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2005 SUMMER CONVENINGS-Developing Researchers and Scholars

Three convenings were held in the summer of 2005, each included departmental representatives from each of the six disciplines. The three themes for the convenings were: Developing Effective Teachers, Developing Researchers and Scholars, and Supporting Intellectual Community. At each convening participating departments had the opportunity to present a Snapshot that described how their department's program advances the theme in one of four specific topic areas. Each department Snapshot can be found under their department, or from the following exhibition.

2005 CONVENING REPORT
DEVELOPING RESEARCHERS AND SCHOLARS

1. Asking questions and developing a line of inquiry

Launching an investigation involves posing questions to advance the frontiers of knowledge and provide new ways of understanding. As students develop, they move from accepting questions that others pose, to critically evaluating questions, to posing and defending questions of their own, and ultimately to asking questions that cohere into a research program that extends over time. Along the way students learn to discern the important or pressing questions of the moment, to form a vision of what constitutes a “meaningful” question, to judge which problem areas are interesting and ripe for investigation, and to identify manageable questions to pursue. These abilities may be cultivated in courses, in discussion with faculty and peers, through reading the literature, and through trial-and-error. How does your program teach students to ask questions and develop a line of inquiry?

Presenters' Snapshots:

2. Conducting research

Conducting research and scholarship includes designing specific research projects, learning research methods, conducting the investigation, and analyzing and interpreting the data to create meaning. These steps might be learned holistically or incrementally; they might be taught in the classroom or through hands-on apprenticeship; they might be practiced many times, or the dissertation might be the first complete piece of research a student conducts. What specific strategies does your program and your faculty use to teach students to conduct research?

Presenters' Snapshots:

3. Sharing findings and communicating results

Conducting an investigation has little meaning until the results of the investigation are shared with others. This serves the dual purposes of putting the work up for scrutiny and assessment by knowledgeable peers, and of advancing knowledge and understanding. Orally communicating findings effectively is as important as writing well. Preliminary work can be puzzled over with close colleagues. More polished work is shared at regional and national meetings through poster sessions and paper presentations. “Final work” is published in journal articles, chapters, and books. Doing each of these well is a learned craft. How does your program help students learn to share findings and communicate results?

Presenters' Snapshots:

4. Developing a professional identity as a researcher and scholar

Making the shift from considering oneself a student to seeing oneself as an active and contributing member of the discipline is an important change in professional identity. Self-identifying as a chemist or an historian implies active participation in a broad disciplinary community of researchers and scholars. It means embracing the identity of a steward of the discipline, responsible for the future of the field and the next generations of scholars. How does your program help students develop a professional identity as a researcher and scholar?

Presenters' Snapshots:
 

 

El CID is the name of the legendary 11th century Spanish hero Rodrigo Diaz de Bivar. El Cid means “the Lord”, because of his nobility, courage, and spirituality. This statue guards the Puente de San Pablo in his hometown of Burgos, Spain.