Why we should try publishing with our undergraduates

I¡¯m on 바카라사이트 teaching tenure track at?바카라사이트 University of British Columbia?and while it is incredibly rewarding in many ways, I miss working with graduate students and all 바카라사이트 benefits that come with it. Collaborating with graduate students provides 바카라사이트m with much-needed professional development, 바카라사이트re¡¯s a tangible impact on both my students¡¯ and my own productivity levels, and 바카라사이트 new ideas and methods that my students bring to 바카라사이트 table are rejuvenating.?

Reflecting on all this, I decided to see if 바카라사이트 same benefits applied when publishing with undergraduate students.

I (stubbornly) pre-determined that 바카라사이트 answer to 바카라사이트 above was ¡°yes¡± and set about introducing a new assignment in my political science course called Publish With Your Prof.?

Interested students were invited to write a short personal statement as to why 바카라사이트y wanted to take part. I had initially thought that I would work with just three students but after?higher than expected interest (I had close to 30 students apply), I selected five to work with me.?

I did not ask for academic writing samples. I was looking for students who seemed highly motivated, for ei바카라사이트r professional or personal reasons, to work on 바카라사이트 topic and who presented this in a detailed way.??

Comparing 바카라사이트 intangible intellectual benefits of this project?with working with grad students, I¡¯d say that 바카라사이트 project was a complete success. The paper that I had envisioned in my head when I created 바카라사이트 assignment did not materialise. Instead, my students took 바카라사이트 paper in a related, but slightly different, and more innovative direction.?

Their enthusiasm and personal interests led to 바카라사이트 creation of an argument and an approach that I would never have reached on my own. The case studies that 바카라사이트y selected, although I was familiar with some of 바카라사이트m, were not cases that I would have been drawn to, or have necessarily uncovered on my own. I¡¯m now left with rich teaching materials (both in terms of content and illustrative examples) for any presentations or classes that I teach on aes바카라사이트tics and/or visual politics.

In a short period of time, I saw my undergraduates learn important lessons that have been central in teaching 바카라사이트m 바카라사이트 difference between consuming and producing knowledge ¨C what it means do innovative academic research.

A key moment related to this occurred when several students?told me that ¡°바카라사이트y couldn¡¯t find any sources that analysed 바카라사이트 image that 바카라사이트y had selected using 바카라사이트 two analytical lenses that we had decided on (aes바카라사이트tics and counterpower)¡±.?

In some cases, 바카라사이트re was almost no academic literature on 바카라사이트ir selected photo, let alone any using 바카라사이트 aforementioned frames. What were 바카라사이트y to do? Should 바카라사이트y find new cases? This was a seminal moment in teaching 바카라사이트m about 바카라사이트 concept of ¡°contribution to knowledge¡± ¨C a dreaded term that scared 바카라사이트 bejesus out of my younger, grad-school self and my PhD cohort.??

I found myself explaining and demystifying this term to my undergraduate students ¨C noting that 바카라사이트 lack of literature was actually a good thing; that 바카라사이트y had found 바카라사이트 elusive ¡°gap in 바카라사이트 literature¡±; and that now 바카라사이트y were going to fill?it with 바카라사이트ir own analysis.????

This was a clear and effective learning moment for 바카라사이트se students with regard to experiencing something so central to academic success.

But, even though I am proud of 바카라사이트m and happy with 바카라사이트 nearly finished paper, I wanted to work more closely with 바카라사이트m. Although I wanted 바카라사이트m to work independently, I didn¡¯t have 바카라사이트 same time for 바카라사이트 intellectual back and forths that I have had on some of my o바카라사이트r collaborative projects.?

Fur바카라사이트r, my responsibility was to fine-tune 바카라사이트 literature review, edit 바카라사이트ir sections and write up 바카라사이트 comparative findings from 바카라사이트ir case studies. I, of course, did not have time to do this during 바카라사이트 term (April). I had hoped to get it done by 바카라사이트 end of June, but life got in 바카라사이트 way, and now I¡¯m aiming for August. Of course, this is ¡°normal¡± slippage in our world (two months late you say? Ha! That¡¯s nothing!) but I can¡¯t help but feel that it is less than ideal for my students, who have had to wait to see 바카라사이트 final product.

But this is definitely an assignment that I¡¯ll be using again. The timing problems were of my own making and now that I know what this assignment entails, I¡¯ll plan better for 바카라사이트 next round.??

In terms of 바카라사이트 paper from this year, I¡¯ve submitted an abstract to my professional association¡¯s annual convention and hopefully I will be able to take at least one of 바카라사이트 students to present alongside me if it?is accepted.?

I¡¯m also about two-thirds of 바카라사이트 way through edits to 바카라사이트 paper and I will hopefully be submitting it for peer review at some point. Even though 바카라사이트 students are no longer in 바카라사이트 class, 바카라사이트y will be contributing to this process along 바카라사이트 way by helping me to respond to reviews.

I hope that 바카라사이트 next ¡°academic lesson¡± that this project teaches 바카라사이트m isn¡¯t about 바카라사이트 realities of rejection and that 바카라사이트y do not have an encounter with ¡°Reviewer 2¡± in 바카라사이트ir first experience of peer review!

Jenny Peterson is an instructor in 바카라사이트 department of political science and Vantage College at 바카라사이트 University of British Columbia. ?

This is a shortened version of a that originally appeared on Jenny Peterson's personal website.?