Engaging Undergraduate Students in Collaborative Research: The Challenge of Combining Teaching with Practice

Kreg T. Ettenger

This paper explores the various dimensions of incorporating applied anthropology into teaching through classroom and field experiences. The context for this discussion is my developing program of research on tourism in the Cree communities of Northern Quebec, where I worked as a consultant for ten years before taking a teaching position. This paper explores the positive aspects of involving undergraduate students in applied research, including the impact on their skills and understandings. It also looks at the challenges of combining teaching with practice, from the pedagogical to the logistical. Finally, I discuss how the added dimension of collaborative research further complicates the combination of teaching and practice, while creating new opportunities for exploring important methodological and ethical issues. [engaged learning, undergraduate research, field courses, tourism, collaborative research]

The Applied Anthropologist, No. 2, Vol. 28, 2008, pp 152 - 162

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