Everyone’s a researcher, Turning my PGcert assignment into a book chapter. How did that happen?!

As someone who has joined academia from industry there are certain skills that I have found very transferable into the educational and enterprise remit, however research is my new area.

As an early researcher (slowly but surely progressing thorough the PHD journey) the whole notion of publishing my own work is something that was quite unknown to me.

But what I am learning quite fast is that opportunities exist for embracing research in every aspect of what we do here at BU.

Part of my formalised route to becoming a lecturer has been a requirement to study for the Post Graduate Certificate in Education (PGcert). Although it can be easy to view this as just being about enhancing knowledge around education, with the formal part being to produce 3 x 5000 words assignments I thought early on to take a different approach to this.

One of my aims whilst studying for this was to try to get my work published. And that is what has happened with my first assignment

I can now say I am a proud researcher, having dipped my toes into the water with the result of a book chapter in a new book titled ‘Collaborative Learning in Media Education’.

http://www.amazon.com/Collaborative-Learning-Education-Marcus-Leaning/dp/1932886931

available now on Amazon and shortly free to download on google books.

I am chapter 3 so hopefully may get some reads before people close the book!

What I have learned from this is that we are all researchers and research comes in many forms. Now I have to work out what to do with my next two PG Cert assignments!

Melanie Gray

Lecturer in Marketing

Faculty of Media and Communication