Linking of Teaching and Research

Aim

To ensure that the research activity in the Department informs the teaching and learning process (See Mission Statements).

Objectives

To expose students to a range of advanced concepts and applications, including some of the advanced research activities within the Department (See Mission Statements).

Rationale and Background

One of the aims of the Department is to stimulate and encourage in our students a questioning and creative approach, thus developing an enthusiasm for their subject and the capacity for independent judgement. While this may in part be achieved by formal taught courses based on standard texts much of the real excitement arises from the exposure to recent developments in the subject. In addition the interaction with staff who are themselves directly involved with research and/or practice at the highest level stimulates the enquiring mind and provides the students with a vision of one possibility for their own future career development.

One of the ways in which the above aims and objectives are generally achieved is by allowing staff to teach modules for which they have a natural affinity and enthusiasm because of their research interest, and within which they are particularly competent and confident to lecture. In planning the teaching responsibilities and in our choice of modules this research expertise is taken strongly into account. In addition the research experience of the staff 'contributes to' into the undergraduate teaching laboratories where experiments are developed in keeping with the expertise of the staff.

There is also a group of undergraduate students who are directly involved with the research of the Department, the MPhys. students. That these groups should be so involved is regarded as essential to our Department. Further, there is inevitably a strong link between the options which all students may take and the relevant experience of the staff. Thus for example the Physics with Medical Physics option is primarily the responsibility of those researching in this area.

Mechanisms

Within the mechanism for distributing teaching duties particular attention is paid by Management Committee to the expertise of the staff so that:

• The Radiography programme and our Medical Physics modules are delivered primarily by our staff with Medical Physics and Radiography expertise with help from medically trained staff from other establishments and Departments.
• The Theoretical Physics modules are delivered primarily by our theoreticians.
• The Quantum Science and Lasers modules are primarily delivered by those active in condensed matter research.
• Specialist undergraduate modules, not including those covered by the above, are given by those actively researching the relevant subject areas.

In considering projects and laboratory development, Learning and Teaching Committee monitors the involvement of research groups in providing MPhys projects through the MPhys Coordinators and the Level 3 laboratory so that:

• MPhys projects are run within the research groups. The students work within a stimulating research environment. They undertake two-years of advanced project work in an area related to the research group within which they are placed.
• Experiments within the undergraduate teaching laboratories often arise from the research work undertaken.