Establishing research and scholarship in collaborative programmes

Most HEIs have developed collaborative programmes in partnership with FE, public services and voluntary or private sector organisations. These usually reflect practical concerns including development of access routes, widening participation and delivering staff development. There is potential to plan for inclusion of collaborative research and scholarship to create a space for reflection on practice and research into the impact of collaborative activities (Martin and Segal p.110/11). The aim of this workshop is to explore how research and scholarship might be included in collaborative programme arrangements. A brief introduction to the workshop will outline some examples of ways in which collaborative research has addressed impact evaluation as part of development of collaborative programmes involving HE, health, management and leadership development (Martin (2004), Martin et al (2001). Some themes will be drawn out as potential areas for discussion in the workshop. These could include: • Involving participants in action research • Co-researching with educators and developers from partner organisations • Planning impact research into outcomes of collaborative proposals • Developing scholarship in collaborative education • Evaluating the contribution collaborative activities make to institutional change. Workshop participants may want to add further themes. Most of the workshop time will be spent in small groups, discussing and developing these themes to set out ideas, issues and potential activities in each area. This work will be brought together to produce a first draft of a framework for reflective practice in collaborative programmes. In addition, participants will have had the opportunity to consider how they might develop their personal interests in this area and some may find opportunities to work together in collaborative research.