Research and Knowledge Transfer

Westminster Exchange fulfills two roles in the University with respect to research and scholarship. Firstly, its an academic department whose staff pursue programmes of research linked to their disciplinary and professional fields within Higher Education. Staff have a sound track record of supervising masters and doctoral students, attracting funding, producing publications and presenting at National and International conferences. Our staff also engage in knowledge transfer activities through internal and external consultancy.

In addition, Westminster Exchange has a strategic role across the University in leading, promoting and developing research and scholarship focusing on Higher Education issues across the University – in particular, forms of inquiry into aspects of learning and teaching conducted by lecturers and others supporting student learning.

Examples of this work can be found by following the relevant links on the menu or by looking at our staff pages.

Current Projects

Examples of current, on-going projects include:

  • Interactive Work-Based Learning Environments (JISC funded)
  • Making assessment count (JISC funded)
  • Writing as professional practice in the university as workplace – Barry Stierer (CETL funded)
  • Use of simulation in helping Biomedical Science students understand their professional boundaries (HEFCE funded)
  • Interactive learning for hospital managers and leaders: leadership and communication (NESC funded)
  • The impact of simulation on learning. (CETL funded)
  • The inclusive curriculum (HEA funded)

Current Publications

Staff within Westminster Exchange engage in pedagogic and disciplinary research in relation to Higher Education. Some recent publications / presentations include:

Pokorny, H & Pickford, P. (2010) Complexity, cues and relationships: Student perceptions of feedback. Active Learning in Higher Education, Volume 11, No. 1.

Eales, L-J & Clark, C. (2009) The use of simulation to encourage student understanding of professional boundaries in Biomedical Science. International Society for the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning, Indianapolis, USA.

Eales-Reynolds, LJ & Frame,P. (2009) The National Teaching Fellowship Scheme. OECD IMH Conference, Turkey.

Eales-Reynolds, LJ & Rugg, E. (2009) Key aspects of developing a culture of quality teaching within the institution: A University of Westminster Perspective. OECD IMH Conference, Turkey.

Eliahoo,R (2009) LSIS ‘Measuring the impact of subject-specific mentoring on mentees’ learners in the Lifelong Learning Sector’.

Samson, A., Le souvenir de la campagne d’Afrique de l’Est 1914-1918 en Afrique de Sud. L’utilisation de la mémoire par les historiens et l’impact des historiens sur la mémoire’ in Lafon, A, Mastin, D & Piot C (eds) (2009)

Stierer, B., Lea, MR. (2009) ‘Lecturers’ everyday writing as professional practice in the university as workplace: new insights into academic identities’ Studies in Higher Education, Vol. 34, No. 4, 2009.

Clarke, C and Eales-Reynolds, L-J. (2008) Impact of an educational intervention on patient care in the NHS – A report for the Portsmouth Hosptials Trust of research carried out at the ExPERT Centre.

Eliahoo, R. (2008) QIA ‘Case study on the impact of the new mentoring requirements on the quality of ITT in adult and community learning’.

Samson, A., La Grande Guerre aujourd’hui : Mémoire(s), Histoire(s), Actes du Colloque d’Agen-Nérac (14-15 novembre 2008) (Éditions d’Albret & Academie des Sciences, Lettres et arts d’Agen)

Saunders, G. and F.Oradini (2008) Technology enhanced learning in the 21st Century – supporting the attainment of an old paradigm or developing a new one? Journal of Leadership and Management in Higher Education, 1, (1) 29-46.

Stierer, B. (2008) ‘Learning to write about teaching: understanding the writing demands of lecturer development programmes in higher education’ in R. Murray (ed) ‘The Scholarship of Teaching and Learning’, Open University Press.

Bright, J. (2008) Writing in the Disciplines’: An Educational Initiative Centre /Academic Writing Centre Guide.

Eales-Reynolds, L-J (2007). E-Learning, Enhancement and Impact. Keynote, E-Learning Conference, University of Ulster.

Engaging in pedagogic research and inquiry

Westminster Exchange works in partnership with a wide range of colleagues to promote and support scholarly inquiry and pedagogic research that informs practice and curriculum development.

We have a pedagogic research forum which enables colleagues to support each other and collaborate in developing skills in designing and writing research projects and disseminating their work.

Our activities will be enhanced by our on-line journal for Higher Education Scholarship and Research and our seminar series which will also be accessible to staff outside the University of Westminster. We also have a fund to support strategic pedagogic research led by University of Westminster staff.

Consultancy

Staff in Westminster Exchange have considerable experience in consultancy. Internally our work includes giving advice about the process of review and validation and approaches to curriculum design and learning and teaching strategy best suited to the University’s and their Schools strategic aims. We’ve worked with colleagues to embed working with employers in the curriculum. In addition, we have a team of highly skilled educational technologists who help to design and develop materials to support flexible learning.

Examples of external organisations with whom we have worked include the Higher Education Academy, the Open University, Kings College London, University College London, University of Portsmouth, Westminster Partnership, AimHigher, Learning London. Our expertise covers quality assurance and enhancement, assessment, pedagogic research and inquiry, evaluation, curriculum design, L&T strategy and PDP.