How can you boost the impact of your research and teaching?

Most axademics only think they have one audience for their research and that is the small group of experts in their global topic domain groups. This incorporates a small handful of journals from the same micro interested readership. Obviously, for students in larger institutions student recruitment occurs and people sort of just appear in class. Elective and minor stream choices may be diminishing so there may be no need for the unit coordinator to market or promote more inscriptions. More students means more workload. Right? The students are like a captive audience too. So, where does the responsibility lie for promotion and more reach all stakeholder groups you may ask.? Hmm interesting question...Ask me more.

Evaluate! Ask students to evaluate the coursework. We use relevance and actionability of content, respect and support from staff, and belonging and inclusion from peers. Ask students to evaluate themselves before and after the coursework. What was their level of comfort, confidence, and experience in applying the topics - before and after? Do projects. Adults are problem-solution oriented. Can they apply the learning to a problem or opportunity in their own life? The completion of the project is the demonstration of their learning. Your evaluation of it can tell you how impactful your teaching was for that student.

Bradley Wilson is probably right. #alwaysbepublishing has gotten us ‘science’ both unrepeatable and disconnected from practice. Perhaps ‘peer’ should be forcibly broadened.

Defining clear objectives is crucial for effective impact planning in academia. For instance, a marine biologist studying coral bleaching might aim to influence local policymakers to implement reef protection measures. Their SMART goal could be: "Present research findings to the coastal management board within six months, resulting in at least one new conservation policy proposal." This approach ensures focused, measurable efforts towards meaningful change.

I have gotten great feedback from different audiences by using varied and creative modes to communicate key points (by sharing stories, testimonials and quotes, visual art, infographics, and quantitative data). Use of different media can help engage the listener who may have different learning styles and more effectively convey your message and peak interest.

I think these days you have to be a thought leader across many media channels. Repackage and republish. Academics should be supported in that. It should be expected. Most academics are only pitching at one audience. Often the audience is a small and specialised group. This is why the academy have been criticised for losing relevance. There is a big practitioner and academic divide. This needs to be closed.. fast.

I’ve found that effectively tailoring the communication of my research and teaching methods to diverse audiences, from academics to the general public, is crucial.

Unfortunately, there is often a big disconnect between the academy and industry. Time stretched academics and resource stretched institutions are not that interested in supporting professional industry conference attendance. There is a couple of degrees of separation. Also, it can be viewed as just another task to do. Obviously, promotion and tenure needs to be aligned to industry or other stakeholder impact. This is not the case or it is unclear. So I do advise that the academy should engage more with industry in a bigger way. In many disciplines there is a massive chasm. It needs to be closed and this is the greatest threat to scholarly institution relevancy. With AI and changing learning modes- expectations, HEd is primed for disruption.

One thing I've found helpful is to share my research as I teach. I don't just stick to what the textbook or syllabus says. Instead, I try to share real-world scenarios from research and practice, especially my own, to help students connect to what they're learning and learn how to apply it in their own practice.

It will be essential to explore synergistic relationships and leverage power in partnership and innovation moving forward. These relationships must be founded on trust and respect while capitalizing on strengths and collaboration in a meaningful way. It will be essential to explore and grow relationships with internal and external stakeholders when working across sectors as we seek to #ideate, #innovate and #inspire the next generation of leaders and create a diverse global society fit to tackle some of the most complex problems facing our society. We must never loose sight that everything we do in HEd is about the students and the broader community we serve. When we find ourselves doing that, the rest will always take care of itself.

La collaboration stratégique est essentielle pour renforcer l'impact de la recherche et de l'enseignement. En utilisant des outils tels que la co-création, la recherche collaborative et le partage des ressources, les chercheurs et les enseignants peuvent travailler ensemble pour générer de nouvelles idées, stimuler l'innovation et promouvoir l'apprentissage interactif. En encourageant une approche interdisciplinaire et en établissant des partenariats avec d'autres institutions, nous pouvons maximiser l'impact de nos travaux et créer une communauté d'apprentissage et de recherche dynamique.

You need to involve ALL the departments and organizations that will be benefited by the research right from the beginning. You (or someone authorized) must make those institutions accountable for implementing the results. In an industry since the research is mainly market driven, there won’t be any need to convince or persuade anybody for effective implementation. In other service oriented organizations, you need additional pull to make them effectively work. There is also a huge gap between the industries and institutions. We need to involve everyone.

Most do not have a 360 degree thought pattern or plan on how their work offers valuable contributions to multiple stakeholders. You can fall into post hoc analysis paralysis so balance has to be reached on publicising impact against new project work.

Impact Factor: For journals, assess the impact factor, which measures the average number of citations received by articles in the journal. Higher impact factor journals indicate more impactful publications. H-Index: Your H-index measures both the productivity and citation impact of your publications. A higher H-index signifies substantial contributions that have been widely recognized.

Adaptation: Based on the analyzed impact data, adapt your teaching methods, research focus, or outreach strategies. Continuous adaptation ensures your initiatives remain relevant and impactful. Feedback Loops: Establish feedback loops where you collect feedback regularly, analyze the impact, make necessary adjustments, and collect feedback again. This iterative process enhances the effectiveness of your initiatives.

It is a real shame to say it but many might engage in 'in-depth' reflection when in the job market or up for rank promotion. I think mentors and peer assessment can work but it can fall away in the muktiple work demands of the role.

I have pioneered in the post colonial context of SouthAsia. I am in total agreement with Jeremy because I am aware of his activities over considerable time . We are in theminority. Wh will support long term “working and academic class “. Involved with heritage. Wonder …

Consider the ramifications of trying to make your research and teaching more relevant: many academics will be threatened by what they perceive as someone rocking the boat. If you want to take this path, expect abuse and harassment. Is it worth it? Most of your students probably won’t care one way or the other because they’re simply focused on graduating and getting on with their life.

The mainstream sentiment advocates for aligning teaching and research with current trends in practical fields. While I agree with this notion, "practice" should not be equated with fleeting fads but with lasting trends and the big picture view of future. Even well-intentioned professors often focus on preparing students for their immediate next job, a strategy that students appreciate when it helps them secure employment. However, both parties frequently overlook the importance of strategic thinking in determining whether this approach is beneficial for the student's long-term career.