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Summary Notes on "Integrating Teaching and Research,"
by Deborah Coppula, PRISM, ASEE, December 1979, pp. 18-22.
Summarized by James T. P. Yao – 8/24/99
"Many professors are replacing the age-old dichotomy that
pits teaching against research with an educational paradigm that
merges the two. … Among the main proponents of integrating
teaching and research are the Accreditation Board for Engineering
and Technology and the National Science Foundation … the open-ended
problem-solving skills stressed in ABET’s new educational assessment
criteria closely resembles the type of skills required to complete
the research process. In addition, …, NSF’s new review
criteria for grant proposals include consideration of a project’s
educational impacts."
"Moreover, NSF recently established the Recognition Awards
for Integration of Research and Education (RAIRE) program. These
awards go to schools that have made progress in joining their research
and teaching missions, and include grants of $500,000."
"In addition to ABET and NSF policy changes, public opinion
has also drawn attention to university teaching, … As tuition
costs continue to rise, the public want to know what universities
are doing with their research funds and how those funds contribute
to the education students receive, … Among the suggestions
… are
- encouraging students to join faculty research teams or to pursue
independent research work;
- bringing research into the classroom by using examples, problems,
and data from actual research projects, or by converting traditional
courses into educational research experiences;
- sharing research with communities outside the university (…)
…; and
- encouraging greater emphasis on teaching among research faculty
through rewards, review policies, and resources.
"One way many undergraduate schools integrate teaching and
research is by involving students in a variety of research opportunities
that can be linked to educational objectives. … Several schools
create positions for undergraduates on the faculty research teams
and actively encourage students to apply for them. … In addition
to providing jobs on faculty research teams, some schools offer
students opportunities to pursue independent research work. …"
"Creating positive research experiences for undergraduates,
researchers say, requires a great deal of sensitivity and careful
planning on the part of faculty members. … Thus they suggest
- providing undergraduates with an introduction to the field as
well as the project, so that they understand the relevance of
their work;
- taking time to determine the students’ interests and capabilities,
so that their research assignments will be doable and challenging;
- letting undergraduates work closely with graduate students,
so that there will always be someone available to answer their
questions;
- ensuring that the research is focused, that it has a high probability
of success, and that it results in a product, so that students
can see the results of their work."
"Many engineering and science faculty members are integrating
teaching and research by bringing the research experience into their
classrooms. … Some universities are starting to establish Internet
connections to instruments in their laboratories so that students
can have easy, timely access to real research data that relates
to their coursework. … Other professors bring research into
the classroom by structuring entire courses as research experiences.
…"
"Many professors believe that integrating teaching and research
in primary and secondary school programs is essential to getting
more students interested in engineering and science generally, and
in research career specifically. … While many faculty members
agree that integrating teaching and research is important, they
say that doing so is difficult and time-consuming. Thus, they claim,
a university is unlikely to cultivate widespread integration unless
it makes a firm commitment to recognizing and developing outstanding
teaching skills in all faculty members."
"In its effort to recognize the significance of teaching,
the University of Michigan has made teaching and educational innovation
important parts of faculty evaluations, … Nevertheless, …,
research and scholarly productivity remain critical to the faculty
evaluation process. This emphasis on research persists at most universities
and is likely to continue; many faculty members report that teaching
accomplishments and pedagogical research only receive great weight
after a faculty member earns tenure. …"
"Assigning more importance to faculty members’ educational
activities at review time or providing other recognition for work
in this area can help make teaching more of a priority among faculty
members. These measures alone, however, do not help faculty members
cope with the additional demands such a priority puts on their time.
Some schools have institutionalized support systems to help professors
find the time and knowledge they need to integrate research and
teaching."
"Faculty members and institutions working to integrate education
and research stress that although their efforts draw increased attention
to teaching, they are not trying to diminish the role of research
in academe. … Although merging teaching and research may be
desirable, it is also hard work. … Nevertheless, … integration
benefits students and professors alike. Moreover, …, the practice
can be managed with a little organization …"
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