Cheryl Heykoop (cheryl.1heykoop@royalroads.ca) and Kathy Bishop (kathy.bishop@royalroads.ca) are Associate Professors and Catherine Etmanski (catherine.etmanski@royalroads.ca) is a Professor in the School of Leadership at Royal Roads University, Victoria BC Canada.

Rationale

Do you recall that moment when you completed your thesis or dissertation and you were so excited about how it would change the world, only to realize that in all likelihood your thesis or dissertation might become a doorstop, or sit on a shelf and collect dust? The authors of this chapter certainly do. As such, when we redesigned the Master of Arts in Leadership (MA Leadership) program at Royal Roads University, we saw an opportunity to create possibilities for student research and learning to be shared, used, and applied in a more intentional way. We wanted to support knowledge translation in action to sustain real world change.

Over the last two decades, there has been an increased focus on knowledge translation (KT) to help ensure research informs and/or changes practice (See Li & Holmes, 2021). KT is a process often referred to in the health sciences; yet is synonymous with terms like knowledge mobilization (KM), knowledge exchange, knowledge transfer, research utilization, and research effectiveness. Interestingly, there is no one definition for KT which tends to cause confusion about what KT is and what it is not (See Li & Holmes, 2021). However, according to Graham and colleagues (2006)­—scholars who wrote a landmark paper on KT—“[k]nowledge translation is about turning knowledge into action and encompasses the processes of both knowledge creation and knowledge application” (p. 22). Similarly, when referring to KT in the context of health, the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR) (2016) refers to KT as “a dynamic and iterative process that includes synthesis, dissemination, exchange and ethically-sound application of knowledge to improve the health of Canadians, provide more effective health services and products and can strengthen the health care system.”

Expanding on these ideas, Skipper and Pepler (2020) refer to knowledge mobilization (KM), as a process where “academics and partner organisations work together to co-create knowledge that can have a positive real-world impact” (p. 2). These authors contrast the process of KM with more traditional understandings of knowledge dissemination (e.g., publications, research reports, or presentations), observing that while dissemination may be more efficient for scholars themselves, it is limited in supporting change. Dissemination suggests “a more passive one-way flow of knowledge from scholarship to practice” (Skipper & Pepler, 2020, p. 2) while the process of KM allows for a more relational and co-creative way of working between and among scholars and their partnering communities and organizations. In essence, KT, KM, and the many other synonymously used terms, refer to processes and activities aimed at bridging the gap between research and real-world application or practice.

Recognizing the important role KT^[1] can play in student research projects, we chose to weave KT into the design of the second year of the MA Leadership program to intentionally create opportunities for students to translate their learning in accessible ways and facilitate real world application (and would also hopefully limit the possibility that hard work would collect dust on a shelf). We specifically embedded KT into the Engaged Leadership Project (ELP). The ELP is a 9-credit engaged, action-oriented project where students intentionally collaborate with a group of people (e.g., organization, community, network, or community of practice) around an issue or opportunity that is meaningful to the group of people and leads towards positive change. Unlike a more traditional thesis, the ELP is more practitioner-scholar oriented and offers opportunities for students to facilitate change projects. Projects can range from more traditional action research to: the facilitation of a program or policy initiative; or the co-creation of a documentary or visual installation. In essence, the possibilities are limitless.

At the conclusion of the ELP students are required to write a final report (approximately 30 to 50 pages) and create an associated knowledge product (AKP). The final report highlights their ELP process, findings, and recommendations and is grounded in literatures, whereas the AKP is a creative product intended to share and sustain the learnings and continue to inspire change with the group of people involved in the project. AKPs are developed in collaboration with the student’s ELP partner and intended to respond to the partner and participants’ needs and aspirations. Examples of AKPs include infographics, videos, interactive presentations, resource guides, and more. AKPs are one way in which students can share their research in an accessible way that supports the organization to facilitate change.

To support students to think innovatively about their ELPs and their AKPs we facilitate a session focused on knowledge translation while students are conceptualizing and developing their ELP projects. The session is intended to explore what KT (and KE and KM) means and consider how KT is applied throughout the research process. Further, the session seeks to inspire creative possibilities and encourage students to consider how they can leverage KT in an effort to contribute to and sustain meaningful change. Initially this session was delivered face-to-face; however, as we’ve learned through our solely online delivery during COVID-19, this session is well suited—and perhaps more appropriate—to an online platform. Below, we describe how we explore KT with students in the second year of the MA Leadership program.

Overview

In advance of the session on KT, a reading list is shared with students. The reading list includes resources pertaining to KT, KE, and KM. The session then begins with an exploration of what knowledge translation, KE, and KM are, how they are different, and why they are important in the context of the ELP (and thesis). We offer a series of examples of AKPs from research projects including, among others, the work of the ResiliencebyDesign Lab, the play Home is a Beautiful Word, and The Witness Blanket, faculty research, and examples from previous students (see Ali, 2021 and Figure 1). In learning teams of three or four, students then engage in a conversation with their colleagues about how KT might inform their work and how they might share findings and learnings in ways that contribute to action/change. We also encourage students to have conversations with their ELP partner(s) to consider how they might create one or more AKPs to inspire and sustain change related to the ELP focus. Over the next six months students refine their ideas and submit their AKPs as a deliverable of their ELP. Figure 1 offers an AKP that is a visual representation of Megan Foster’s research with Sport Manitoba. Below is an excerpt of published poetry that Huma Ali (2021, p. 259) shared about her reflections working as an emergency physician during the COVID-19 pandemic:

-April 2020

I intubated you. But before I did, I held your face in my hands and said

“you’re going to be okay.”

You had COVID. You died, father of four.

I’m sorry I lied; I didn’t know any better at the time.

Figure 1
Example of Associated Knowledge Product

These AKPs and others submitted by students showcase the creative, innovative AKPs developed by students that demonstrate student research learning and skills in ways that extend beyond traditional academic writing.

Reflection

Focusing on KT within the context of student ELP capstone projects has been one important step on a path to inspire creativity amongst students about their projects and to consider how they can intentionally contribute to meaningful and sustained change. However, KT is only one step. As we move forward with the development of the MA Leadership program we recognize the importance of embedding conversations about KT within broader discussions about theory of change and research impact to help maximize impact and more meaningfully facilitate and sustain change. In these conversations it is also important to remind students to scale their AKPs to what is possible within the timeframe of their capstone and what will be most useful for the organization to facilitate and sustain change. Some students have big ideas about what their AKP might be prior to beginning their capstone and we then need to support students to pivot and adapt their KT approach. Further, although we currently facilitate conversations regarding KT in year two of the MA Leadership program, we see opportunities to explore KT earlier on. Throughout the program students are creating KT outputs and we see opportunities to make explicit connections about KT as an integral process of learning and leadership.

Lastly, although we have been engaging students in conversations about KT and the opportunities that exist within capstones and AKPs, we have not yet been able to thoroughly dialogue with our community of instructors and supervisors about KT and the possibilities of what KT offers. It is important to us to raise KT as a topic within our faculty community of practice. We see KT as being an integral element of applied research and look forward to continuing to explore how we can work with students to create meaningful research outputs that contribute to and sustain change in real world contexts.

References

Ali, H. (2021). COVID reflections of an emergency room physician. Canadian Journal of Emergency Medicine, 23, 259. https://doi.org/10.1007/s43678-020-00034-2

Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR) (2016). About Us [Web Page]. https://cihr-irsc.gc.ca/e/29418.html#2

Graham, I. D., Logan, J., Harrison, M. B., Straus, S. E., Tetroe, J., Caswell, W., & Robinson, N. (2006). Lost in translation: Time for a map? Journal of Continuing Education in the Health Professions 23(1), 13-24. https://doi.org/10.1002/chp.47

Li, L., & Holmes, B. (2021, July 22). Do we need to translate “Knowledge Translation Science?” Our language may be tripping us up [Blog post]. The Methods Section. https://methodssection.ca/home/translating-knowledge-translation

Skipper, Y., & Pepler, D. J. (2020). Knowledge mobilization: Stepping into interdependent and relationship space using co-creation. Action Research 0(0), 1-18. https://doi.org/10:1177/1476750320960810

Special thank you to Megan Foster and Sport Manitoba, who approved the sharing of the AKP!