This document discusses staff-student partnerships in academic research. It describes a project investigating how students in the arts and social sciences use technology for inquiry-based learning. Students were involved from the initial bid stage and formed a student ambassador network and working groups to engage in the research process. The research aims to understand how students use technology for formal and informal inquiry learning. It also examines issues of power, whose benefit the research serves, and whether students are "good enough" partners in academic research.

1. “ Do you? I don’t!” – Engaging students in research on technologies for inquiry-based learning Sabine Little [email_address] Ryan Jendoubi [email_address] www.shef.ac.uk/cilass LICK, Edinburgh, 30 th October 2008

2. Staff-student partnerships??? Please spend 10-15 minutes walking about, looking at the various quotes and chatting to each other about this concept.

3. An example of partnership? Barbara

4. CILASS & the SAN HEFCE-funded CETL working with 26 departments to enhance inquiry-based learning Student representation from bid stage onwards Student Ambassador Network – 28 SAs, 60 hours/year, £7/hour, 1 student co-ordinator, 105 hours/year 5 Working groups, engagement at departmental and institutional level No sabbaticals

5. The Networked Learning Study 2007/08: students from the departments of Music and Law, in-depth discussions regarding their use of technology for IBL Expansion for 2008/09: the inclusion of further subject areas, in order to provide a broader picture of technology use for both formal and informal IBL; and the involvement of students as partners in the research process. Five students from six disciplines: Music School of East Asian Studies History Law Sociology Politics

6. Meet the team Chloe – Music Barbara – Law Su – Sociology Ryan – School of East Asian Studies Phil - CILASS Georgie - History Sabine - CILASS

7. Research Questions a) How do students in the Arts and Social Sciences use technology for the inquiry process in formal and informal learning situations? b) What are the implications of 1a) for the use of technology to support various aspects of IBL, e.g. collaborative inquiry, reflection, information literacy and creativity? 2. What do students perceive as an ‘innovative’ use of learning technologies for inquiry? 3. What (if any) are the issues surrounding disciplinarity in the development of teaching and learning resources using technology to support the inquiry process?

8. Things we grapple with

9. Power? Georgie

10. Whose benefit? Chloe

11. Are students “good enough”? Su

12. Discussion What can staff-student partnerships mean in the context of academic research? By whom and for whom is knowledge created? How can technology help (as an equaliser, communication aid, or...)?