Developing learning and teaching in postgraduate education?
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Transcript of Developing learning and teaching in postgraduate education?
Developing learning and teaching in postgraduate education?
A tale of one programme’s development
Dr Katy VigursEdD Programme Director
School of EducationStaffordshire University
Programme Values?
• Applying the Learning Brokerage framework:– Understanding the current situation– Gaining entry and building trust– Making learning meaningful– Promoting learning success– Addressing organisational issues
(Thomas et al., 2005)
Context is everything?
• Working to understand the current EdD situation– Who are our students? • Full-time education professionals / part-time students• Home students / living and working in England• Aged 35 – 60• Juggling many identities / roles – very busy people• Non-traditional doctoral students?
– What are their ‘needs’? – Use understanding gained to inform programme
delivery
Relationships matter
• Building trust with EdD students– Establishing positive relationships from the start– Challenging assumptions about effective
relationships for learning in doctoral study– Demonstrate interest and professional respect – a
more equal footing?– Be human and humane
Fostering student learning• Making EdD learning meaningful and authentic– Strategies for building a community of researchers
and connecting to existing communities• Cohort level• Across the cohorts• Across the wider EdD community• Across the wider education research community
– Developing learning through real research scenarios – provide a ‘research team’ experience
– Selection of guest lecturers – communicate ‘warts and all’ approach to research
Supporting students to achieve goals• Promoting EdD learning success – developing
researchers– Ongoing research skills audit and action planning –
foster autonomy and responsibility– Student research blogs – sharing & debating– Peer mentoring relationships– Personal tutoring in programme stage– Preparation through assessments set– Formal assessment feedback– Informal support and feedback: conference
presentations, development of abstracts and articles– Invitation to weekend writing retreats– Signposting to other developmental opportunities
Addressing organisational issues• Maintaining an EdD programme team that includes
colleagues who are:– Active researchers – role models– Networked – currency and connections– Passionate and enthusiastic - inspiring– Responsive and flexible – always learning and adapting– Open and transparent – making visible academic life– Community members – contribute to research community– Digitally literate – digital pedagogies and interactions– Engaged in development of postgraduate education –
identifying and using resources (e.g. Vitae RDF)
Concluding comments
• Why did our students nominate us for ‘Best Teaching Team’ at the Prospects Awards?
• Is there anything innovative about our approach?
• Would our current approach to learning and teaching in the EdD be the same if the student body was different?
• What different relationships for learning exist in postgraduate education?
References
• Thomas, L., Slack, K., Thexton, W., Vigurs, K., Casey, L., Quinn, J. and Flynn, N. (2005) Learning brokerage: Building bridges between learners and providers, London: LSRC.http://eprints.staffs.ac.uk/1174/1/2005_Learning_Brokerage_Report_-_Workpackage_2.pdf