.
Students may provide alternative perspectives that can provide a useful mechanism for feedback on research projects. Students may generate valuable
research ideas and outputs through their work projects and dissertations.
Finally, inspiring and enthusing students about research enhances capacitybuilding for the future.

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How to Link Research and Teaching?

About This Guide

In most universities and in most subject areas, academic staff make reference

The UK government has actively promoted the concept of “research informed

to their own or other academic research in the course of their teaching; this isteaching” to ensure that all undergraduates benefit from learning in a higher

what Griffiths (2004) terms “research led teaching”. Other approaches involve

education environment that is informed by research, and has provided funding

students more actively in the process of creating and/or experimenting withto ensure that links between research and teaching are enhanced. In Japan,

knowledge. Teaching may focus on the processes through which knowledge ismany institutions have introduced seminars for new undergraduate students

produced; place emphasis on developing skills of research and enquiry; andwith the aim of providing opportunities for them to understand research activi-

develop a research culture in which students are encouraged to think aboutties and to obtain study and research skills. Furthermore, development activities

how knowledge has been developed and how they themselves can engage infor academics have been promoted to improve the quality of undergraduatethat process. The involvement of students in the research process can be taken

education.

a stage further by an inquiry-based curriculum in which students are involved
as active partners in the learning process. This involves a more radical overhaulThis guide is one of the outputs from a collaborative project undertakenof the curriculum and a commitment to engaging students as learning partners.

between the University of Portsmouth and Nagoya University on linking
research and teaching. The collaboration provided an opportunity to compare

The purpose of this guide is to supply examples, ideas and suggestions for how

strategies for linking research and teaching across different countries,

to link research and teaching in the mainstream curriculum and how to provide

disciplines and types of university. This guide draws on examples from both

opportunities for all undergraduate students to be engaged in activities that

institutions to illustrate how learning and teaching can be enhanced throughconnect research and teaching. Although we draw on the principles developed

enabling students to learn about and participate in the research activities ofat the University of Melbourne on building the learning and teaching nexus

their university.

(Baldwin, 2005) and on the work undertaken by Alan Jenkins and Mick Healey
on linking research and teaching (Jenkins & Healey, 2005; Jenkins, Healey, &Zetter, 2007), this guide has been developed and contextualized through casestudies from the University of Portsmouth and Nagoya University.

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The Weight of a Large Balloon
Scientific experiments incorporated into regular curricula are usually conducted according to strict instructions. Recently, a new type of experimenthas been introduced as part of a course for first-year students in the
School of Science: students must themselves design experimental meth-

COMMUNICATE THE

EXCITEMENT OF DOING RESEARCH

ods in order to answer a given question, namely “How much does one ofthese large balloons weigh?” Of course, this question does not refer tothe weight of the rubber from which the balloon has been made. Rather,
the students must figure out how to measure, in the atmosphere, theweight of the air contained in a balloon, and execute their ideas. They areprovided with a spring balance, a scale, a stopwatch, strings, a basketball,and other materials. The students, who have just entered the University,
are divided into groups of seven to eight members to tackle the question.
The balloons in question are each about one metre in diameter. Somegroups of students spend the first several minutes of the session playing
with the unusually big balloon. This behaviour is tolerated since the ses-Inquiry and research engage students’ intellectual curiosity. Before students
graduate from university, we should make them fully aware of the pleasure to
be derived in creating knowledge. Appreciating the excitement of doing
research can enhance students’ motivation to learn.

Talk about your motivation for doing researchCommunicate the enjoyment of doing research in your field
Share the excitement of producing knowledge

sion is also viewed as a time for first-year students to get to know eachother and make new friends. Sooner or later the students begin to discuss
their task and they try out various ideas. Some students assume it is goodenough to find just one answer, so the professor continues to animate theclass, encouraging the groups to look for a new method once they havesucceeded in weighing the balloon by one method.
This approach to experiment gives students a taste of scientific researchand helps them to depart from high school-style learning and assimilate
more proactive university-style learning.

Explain why research skills are important for students
Explain how research outcomes make a difference to students’ daily lives
Engage students through interesting demonstrations and examples

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Research Skills for Criminology
A number of distance learning courses run by the Institute of Criminal Justice Studies are aimed at students who are already working in the area of
criminal justice, but are seeking an academic qualification to develop theirunderstanding of the subject or to enhance their career prospects. The

DRAW ON

YOUR OWN RESEARCH EXPERIENCES

distance learning materials that support the Introduction to Research Skills
unit were designed to engage students in the current research interests ofthe department by explaining the different methods that members of staff
use to research criminal justice issues.
The section on questionnaires, for example, includes extracts from threedifferent questionnaires developed by members of staff, which provide
useful insights into the range of techniques and types of question that canbe used to gather information from respondents.
The section on observation includes an extract from an ethnographic
study undertaken by a member of staff as part of his doctoral work and is

The best way to help students understand what research is like is to use
actual examples, and the most effective examples are your own. Students are
fascinated to learn how their instructor is actually carrying out research.

Inform students about your research interests

followed by a series of questions that invites students to identify the strategies used by the author to integrate academic arguments with his own
observations; to consider their own personal characteristics and biography; and how these might impact on a similar research situation.
The materials also include practical advice and suggestions on handling
data and these are illustrated with examples of how research texts pre-Talk briefly about your history as a researcher
Explain how you have tackled problems in your researchpared by staff have used quotations from interviews to ensure that the
text has an authentic feel and avoid misinterpreting views.
Using material in this way fulfils a number of objectives which enhance

Explain why you became a researcher
Set up a website about your research
Use your papers and publications in your teaching08

the relationship between research and teaching. It makes students awareof the research experiences of staff and provides students with an insight
into the practical issues involved in designing and developing effective
research projects. It also brings the teaching materials to life and makes
them more interesting and engaging.

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3

Diffraction
The following example describes how diffraction is taught in a course on
crystallography. In preparation, the instructor obtains a roll of organdy(thin and coarse fabric with a plain weave), cuts it into 15 cm x 15 cm
pieces, and finds a safe source of light (both monochromatic and white). In

EMPHASIZE THE

PROCESS OF KNOWLEDGE PRODUCTION

class, the instructor gives one piece of cloth to each of the students, holds
the source of light and tells the students to look at it through the cloth.
Students often express surprise at the clarity of the diffraction pattern
with/without colour spectrum they see. Then comes their assignment:“Draw what you saw and explain why it looks that way,” and “Draw diagrams of the diffraction patterns you see when you stretch or fold thepiece of cloth, and explain why they appear that way.” In this manner,
the students experience the process of developing logical explanations
for the different examples and cases that they have encountered.
Toy glasses are also used in these classes, an idea suggested by a fellow
researcher. Such glasses often generate student interest because theyCommunicating the results of research is important in university education, but
it is equally important to teach the process of knowledge creation. Try to get
students to understand the dynamic process by which knowledge progresses.

Explain how researchers do their research in your field
Categorize the major research methods in your field
Relate the history of research in your field
Tell the story of how researchers overcame problems in their field
Use examples to show how the discipline is dynamic and evolving

provide unusual patterns according to the principles of diffraction the class
has already studied. The students are then asked to explain how theseimages can be produced scientifically. The answer is provided in the subsequent class.
The experiment with pieces of cloth originates from a personal experienceof instructor, who is a crystallographer. Once, with new curtains, he saw
the blurred light of a street lamp through the thin curtain. Looking carefully, he observed the diffraction of the light and a colour spectrum. Aftersome playful experimentation involving twisting the curtain and watching
the light through layers of cloth, he decided to have his students do thesame. Demonstrations on diffraction using a piece of cloth may not be
unique, but lessons based on ideas that researchers have generated personally have particular efficacy.

Explain the different approaches to knowledge production among disciplines

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Learning From Research
Learning From Research is a new unit that enables students to work withstaff on research projects for academic credit. Students can participate in arange of research experiences including: working on experiments; developing questionnaires or other research instruments; recruiting participants to

INCLUDE

CURRENT RESEARCH FINDINGS AND ISSUESIN YOUR TEACHING

a study; organizing and participating in focus groups; setting up or participating in interviews; collating, entering or transcribing data; and/or disseminating project findings. The level and extent of students’ participation in
research activities depends on the nature of the project and the level of theirown expertise, but they all have the opportunity to be included in ongoing
research, often at the cutting edge of the discipline. Examples of some ofthe projects currently on offer include: investigating the use and impact ofsocial networking activity; patterns of mobile phone use; local approaches
to social inclusion; intellectual leadership; women's liberation in Britain
1968–82; evaluation of a novel approach to navigation in a virtual world;comparison of two different computer-based input devices for evaluation of
Bradykinesia in Parkinson’s disease; and foreign languages and translation

Introducing students to the latest research findings and issues is one of theessential features of university education. Some research results, however, arestill in the hypothetical stage and have not yet become established as solid
knowledge. Therefore, it is necessary to present research findings in context.

Regularly update the syllabus to include cutting edge research
Identify the current state of knowledge and areas where research is ongoingin film.
To pass the unit, students must complete a research placement, attend twoworkshops and complete a research report that includes a reflection on thelearning they have achieved through the research experience. Students
may also submit a poster presentation that provides information about the
project and evaluates their contribution to it. The flexible nature of the unit
provides the opportunity for staff to involve students directly in their current
research activities but also enables students to experience the process of

Identify the key questions being explored by current research in the fieldknowledge development. This gives students a valuable insight into

Include the most current research findings in the fieldprovides them with excellent experience and skills that will be useful toacademic research for those considering research as a career, but also
them later in their course.

Introduce discussion on current research
Provide references to current academic papers

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Freshwater Ecosystems in Environmental Science
This is a new unit in which students will be taught about an array of freshwater ecosystems, such as rivers/streams, ponds, wetland and estuaries.
The course will also teach students how to design field investigations andundertake research-based activities. As part of the unit assessment, the

PROVIDE OPPORTUNITIESTO ACQUIRE RESEARCH METHODSAND SKILLS

Research requires various methods and skills, which can be acquired only
through actual application. Instructors are expected to give students such

students will carry out a piece of field-based research at a stream, which
they will have designed and undertaken themselves. The write-up for thispiece of work will be in the style of a journal paper (and will require the students to have undertaken a literature review, laboratory analysis of water
samples, macro-invertebrate species identification and data analysis).

Global Environmental Issues and Concerns in Economics

opportunities through class activities.
Each student is required to identify both an environmental theme (e.gTeach students how to use research tools

illegal logging, the toxic trade, the case against waste incinerators) – either

Show examples of how different research methods/skills are usedthat theme. Working closely with the unit coordinator, each student thenat the local or global level – and an NGO with its organizational focus uponundertakes individually directed research using the appropriate research

Tell students to conduct a small-scale literature review
Build small-scale research activities into group work
Tell students to analyze research data from existing ‘real world’ projects

tools/methodologies with a view to producing a briefing paper upon thetheme – and in a style appropriate to the organization and its objectives. In
those instances where the final report is deemed to be of a sufficiently highquality, it is submitted (by the unit coordinator) to the NGO for consideration– with a view to the report being placed on the NGO’s own website.

Introduce problem based learning

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Academic Essay Contest
Every year, the University holds an internal academic essay contest forundergraduate students. While students are free to submit their essays
independently, some participate as part of a course they are taking, as in
the case of the First-Year Seminar, which incorporates the essay contest

INVOLVE STUDENTS IN

VARIOUS RESEARCH ACTIVITIESIN YOUR INSTITUTION

into its course.
The First-Year Seminar is for first-year students who undergo the actual
process of study and research to acquire basic skills for scholarship in asmall class. Students taking the First-Year Seminar are required to summarize in an essay the results of a small research project they pursue throughout a semester. In addition to submitting their work to their instructor,
students also enter the essay contest. They also attend the essay writing
seminar offered by the contest organizer.
There are a number of positive effects of incorporating the essay contest
into the regular program of a course. First, participation in the contest

Universities carry out a wide range of research, and participating in realresearch activities is a rewarding experience for undergraduate students.
Students will be stimulated by observing a research project first hand and inassisting in carrying out research.

motivates students to work toward a higher goal. On the contest website,
students can consult guidelines on essay writing, including format andmaterial presentation, as well as previously awarded essays. Such information provides students with useful pointers for academic writing in general.
Secondly, the essay contest offers the opportunity to obtain positive
feedback. An essay by a first-year student may receive an award, in which

Give undergraduates opportunities to observe graduate classes
Provide opportunities for students to act as research assistants
Organize site visits to research centres
Inform students about the research interests and strengths ofstaff in your institution

case the author is profiled in the University's newsletter with his or her
photo. Thirdly, ensuring that the essay contest is part of the regular curriculum can involve students who would not otherwise volunteer themselves.
In other words, “ordinary” students participate in the contest, alongside
those self-confident students who are naturally attracted by such achallenge.

Encourage students to attend research seminars by visiting scholars
Encourage students to apply for essay and research competitions
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Criminology Journal
The assessment for one of the Criminology units calls for students tofamiliarize themselves with the format of academic journals in the discipline
and asks that they then produce an article based around one of four topics.
Students are provided with the criteria for publication, asked to submit their

CREATE

SHOWCASES OF
UNDERGRADUATE RESEARCH

One effective way to improve the quality of student research is to share outstanding results. Making such research results widely known serves not only

title (as part of the assessment) and offered tutorial support. Approximately
10% of the assessments are selected and presented at an editorial board,made up of staff and students. Work that meets the appropriate standard is
published in an in-house departmental journal, along with the work ofacademic staff.

User Research for Product Design

as positive reinforcement for the students but also as good examples forothers.

In the unit User Research for Product Design students undertake a smallscale empirical study comprising user observations and interviews in order

Provide opportunities for students to give presentations about
their research
Publish student work in departmental newsletters or in-house journals
Put student work on websites
Use previous student work as models for students

to design an innovative product. One recent project was to redesign
crutches; students interviewed users and employed other methods such as
observation and survey research to identify problems and to suggest
possible solutions. The unit coordinator organizes a poster presentation day
at the end of the academic year at which students exhibit their projects. The
presentation day is attended by a large audience comprising visitors fromlocal industry, local schools and colleges, and other students.

Exhibit student work at conferences or university events
Organize contests or prizes for the best student work
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Egg DroppingThis event is organized as part of the Mechanical Design and Creation
course for third-year students. Participating students must drop raw eggs
from the 10th floor of a University building without breaking them. To
protect the eggs, the students are allowed to use only cardboard and one

INTRODUCE STUDENTS TO THE

LIVES AND VALUES OF RESEARCHERS

tube of woodwork glue. They have one week to prepare their project.
While actually dropping the eggs, students are often confronted withfactors unanticipated during the preparation, which enables them to understand the importance of extensive preparation. They also learn to recognize positive traits in their classmates’ projects not found in their own(aesthetic appeal, low cost, ease of use, etc.). In a pre-event report,
students must communicate the concept of their project to the reader in aclear manner, while, in the post-event report, the feasibility of theirconcept and possible solutions to problems encountered during the event
must be discussed. The Egg Dropping experiment may seem simple, but
it contains a variety of elements that must be taken into account in anengineering process.

Over many years, researchers come to develop and share certain ideas andvalues, such as academic freedom, intellectual integrity and respect for diversity.
It is important to convey to students not only research methods but also
researchers’ ways of life and values.

The Innocence Project

Encourage students to have and to ask questions
Encourage skepticism about received theories
Explain how to think like researchers

miscarriage of justice cases, to find out whether there are any grounds ofappeal for prisoners or others who believe they have been wrongly
convicted. Currently this project is an extra-curricula activity for students,

Encourage students to understand and aspire to researchers’ values
and ethics

but it is intended to incorporate the project into the curricula as a pathway

Explain the system of peer review in academic journals

evidence in order to challenge the conviction, or seek to undermine theExplain how to become a researcher in your field
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The Innocence Project is a scheme whereby students work on allegedin the Reflective Practitioner elective unit. Under this project students
develop legal and factual research skills because they will have to find fresh
credibility of evidence presented at trial by the prosecution.

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References and Further Reading

Editors / Authors

Baldwin, G. (2005). The teaching–research nexus: how research informs and enhanceslearning and teaching in the University of Melbourne. Melbourne: The University of
Melbourne.

Jane Creaton

Barnett, R. (2005). Reshaping the university: new relationships between research,teaching and scholarship. Milton Keynes: Open University Press.

(Department for Curriculum and Quality Enhancement, University of Portsmouth)

Toshiki Nakai
Yoshiko Saitoh(Center for the Studies of Higher Education, Nagoya University)

Boyer, E. (1990). Scholarship reconsidered: priorities of the professoriate. Princeton
University, NJ: Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching.
Center for the Studies of Higher Education of Nagoya University (2008). Sevensuggestions from Professor Tips. Nagoya University.
Griffiths, R. (2004). ‘Knowledge production and the research–teaching nexus: thecase of the built environment disciplines’. Studies in Higher Education, 29(6),709–726.
Hattie, J., & Marsh, H. (2004). ‘One journey to unravel the relationship between
research and teaching’. Research and teaching: closing the divide? An International
Colloquium. Winchester.
Jenkins, A., & Healey, M. (2005). Institutional strategies to link teaching and research.
York: Higher Education Academy.
Jenkins, A., Healey, M., & Zetter, R. (2007). Linking teaching and research anddisciplines and departments. York: Higher Education Academy.
Krause, K., Arkoudis, S., James, R., McCulloch, R., Jennings, C., & Green, A. (2008).
The academic's and policy-maker's guides to the teaching–research nexus: final report.
Australian Learning and Teaching Council.

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EIGHT PRINCIPLES FOR LINKING RESEARCH AND TEACHING© 2010The Department for Curriculum and Quality Enhancement, University of Portsmouth
and the Center for the Studies of Higher Education, Nagoya University
All rights reserved.

The Department for Curriculum and Quality Enhancement, University of Portsmouth
Unit 3, St Andrews Court, St Michael’s Road, Portsmouth, PO1 2JH United Kingdom
e-mail: acdev@port.ac.uk
http://www.port.ac.uk/dcqe/
The Center for the Studies of Higher Education, Nagoya University
Furo-cho, Chikusa-ku, Nagoya, Aichi, 464-8601 Japane-mail: info@cshe.nagoya-u.ac.jp
http://www.cshe.nagoya-u.ac.jp/
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