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Research Skill Development

Developing and assessing undergraduate research skills using the Research Skill Development Framework.

This publication is designed for staff who wish to develop and assess research skills at undergraduate level. Here is a framework for identifying, teaching, assessing and giving feedback on research skills. We introduce the framework and how it can be put into practice. The Research Skills Development (RSD) framework is general and adaptable, and is already being used by staff in numerous disciplines.

This page is based on published research by John Willison and Kerry O'Regan (2007), and written by Christine Ingleton, June 2008. The RSD framework and examples of its use in various disciplines are available at www.adelaide.edu.au/clpd/rsd

Why focus on undergraduate research?

The teaching of research skills at all levels has become an imperative for research-intensive universities.

There is evidence that a focus on undergraduate research has raised participation rates in postgraduate research and resulted in higher PhD completion rates (Bauer & Bennett 2003; Kardash 2000).

Higher levels of student satisfaction and generic skill development have been associated with the development of undergraduate research skills (Willison & O'Regan 2007, p.393).

The Boyer Commission on Educating Undergraduates in the Research University, 1998, strongly advocated that 'a deep and abiding understanding that enquiry, investigation, and discovery [be] at the heart of the [university] enterprise' (The Boyer Commission on Educating Undergraduates in the Research University 1998, p.9).

Which undergraduate research skills?

Drawing from the ANZIIL (2004) Standards (ANZIIL 2004) and Bloom's Taxonomy (Bloom et al 1956), the following common research activities and skills are identified in the RSD framework:

• embark on inquiry and so determine a need for knowledge/understanding;
• find/generate needed information/data using appropriate methodology;
• critically evaluate information/data and the process to find/generate them;
• organise information collected/generated;
• synthesise, analyse and apply new knowledge;
• communicate knowledge and understanding and the processes used to generate them . (Willison & O'Regan 2007, p.403)

Skills and autonomy

As students' research skills advance, so does their need to become critical decision-makers. Beginning with teacher-determined goals with a high level of guidance and closed enquiry, students build their research skills and autonomy through undertaking increasingly self-determined lines of enquiry, use of resources, critique and decision-making.

Concepts of undergraduate research

Undergraduate research is conceptualised as a continuum of learning ranging from a beginning with a few directed readings to undertaking major independent research projects.

Research may begin at the lowest level of independence simply as an assignment question with a high degree of guidance, or at a more advanced level, a student-designed project within clear parameters. It is about discovery, the need to know, moving from the known to the unknown.

At the same time it is about developing students' autonomy, their independence in learning. The level of student independence or autonomy is closely related to the complexity of the research process and skills required.

What does the RSD framework look like?

You can view the RSD framework at www.adelaide.edu.au/clpd/rsd.

Both skills and autonomy are situated on a grid to identify and track each individual student's performance in any given task or assignment.

On the vertical axis, six research facets or skills are identified. These can be expressed according to the language of your discipline.

On the horizontal axis five levels of autonomy are described from

Level 1: Closed Enquiry Requiring a High Degree of Structure/Guidance
to
Level 5: Open Enquiry within Self-determined Guidelines

Individual students will not necessarily progress neatly from low to high levels; different contexts and tasks will require students to demonstrate different skill levels.

What does the framework achieve?

• You can clearly identify the skills you want students to learn, in language appropriate to your discipline.
• You design the tasks, assignments or assessments that require students to demonstrate those skills.
• When students are shown the purpose of the framework and how the assignments fit into it, they can see clearly what they are aiming for.
• Students can self-assess their levels of performance against the explicit criteria of the framework.
• Feedback comes in the context of the framework: you can point out exactly at which level each individual student is performing in any given assignment. Their levels will vary with different assignments.

• Your assessments can be tailored to develop and give feedback on specific skills. Students can immediately see from the marking grid (based on the RSD framework) what and where they need to improve.
• Your feedback to students is quick and specific. 'Lecturers can anticipate and diagnose students' positions, set goals and plan appropriate courses of action, developing in students a vision of the big picture; students can see where they are going and what is required.' (Willison & O'Regan 2007, p.403)

Setting up RSD in established courses

Your existing assessments can be used. Because the framework enables clear identification of research skills and desired outcomes, it also encourages teachers to refine and modify assessments to achieve these outcomes. You will need to explain to students which levels of the framework you are using so that they understand what they should be aiming for. When you give them a marking criteria grid along with their assignment, they can easily see the level they are performing at in any assignment.

A vignette: academics talk about putting the RSD into practice

Click on the following link and read what two lecturers in First Year Human Biology at Adelaide University say about their experiences in implementing the RSD framework.
www.adelaide.edu.au/clpd/rsd/explain/humanbio/vignette

Examples in different disciplines

The RSD has been utilised in over 10 disciplines at different year levels at the University of Adelaide:

• Agriculture, Masters by Coursework
• Dentistry, First Year
• Electronic Engineering, Masters by Coursework and Honours
• English, Second/Third Year
• Graduate Certificate in Education (Higher Education)
• Human Biology, First Year
• Introductory Academic Program for international students
• Nursing, First Year
• Oral Health, First Year
• Petroleum Engineering, First Year
• Software Engineering, Masters by coursework
• Veterinary Science, Second Year

It is being implemented and evaluated in 4 other universities under an ALTC (formerly Carrick) Grant awarded to Dr John Willison in 2007:

• Psychology at Macquarie University
• Business Ethics at Monash University
• Business Law at University of Melbourne
• Introduction to Tertiary Learning at University of South Australia

For further information visit the RSD website

http://www.adelaide.edu.au/clpd/rsd/

References

ANZIIL (2004). Australian and New Zealand information literacy framework: principles, standards and practice, (2nd ed.) Retrieved 3 April 2006 from http://www.caul.edu.au/info-literacy/InfoLiteracyFramework.pdf .

Bauer, K. & Bennett, J. (2003). Alumni perceptions used to assess undergraduate research experience. The Journal of Higher Education 74 (2), 210-230.

Bloom, B., Engelhardt, M.D., Furst, E.J., Hill, W.H., & Krathwohl, D.R. (1956). Taxonomy of Educational Objectives, NewYork: David McKay Company.

Kardash, C. (2000). Evaluation of an undergraduate research experience: perceptions of undergraduate interns and their faculty mentors. Journal of Educational Psychology 92 (1). 191-201.

The Boyer Commission on Educating Undergraduates in the Research University (1998). Reinventing undergraduate education: a blueprint for America's research universities . Stony Brook: New York. Retrieved 29 September, 2005, from http://naples.cc.sunysb.edu/Pres/boyer.nsf/

Willison, J.W. & O'Regan, K. (2007). Commonly known, commonly not known, totally unknown: a framework for students becoming researchers in Higher Education Research and Development (26) 4 December 2007 pp 393-403.

Willison, J.W. & O'Regan, K. (2006). Research Skill Development Framework. Retrieved 11 August 2008 from www.adelaide.edu.au/clpd/rsd

Willison, J.W. & O'Regan, K. (2005). 2020 Vision: An information literacy continuum for students primary to postgraduation. Research and Development in Higher Education: Proceedings of the Higher Education Research and Development Conference , July 3-6, 2005, Sydney.