Pedagogic Research and Scholarship Institute

A Research into Higher Education' Forum

Facilitating Pedagogic Research Debates Across Institutions

Organised by the Pedagogic Research and Scholarship Institute (PRSI) University of Gloucestershire

‘Informing Active Engagement in Learning and Teaching for 21st Century Universities’

Date:  Thursday 12th June 2008 
Venue: Park Campus, Cheltenham

Spirit of the Forum event

The spirit of this Forum event is that different universities are probably doing the similar sorts of pedagogic or higher education research (PedR) development and capacity building activity among their staff.  We could avoid duplication and increase the effectiveness of our research development activity by getting colleagues together to discuss opportunities for further collaboration.  There are diverse reasons for strengthening PedR links with our colleagues within HEIs in the broader region: to explore potential shared research agendas as well as potential collaborators for bidding, writing, advisory panels and project evaluators.  If possible, there should be incentives put in place to carry forward the potential collaborative outputs from this Forum event.  In this spirit, we have established a weblog so that participants and others can begin collaboration in advance of the event, and carry on discussions afterwards.

Forum themes

The University of Gloucestershire has identified several key research themes that tie into its strategic planning for teaching and learning. These have the overarching remit of ‘Informing active engagement in learning and teaching for a 21st Century University’ and involve:

• Internationalisation, learning and teaching and the curriculum
• Linking research, knowledge exchange, practice and teaching
• Education for Sustainable Development
• Technology enhanced learning
• Engaging diverse communities in the curriculum (including employers and other stakeholders)

We will also have a catch-all theme under ‘Informing active engagement in learning and teaching for a 21st Century University’’ where we will have a particular focus on 'Leadership and Learning in higher education/academic work'.  We recognise that many other HEIs will have overlapping research interest and look forward to discussing areas of research synergy!

Aims of event

• To allow cross-institutional research exchange and inter-institutional capacity building in PedR
• To provide colleagues with the opportunity to explore research initiatives and partnerships and collaborations beyond their institutions
• To provide a springboard for further collaborative initiatives with incentives

Participating Higher Education Institutions

Initially five partner institutions were invited to the forum but this has been extended to include several more as information about the Forum has been disseminated by University of Gloucestershire to their contacts.  The spirit of the day be inclusive and respond positively to requests to join us.  HEIs participating in the Forum and links to information about their research interests are listed here.

List of participants

Here is the up-to-date list of participants with their institutional affiliation and research theme interests.  We are anticipating that there will be 60-70 participants at the Forum.  We are keen that colleagues have a chance to contact each other before the forum if they wish, either through the weblog or directly. 

Participants were asked to signal their thematic interests in Research into Higher Education on the registration form.  This has allowed us to identify people with specific research interests but also people who form important bridges between the different research groupings because they have interests in more than one research theme.  Email addresses are provided in case you want to liaise with any participant in advance of the event.  The weblog will allow any initial exploration of potential collaborative research themes.

Why participate? Outcomes from the Forum

The Forum will allow researchers and leaders of higher education research development from the different participating HEIs to:

• Establish areas for potential research collaboration and funding bids at individual and University level;
• Develop inter-institutional research clusters on specific themes that  they can continue their discussions beyond the Forum; and
• Agree incentives for on-going collaboration.  For example, the PRSI (University of Gloucestershire) runs an Annual Writing Project (with writing retreat) and a Pilot Research Project Funding scheme.  Next academic year, it will encourage collaboration from colleagues from other participating HEIs in these activities. 

Cost

There is no cost for participation at the Forum.

Programme

Please see the draft programme and list of presentations and posters.

Venue

TC007, University of Gloucestershire, The Park, Cheltenham, GL50 2RH
http://resources.glos.ac.uk/directions/travelpa.cfm

Registration

All participants are asked to complete the booking form and then return it by Friday 30th May 2008 to:

PRSI Administrator,
Room QU181, University of Gloucestershire,
Francis Close Hall, Swindon Road, Cheltenham GL50 4AZ
Tel: - 01242 715379
Email: prsi@glos.ac.uk

If you see this information after this date, please contact us. It may still be possible to participate.