Do you ever get frustrated that your research doesn't get the wider recognition it deserves? Some argue this is because the journalists and educators who could 'translate' your findings to policy makers and the general public don't have the time or expertise to get to grips with formal and often technical academic articles.
Dr Jane Dyson, School of Geography and the Environment, decided to do things a bit differently. She used film to bring her research in remote Himalayan villages into the mainstream. Emotive, immediate, her flagship documentary Lifelines has been viewed online over 15,000 times in over 125 countries. She offers insights into marketing and tailoring educational resources for HE audiences, the public, and school teachers in the UK and in the US - and disseminating some of these educational materials via the Times Education Supplement (TES) online resources repository.
Adopting a participatory approach at all stages can help. Villagers were involved at every level of the planning and filming of the documentary. And I worked closely with teachers to make sure the film and accompanying resources were suitable for staff looking to use the materials in lessons.
– Dr Jane Dyson, School of Geography and the Environment
