Life Impact The University of Adelaide Capacity-building for Quality Research and Publication Chad Habel, University of Adelaide Caroline Chanock, La Trobe University Fernando Marmolejo-Ramos, University of Adelaide

Life Impact The University of Adelaide Slide 1 A preliminary word: The impostor syndrome What is holding you back? (3 minutes of self-reflection)

Life Impact The University of Adelaide Slide 2 Welcome and introduction Welcome Introduction –Chad –Kate –Fernando Overview –What is (quality) research? –Activities involved in undertaking research projects –Getting started: collaborating on ideas –Towards a community of practice

Life Impact The University of Adelaide Slide 3 Developing a research profile Portfolio approach: –Documenting learning and achievements –Providing evidence of learning and achievements –A reflective tool for planning and developing a strategy towards becoming an independent researcher –A document for job applications etc. Rough format: –Where have you been? What research have you achieved in the past? What publications, conference papers, dissertations, or assignments can you be proud of? Acknowledge and celebrate your achievements! –Where are you now? What are you currently working on? What stage are you at? What’s going well, what has stalled, and why? –Where are you going? What are your future plans for research? Where do you want to publish/ What do you have to do to get there?

Life Impact The University of Adelaide Slide 4 Introduction: Chad Past: –Undergrad & honours in English (u/g major in Politics) –PhD in English (research apprenticeship) and some publications in my field, but little preparation for transference to new field –SLC: need research in T & L – Foundation Course curriculum redesign and research project (success), transference to discipline-specific Current: –Self-efficacy in access and equity programs –Learning and technology (Votapedia, game-based learning); (2011 annus horribilis) Future: –Publications in Higher Education, Studies in Higher Education etc –Research Grants: AALL, ALTC, ARC

Life Impact The University of Adelaide Slide 5 Introductions: Kate Past –BA (Anthropology); PhD African History –Academic writing and research skills –Motivational skills –Social skills –But no idea how to do research in ALL, until "theoretically- inflected narrative“ Present –Embedding academic skills development in disciplines –PG Thesis Writing Circles –Transition to uni: how students learn to read discipline texts –Transition from TAFE to uni Future –Encouraging colleagues in collaborative research –??

Life Impact The University of Adelaide Slide 6 Introductions: Fernando

Life Impact The University of Adelaide Slide 7 Capacity-building for personal and professional development Self-efficacy can be defined as one’s belief in one’s ability to put into place actions which lead to desired outcomes Very strong links to performance factors (GPA, retention etc); e.g.: driving Four sources of self-efficacy: (source: jcmc.indiana.edu) Therefore doing something is the best way of building your self-efficacy: scaffolding and strategy Handout: academic self-efficacy for students

Life Impact The University of Adelaide Slide 8 Quality research is possible; it happens all the time Brainstorm definitions of research What is “quality” in this context? – workshop –ERA – a side issue (for now) –“Rigour”, strength, defensibility –Empirical research (data collection) –Pursuit of a particular question or hypothesis –An identifiable method(ology) –Tuned in to contemporary issues and debates A coherent story: the research process

Life Impact The University of Adelaide Slide 9 Activities associated with undertaking research

Life Impact The University of Adelaide Slide 10 Pursuing curiosity What aspects of your practice, or of learning and teaching, are you most interested in? What do you want to know more about? What do you want to explore or say something about? –Individual reflection and writing: come up with three examples –Share with group and find points of similarity; write down research areas on post-it notes and bring the to the front for “sorting” –Reassign yourselves to tables based on research interests

Life Impact The University of Adelaide Slide 11 Beginning a collaborative research strategy

Life Impact The University of Adelaide Slide 12 Conclusion: Towards a community of (research) practice