Undergraduate Research in Australia
Dissemination
There is a sense in which, consistent with the ALTC dissemination framework, this whole Program is a strategy for profile-building and dissemination. Stages 1 & 2 are designed to embed models resources and strategies within institutions through trials within different disciplines. Stages 4 and 5 are designed to foster national debate concerning policies and practices in engaging undergraduates in research and inquiry. It is anticipated that these debates will go beyond the duration of the Fellowship and will, with the aid of the models, protocols and resources developed, contribute to ongoing dissemination and discussion. It is anticipated that this will be facilitated through the Establishment of a National Centre for the Integration of Research, Teaching and Learning (NCIRTL). This will take the work forward into the future and the groundwork for such a centre will be laid during the Fellowship including establishing a high level Steering Group to take this idea forward. It will provide a focus for the ongoing sharing of developments and resources in the integration of research, teaching and learning which will, in turn, add value, to current and future funded projects in this important field.
During the period of the Fellowship, the work of the collaborating groups and the development of resources and protocols will be the subject of conference presentations at the Higher Education Research and Development Society of Australasia (HERDSA) national conference (DOC, 104kb), as well as disciplinary-based education conferences. The work will also be presented overseas at the International Improving Student Learning Symposium (UK). It is anticipated that two articles for international refereed journals such as Studies in Higher Education and Teaching in Higher Education will also provide vehicles for dissemination as will articles in Campus Review and the Times Higher.
The artifacts produced, such as the models, strategies and protocols will be disseminated on the Program website linked to the ALTC Exchange and made available in print form. They may constitute a folder representing a "Manual" for practitioners that could be widely distributed to Australian universities. The final report will also be available for widespread distribution.