August 2018 – Integration and Implementation Insights

Assessing research contribution claims: The “what else test”

September 11, 2024August 28, 2018

By Jess Dart

In situations where multiple factors, in addition to your research, are likely to have caused an observed policy or practice change, how can you measure your contribution? How can you be sure that the changes would not have happened anyway?

In making contribution claims there are three levels of rigour, each requiring more evaluation expertise and resourcing. These are summarised in the table below. The focus in this blog post is on the basic or minimum level of evaluation and specifically on the “what else test.”

Long-term collaboration: Beware blaming back and blaming forward

September 29, 2021August 21, 2018

By Charles Lines

How can conflict be minimised in long-term collaborations where there is the potential to change priorities over time?

Partners who contributed to creating a collaborative initiative or who joined it early might, quite naturally, prefer to look back at the times when they were most influential and able to shape priorities and contribute significantly to achievements in which they believed.

Also, quite naturally, those who joined a collaborative initiative later may prefer to look forwards towards new approaches and ways of doing things that might increase their influence and enable them to shape priorities and achieve things important to them.

Producing evaluation and communication strategies in tandem

September 12, 2024August 14, 2018

By Ricardo Ramírez and Dal Brodhead

authors_ricardo-ramírez_dal-brodhead — 1. Ricardo Ramírez (biography)
2. Dal Brodhead (biography)

How can projects produce evaluation and communication strategies in tandem? Why should they even try? A major benefit of helping projects produce evaluation and communication strategies at the same time is that it helps projects clarify their theories of change; it helps teams be specific and explicit about their actions. Before returning to the benefits, let us begin with how we mentor projects to use this approach.

Introducing interdisciplinary postgraduate degrees? Seven meta-considerations

December 19, 2024August 7, 2018

By Dena Fam, Scott Kelly, Tania Leimbach, Lesley Hitchens and Michelle Callen

authors_fam_kelly_leimbach_hitchens_callen — 1. Dena Fam; 2. Scott Kelly; 3. Tania Leimbach; 4. Lesley Hitchens; 5. Michelle Callen (biographies)

What is required to plan, introduce and standardize interdisciplinary learning in higher education?

In a two-year process at the University of Technology Sydney we identified seven meta-considerations (Fam et al., 2018). These are based on a literature review of best practice of interdisciplinary programs internationally, as well as widespread consultation and engagement across the university. Each meta-consideration is illustrated by a word cloud and a key quotation from our consultations.

1: Create an interdisciplinary community and culture

There was a perceived need to develop and foster supportive and mutually beneficial relationships among students, and between students and academic staff, as well as to build dynamic and healthy working relationships among the academic areas involved.

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