General information
What’s the benefit for students?
Taking part in the activity
How can students ask a question?
I’m having trouble accessing the live chat, what can I do?
Can I get a transcript of my live chat?
General information
How do I apply?
Click here and fill in the registration form. We’ll email you before the next activity starts to ask if you want to take part with your students.
What’s the benefit for students?
Your students see that researchers are normal people too, with hobbies and interests similar to their own.
Running I’m a Researcher, with your students will:
- engage the whole class, regardless of their academic ability and attainment
- give all the opportunity to interact with a diversity of researchers, from archaeologists, to philosophers, to psychologists
- make young people more enthused to study; especially those who “could try harder”
- Have equal voice — even those too shy to speak up in class can use the text-based platform to connect with researchers
- let students ask the questions they really want answered
- create a ‘buzz’ in the classroom
Who can take part?
Students lead the conversations in I’m a Researcher, which means all age groups, ability levels, and backgrounds are able to get something out of taking part. The activity is open to state-maintained schools in Oxfordshire.
There are a maximum of 40 student logins assigned per class, but schools can apply to have multiple classes taking part — in fact, we recommend it. Getting a whole year group involved with the activity means bigger benefits and widespread change in attitudes.
What is a ‘Zone’?
The I’m a Researcher activity is divided into Zones. The Zones are themed, with all researchers working in a field connected to the theme.
Your class will be allocated a Zone and students are able to log in, ask questions and live chat with the researchers in that Zone.
How much time will it take?
We provide all the resources and materials needed, whether you’re running I’m a Researcher with just one class or a whole year group; including suggested lesson plans and modifications to suit different students’ abilities.
We recommend spending at least 2 hours on the activity. This will usually be one introductory lesson, one piece of homework (we suggest reading researchers’ profiles and posting questions in ASK) and one lesson of live chat with the researchers.
How much does it cost?
The activity is fully funded for all state-maintained secondary schools and colleges, with priority for those in Oxfordshire.
Do I need any special software or equipment?
All you need are computers with internet access for your students. The live chats are text-based (no video or audio needed) and run through this site.
We have had reports that some school networks have been blocking the live chat. To make sure they will work on your system, ask your IT department to add these URLs to your school network whitelist:
*.imaresearcher.uk
*.googleapis.com
*.gserviceaccount.com
gstatic.com
firebaseapp.com
firebaseio.com
*.firebaseio.comHow secure is it?
No personal details are shared on the site, and we moderate all content on the site. The only students who can log in are those who’ve been given access by their teacher.
You can read our safeguarding statement and see further information about the safety of taking your students online.
Taking part in the activity
How do I book a live chat?
Once you’ve received your log in details from us and we’ve confirmed your place on the next event, you’ll need to visit the Live Chat Booking page and fill in the form found there.
You can book one 30-minute live chat per allocated class. It’s a good idea to book your session as soon as you can — slots get filled up quickly and the researchers need enough notice to sign up.
There’s usually around 3 researchers online for each chat. If no one is available at your booking time, we’ll be in touch with you to rearrange.
How do students ask a question?
Students need to be logged in to send a questions to researchers through ASK. Once logged into their Zone, students can click the ‘ASK’ button to type their question and choose which of the researchers to send it to.
What are student profiles?
Every student has an unique log in and profile on the site. There, they can choose a profile picture and write a little bit about themselves. Any answers they’ve received to their ASK questions will also appear on their profiles.
I’m having trouble accessing the live chat. What should I do?
Students can access the chat by clicking the ‘Chat’ button at the top of the page. They need to be logged in to be able to type. You can also join in the chat through your teacher account.
We open the chat five minutes before the booked start time.
You can ask students to do a hard refresh (Ctrl + F5) on the live chat page and make sure they are all using their individual logins.
Can I get a transcript of my live chat?
Yes! Once your live chat has ended, you’ll be taken to a page where you can click a button to download the full transcript. You need to be logged in as a teacher to do this.
Can my students log in outside of their lesson times?
Certainly! They can log in anywhere with an internet connection to ask questions, read answers and post comments.
We also run two extra, after school chats in each zone as an opportunity to involve parents and carers in what you are doing in school. Students can log in from home and introduce their friends and families to the researchers. Look out for emails during the event letting you know when this will be.