Developing a research integrated learning culture in undergraduate teaching and learning

Abstract

Post-graduate research students are key contributors to the research output of a university. Universities striving to grow their research and enhance their research profile face the challenge of attracting more students into Honours programs and beyond. There is also growing recognition that all students benefit from exposure to the culture and practices of research. We describe the activities we undertook to understand the current student experience and perceptions of chemistry and physics at University of Technology Sydney. Based on the data collected, we developed strategies to attract and retain prospective research students in these disciplines. Strategies were developed and implemented that introduced all first year students into the research culture at UTS .We also describe activities targeting second and third year students that were developed to provide opportunities to engage in meaningful research activities These activities included, as examples, first year research taste experiences, introduction of Wikipedia projects and building a research culture and community.