Lessons from Mapping and evaluating dRTP’s contributions to computing skill and pedagogies in HE

In this talk, we will be sharing findings from our research funded by the UKRI’s DisCouRSE Netwok+, aimed at mapping and analysing the provision of digital research competencies (DRC) led by or involving dRTP’s across higher education institutions in the UK.

The teaching of computational methods has spread across disciplines, spawning numerous pedagogical approaches and a wide variety of methods, software, products, and environments. However, the role of dRTP’s in the proliferation teaching DRC remains unclear. dRTP’s responsibilities are primarily focused on research and infrastructure and expectations around involvement in training and teaching vary widely across the sector. Furthermore, choices as to which approaches and delivery modes to adopt in teaching and training are often driven by trends, licensing constraints or the trainer’s familiarity rather than pedagogical criteria or context suitability.

Our research therefore seeks to investigate what training and teaching is being delivered by dRTP’s through a detailed survey and a systematic auditing of curricula on DRCs. The findings will be useful to address questions such as: What skills and competencies are being taught? How are dRTPs engaging in their provision? What pedagogical approaches are being taken? What are the main future challenges in the delivery of DRPs? How does this differ across audiences, infrastructures, and institutions?

We will use this talk to report on our preliminary findings and to further initiate conversations with the dRTP community leading towards evidence‑based recommendations to enhance DRP curricula across HE.

Prerequisites

None. We will make this session accessible to all audiences, albeit it will be particularly interested in those involved in teaching in Higher Education, regardless of their role, or seniority. Outcomes

In this session, we will be depicting the landscape of current teaching of DRCs across HE as well as an identification of future challenges. Besides gaining an awareness of how DRCs are taught in terms of professionals involved, pedagogical approaches and technologies being used, this will provide opportunities to be exposed to new approaches and ideas and reflect on how each participant approaches their own teaching. A desired outcome would be to network and initiate discussions towards evidence-based recommendations (E.g. identifying a series of best practices, challenges faced, or how dRTPs are and should be involved in the DRC provision…)

In-Person or Online Delivery

Hybrid (Both In-Person and Online Presenters)

Acknowledgements

This work was supported by the DisCouRSE Network+, which received funding through the UKRI Digital Research Infrastructure Programme