ARI Faculty and Students

For Faculty and Students


Students

Through applied research, students:

  • gain the hands-on work experience that is such a valuable part of community college education
  • apply the technical skills they’ve learned in the classroom and acquire advanced problem-solving skills
  • have a competitive edge in their job search in that they will have already gained experience and worked with a client and can network with employers
  • become more engaged in their sector by being exposed to the needs of local businesses and organizations
  • learn responsibility and teamwork by experiencing what it’s like to have an organization and teammates rely on them to help solve a real-world problem
  • practice core skills like oral communication and professionalism through interactions with partners
  • experience what it feels like to become agents of positive change in the community or within an industry

Faculty

Through applied research, instructors:

  • ensure their course content is cutting edge and the training experience is relevant—the problems are inherently up to date because they are problems that organizations are currently facing in the real world
  • deliver on many important learning outcomes—students think critically and innovatively, apply principles and knowledge, solve problems, develop interpersonal and public speaking skills, develop leadership and teamwork skills, develop time management and goal setting skills, acquire change management experience, and acquire project management experience
  • highlight for students the kinds of skills that are valuable in the field and elevate students’ motivation and performance
  • keep a pulse on what’s happening in the sector through exposure to emerging issues
  • have the fulfilling opportunity to lend their expertise to local, pressing problems
  • have access to research funding to, for example, purchase equipment that would help solve a partner’s problem and allow instructors to teach students to use a new tool
  • can have a lot of say by designing the project and methodology with partner and pedagogical needs in mind
  • play an invaluable role in mentoring student researchers 
  • contribute to student success
Are you interested in integrating applied research into your courses? Email appliedresearch@nbcc.ca to learn more about how the Applied Research and Innovation team can help.