Memorandum from Dr Roger Brown, Principal,
Southampton Institute (HE 09)
1. I am writing on behalf of a group of
colleagues who have researched this question to offer both written
and oral evidence on the relationship between research and teaching
in higher education. A list of group members is enclosed.
2. In summary, we consider that:
(i) There is a strong belief across higher
education that research, both disciplinary and pedagogic, benefits
teaching and learning;
(ii) However, the empirical evidence in support
of this is not a strong, largely probably because teaching in
higher education has in the main failed to benefit from the existing
pedagogic research;
(iii) If teaching, and undergraduate teaching
in particular, is to benefit from the presence of research alongside
it, a number of issues need to be addressed;
(iv) These include, in particular:
— an analysis of learning objective
in higher education and their relationship to teaching and assessment;
— the approaches to teaching and
learning adopted across institutions of higher education;
— institutional structures and
mechanisms for managing teaching and research;
— comparable incentives and reward
structures open to those conducting teaching and research;
— academic staff development related
to all the tasks conducted by academic staff.
2. The views of group members are set out
more fully in the enclosed papers (not printed). The papers are
due to be discuss at a seminar in Southampton on 19-20 January,
details of which are also enclosed. If you or a colleague would
like to attend, you will be most welcome.
Dr Roger Brown
Principal, Southampton Institute
January 2000
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