1. Challenges

Several issues were raised in my focus group, the most prominent one concerning the availability of resources to involve students in research. Ideally, students are paired with staff and their research projects to best engage and to provide optimum support to the students. However, this only works if there are reasonable staff–student ratios in all departments. While there are differences between disciplines, one of the main challenges is low staff availability, which makes the inclusive involvement of students in staff research projects difficult. The inadequacy of spaces and facilities is also an issue when trying to accommodate large student cohorts, for example into scientific laboratories – even just for a tour. Specialist equipment, such as laboratory instruments, may be sophisticated and very expensive and therefore require appropriate training, which, again, needs staff and resources.

In addition to improving technical knowledge, there are also a number of activities or projects that aim to develop ‘soft’ skills such as team-working, time management, and oral and written presentations. Although these skills are transferable, and essential to doing research in the future, the link may not seem obvious to students in the early stages of their study. Consequently, as described by another participant of the focus group, there appears to be resistance among some students towards completing coursework before they have realised its importance in building their soft skills.

Some of these issues could stem from a lack of connection to the ‘real world’. Take the dissemination of research work and findings, for example. If these fail to be communicated to an audience wider than the few people involved in the marking process, they will be less powerful as a tool to link students to the world outside the classroom. This is possibly one of the factors that leads to low motivation among students in carrying out particular research tasks. Hence some consideration has to be made to translate their efforts into outcomes that have deeper and wider impacts.

2. Recommendations

2.1 Overcoming the resistance

Traditionally, only final-year students carry out a dissertation or final-year project. However, not all look forward to it, and there are many who see it merely as something they have to do to graduate. If students are able to find out where their passions lie during their early years at university, it can serve to build up the enthusiasm, knowledge, skills and excitement that are often lacking when carrying out that important final piece of work. Hence, opportunities for students to explore various subjects of their choosing should be promoted. Short exploratory classes featuring staff research activities can serve as a platform which, at least briefly, involves students in the research carried out in the university. Such classes can also help to introduce a wide variety of topics without students having to commit to an entire module; this can encourage them to look beyond their degree courses towards multi- or interdisciplinary studies. As students begin to get an idea of what they are most interested in, they will become proactive in finding out more about the topic and progressively accumulating related knowledge. Introducing real research at this stage is the best way to encourage students to continue developing their knowledge and skills in areas that interest them. Hopefully, they will be able to further develop these interests in their dissertation or final-year project – and work on it with passion.

2.2 Enhancing connections to the real world

Professor McCrindle encouraged universities to grasp every opportunity to partner with enterprises and industries, as well as form links with charities, museums, collections, societies and, in some cases, professional bodies. Building on these relationships, collaborations with partner organisations can be expanded through guest lectures, competitions, awards, real-life projects and even summer placements. These opportunities enable students to transfer and improve the skills learnt throughout their course into real-world systems while gaining different perspectives on the world outside the classroom. This is undoubtedly valuable for students’ personal and professional development as well as for future employment prospects. The chance of getting their work ‘out there’ and making an impact will encourage students to put in more effort, leading to higher-quality products and invoking a sense of pride that could hardly be obtained through standard assessments alone.

2.3 Developing abilities

Although it is inevitable that some research requires deep knowledge that may be beyond the understanding of undergraduates, students can nonetheless be encouraged to read secondary sources to get a good overview in the early stages. However, it is just as important to expose undergraduate students to primary literature, not only to be better informed of the field, but also to advance their critical-thinking and analytical skills so that they can later develop their own research. Selecting journal articles that are easier to understand, breaking them down to allow students to learn section by section, forming clear and defined learning outcomes, and providing guidance on how to go about writing a section of an article are some of the ways to help students get more familiar with primary literature.

Setting up a research unit providing training and support to promote entrepreneurship and business acumen should also be considered. This could provide relevant support through facilitating the delivery of short training courses, summer classes and internships, as well as linking students with external organisations for research projects. Developing the knowledge and skills of students is essential to prepare them for carrying out their own research.

2.4 Linking students with research activities

As discussed previously, the main obstacle to involving most, if not all, students in research is the lack of available staff. One of the focus group participants recommended using more postgraduates, especially PhD students, to ease the burden. Postgraduates are often looking to engage with undergraduate students, and having them assist, supervise and teach research will create immense opportunities for both sides. Giving postgraduates greater responsibility will also reflect positively on their personal experience and further develop their skills.

While these initiatives may encourage inclusiveness in research-based teaching, it is worth recognising that only a fraction of students are interested in pursuing research as a career. There needs to be an element of selectivity in how research opportunities are offered, so that more support and guidance is available to develop the skills and abilities of those students who want to carry on their research journey after their undergraduate degree.

3. Conclusion

While connecting students with staff and their research activities is lauded as the way forward in higher education nowadays, the implications of the change for both staff and students need to be acknowledged and addressed. Staff workloads will most probably increase, while some students may find it difficult to adapt to a different learning experience particularly in the initial stages. Hence, good communication between the staff and the students, as well as from the university itself, is crucial. Otherwise the approach could be a source of frustration for all, as expectations are not met. Students should have more opportunities to act as departmental and faculty representatives, with a voice in developing research-based education in their respective areas of study. Training and incentives should be given to both staff and postgraduate students.

In addition to institutional initiatives, motivated students can also help to develop research skills and opportunities through student clubs and societies. Activities such as workshops, competitions, talks and seminars can be organised by students and supported by the university and staff to enhance learning outside the classroom. The wider participation and deeper involvement of students in the implementation of this initiative is, in its own right, a real-world output, which will have lasting and positive impacts on students’ education and experience.

Ultimately, connecting students with staff research activities and real-world outputs requires the collaboration of many sides, and thus its successful implementation depends heavily on the collective effort of everyone involved.