In June 2012 HEA Social Sciences held its first learning and teaching summit which focused on teaching research methods in the Social Sciences. In December 2012 we commissioned 11 projects that were designed to explore further the issues identified at the summit.
LSE100 has developed an innovative integrated strategy for stimulating and assessing research methods learning based on four key components:
- important issues of public debate used as vehicles for examining research methods;
- contrasting disciplinary approaches to each particular issue in order to highlight methodological differences;
- an overarching emphasis on argumentation to motivate the need for understanding research methods; and
- high-frequency varied ‘just in time’ and relationship-based feedback
The purpose of this project was twofold.
First in response to interest shown from colleagues at other institutions to develop a web resource that will make it possible to share with the wider higher education community information on the overall strategy that has been developed for research methods teaching on a large scale and sample teaching materials.
Second as the course enters its fourth year to further develop assessment strategies for our broad-based approach to research methods teaching using substantive debates by making use of external expert advice on designing creative assessment strategies that integrate students’ experience of studying in their respective departments and their broader multi-disciplinary work on LSE100.
