Research
This page will contain information about Research and Shared Learning.
What is research and shared learning in the u3a?
At its broadest sense, research (or “finding out”) can be described as the systematic collection and analysis of information for the advancement of knowledge.
If you look into the history of a local hospital, investigate birds visiting your garden, compare costs and benefits of insurance policies or ask people about their views on something, you are conducting research.
There are many different types of research and levels of complexity. If you carry it out with another group external to the u3a it can be known as shared learning but is still a form of “finding out”.
Take a look through the list of projects others have done so far. The u3a Research Database might stimulate ideas and get you going quicker than you thought possible.
There are many opportunities for u3a members to engage in various types of research/enquiry-led learning. For more information, visit u3a Research and Shared Learning.
In the South-West Region, we currently have one Research and Shared Learning Adviser (RSLA), Chris Knight.
Her main role is to promote and support enquiry-led learning and research within the U3A region. A more detailed description of what Chris does is here RSLA Role Description.
Also, take a look at the presentation 'Resources for finding out' under the 'Links' column,
What does this mean in practice? Some examples . . .
• Help with surveys
• Support for building relationships with educational institutions such as colleges and universities
• Working out how to set up a research project
• Formulating a research question
• Etc!
Chris says “I would be delighted to have contact with any interest group or u3a which is seeking to move forward on any aspect of research or shared learning and needs a bit of help”.
Moving forward, Chris is going to be approaching networks in the Region and would very much like to be part of their ongoing agenda, with the aim of actively promoting research activities in the Region.
The networks have been split as follows:
| RSLA | Network / Link |
| Vacant: | Bristol, Yate & Sodbury Link, Cotswold Link, Devon Link, Far West Cornwall Network, Mid Cornwall, North Devon Link, Northern Somerset Network, Tamar Valley Network, Two Moors Network, West Somerset Network. |
| Chris: | Avalon, Bath & Wilts, East Devon, East Dorset and West Dorset. |
There is one active national project which u3a members might be interested in: The High Street Project.
All the 2020 survey material - all 23,000 or so photos and where available associated data - has been uploaded to The u3a\'s High Street Survey website and members are able to interact with the site in a number of ways eg:
• browse, either using the location map, the regional folders, or search using keywords
• add new photos and/or information to an existing area on the site
• add a new area that is not yet present on the site
• create online explorations of subjects - they are referred to as 'collections' on the website and they can be made quickly and easily by 'collecting' images that are already uploaded
All apart from the first activity - passive browsing - require a login which Maggy Simms, the National Research & Shared Learning Coordinator, is happy to provide along with any advice or training members may want. Contact Maggy at: slp@u3a.org.uk.
The interactive map looks as above and can be zoomed in and out.
Members are currently adding more to certain areas in other regions.
In the pipeline: a project which concerns u3a involvement in a national reminiscence-gathering project via Oxford University. Entitled 'Their Finest Hour', this is aimed at gathering and recording information and objects / photographs, in the realisation that this is the last generation that has any direct connection with 1939-1945. Either personal contributions or handed-on family stories are being viewed as equally relevant and there is already a substantial amount of project structure in place.
This will be a sizeable project if planning is successful and there should be numerous ways that individual members and/or groups of u3a members can become involved. Any thoughts at this stage are most welcome but it is appreciated that this is early days.
Finally, members are always interested in hearing about what other members are doing in the fields of research and shared learning. Please contact the SW Region R&SL Adviser with ideas, activities, successes and issues to learn from.
Would you like to join our 'Private Group' then click the link u3a SW R&SL Discussion Group on Facebook. Further information can be found in this document u3a SW R&SL Facebook Group.
To contact Chris, you can email her via the Contact page.
Under the 'Links' column, there is a poster requesting participants for a nationwide study, anyone interested should make direct contact with the researcher.
We also had another approach from a researcher at the University College of London who are running a project around technology that can support older adults in managing their daily activities (in particular, health and finance). They are looking for u3a members who might participate in their study. The document 'Cost of Living Co-Design Study' under the 'Links' column provides more information about it.
Maggy Simms has emailed us about a project with Oxford University "Their Finest Hour"which is aims to collect and archive stories from WW2, either from the survivors who can remember the war as children or from the next generation who can pass on the stories handed down by their parents.
A previous project on WW1 was run by the same team, and now one of them is a u3a member and is leading the partnership with Oxford.
There will be familiarisation sessions for u3a members and we intend to have the first of these in May. Please sign up using the details on the flyer under the 'Links' column and you will be kept up to date with all plans and events.
Two university researchers, Jane Hamlett at Royal Holloway and Laura King at Leeds Universities, are launching their research under the title 'Family Photos and Family Histories'. Their aim is to look into the way families document their lives and experiences through personal photography, and they also aim to suggest approaches that that current u3a family historians (individuals or groups) can use.
If you are interested or want to know more, there is an opportunity to join a pilot Zoom talk on 14th June at 10.30 am. For more information and to enrol, please refer to the document under the 'Links' column.
We aim to record the meeting for those who cannot make it in person - contact Maggy Simms on slp@u3a.org.uk to request the recording.
If you have any queries or comments, please do come back to me (Chris Knight). It's always good to support university researchers in the advancement of knowledge!