Active participation through a Connected Curriculum

University College London (UCL) has implemented an institution-wide Connected Curriculum, which aims to boost students’ learning through participation in research alongside their programme of study.

The initiative is part of the university’s long-term education strategy, and its goal is to give all students the opportunity to take part in research and make strong connections with their peers in other disciplines as well as their own.

Across all departments and courses, students are encouraged to see themselves as researchers from the outset, rather than to be passive students waiting for guidance. They are expected to use the topics discussed in their workshops and seminars to create their own research project. This covers all aspects including designing a research questions, learning how to answer it and to also find the sources they need.

Through the curriculum students learn transferable skills such as teamwork and problem-solving along the way. Students are also involved, alongside staff, in working on projects to develop different ways of teaching the curriculum.