THE RESEARCH PROCESS
Humber’s Students are Researchers and Innovators By Anju Kakkar AS A GLOBAL LEADER IN polytechnic education, Humber College has clearly defined Pillar #1: Career-Ready Citizens as a priority in developing 21st-century skills in Humber’s Strategic Plan 2018-2023. The institution’s learning outcomes outlined in the HLO Framework incorporate these essential skills and guide curriculum development that builds the very competencies required for our students to succeed in the real world. At the Office of Research & Innovation (ORI), we are proud to support seasoned and emerging researchers who leave no stone unturned in their pursuit of research and innovation. A common thread that runs through every research project is the involvement of student research assistants. When we interact with the lead and co-investigators of research projects, we are reminded of their appreciation and acknowledgement of the contributions of research assistants who work closely with researchers, supporting them along the journey.
What does a student Research Assistant do? Depending on the scope of the research project, a research assistant has a wide range of responsibilities and roles, from collecting, interpreting and analyzing data, conducting literature reviews to supervising other students working on the project and preparing progress reports. These research assistants provide valuable support and conduct research using research methodologies, strategies and techniques as mentored by the supervising researcher. In turn, they gain hands-on work experiential learning opportunities in an academic setting. They also gain an invaluable opportunity to further develop critical skills required in today’s job market such as communication and organizational skills, multitasking, problem definition and problem solving, adaptability and time management. Indeed a STEM to STEAMS opportunity.
ILLUSTRATION BY GRINBOX FROM SHUTTERSTOCK
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