Creating innovative research training environments for knowledge transformation

The University of Wollongong has secured funding for a joint project to explore the collaborative development of research training subjects.

Rationale

The development of students’ ability to engage in innovation and knowledge transformation draws upon their in-depth understanding of discipline knowledge, knowledge production, and research practices. The proposed UIC project will support the collaborative development of research training subjects for research students across four schools (Education, Psychology, Geography and Sustainable Communities, and Health and Society) of the Faculty of Sciences (SOC), in partnership with Centre of Doctoral Education from Institute of Education, UCL. The recent review of SOC HDR programs has identified inconsistencies in terms of research training opportunities made available for Faculty research students. Our initial focus will be on developing a suite of Faculty based research training subjects which will foster development of deep, discipline specific knowledge, and transferrable skills.

Scope

Research has consistently shown that formation of effective researchers rests upon the development of an ability to apply highly developed research methodologies, together with opportunities for mentoring and socialization into disciplinary research practices . The proposed UIC project will fund the organization of an international symposium on advanced research methods based on a pre-identified theme of significant issues which are of concern to social science disciplines. The symposium will draw on diverse methodological expertise from teams at UOW and UCL to model how experts apply knowledge to problem solving and designing an innovative solution – a process underlying innovation. The symposium will be recorded and made available to IOE research students. Embedded within a real research problem, the symposium will offer an authentic learning experience for UOW and UCL research students to build meaningful construction of complex methodological approaches. Showcasing multiple approaches, the symposium will foster interdisciplinary dialogue, encourage critical thinking, analysis and reflection, and ultimately support transfer of learning. Participation of world leading experts from UCL will enhance our students’ international experience.

Anticipated outputs

A specific output of the project would be the collaborative development of a suite of research training subjects that aims at developing deep, disciplinary knowledge and transferrable skills training. The delivery of an international symposium that features expert modeling and multiple perspectives will guide thoughtful development of advanced research methods. As the symposium will involve all researchers and HDR students at the Faculty of Social Sciences, it will expose Faculty researchers and HDR students to some outstanding research and ideas of our UCL collaborators. Authentic learning experience gained by students at UOW and UCL will enrich research training and research environment, and promote the values put forward by UOW and UCL.

In addition, we anticipate that the results of this collaborative work will lead to at least one peer-review publication. All participants have a strong track record of teaching and research innovation, and producing and submitting manuscripts with collaborators and preparing collaborative grants. This output will raise the international profile of the higher degree research programs of Faculty of Social Sciences. It will contribute to discussion on effective ways to support transferrable skills training as universities seek to respond to the current policy imperative.