Exploiting Rapid Change in Technology

Enhanced Learning

… for Post Graduate Education

A Strengths Based Research Approach to PhD Retention and Completion

The Major Dilemmas

List of 30 references at end – put your email address in the chat and you’ll receive the slides Also work in progress we’ll send other resources as we develop them

Socialization

Older universities may have advantage How to best use online tools has little successful research Cohort groups “It will be tough” “Here is what will be required of you” “Here are the supports you can count on… How to access them” Too much variation across role of supervisor for university to count on that relationship as key socialization Plans for success Too much mystery leads to lack of retention/ completion Self Accountability – Habits

Fit

1. Students who experience trouble and get past it appear more persistent over time. The longer

they stay the more likely they finish. 2. Work that is perceived as meaningful aids

persistence as well. Pyhältö, K., Vekkaila, J., & Keskinen, J. (2012)

3. Students decide how much they will invest when they see how much is invested in them. Felder, P. P., Stevenson, H. C., & Gasman, M. (2014)

4. Isolation is prevalent as a cause of abandonment

5. Idea of fit showing up in personal roles as project manager, wanderer or hobbyist

6. Conflicts cause disengagement – tensions with cohort, supervisor, or in gathering enough data – all need to have mediation

7. Misfit at time of enrollment leads to poor

retention

Services and Resources

1. Group supports – time, parenting, stress 2. 24/7 library access 3. Free online tools for students 4. Supports for conference attendance 5. Endowments for students almost finished who

run out of money

Three Sides to This Workflow Topics: 1. Socialization 2. “Fit” 3. Services/Resources 4. Data

The Students Side: Demographics

The University

Fit: Diversity of Staff

Fit: Managing Student

Expectations

Socialization: Expectations

and Evaluation of Faculty

Resources: Financial

Services: Neutral party

mentoring

Data: Early warning system

for at risk

Socialization: Program Design

The University

Fit: Diverse Staff

Fit: Supervisor/ Student Match Assessed and Changed as Necessary

Socialization: Personalized

Support

Resources: Financial

Planning – Adequate

Endowments

Services: Neutral party

mentoring

Data: Early warning system

for at risk

Socialization: Dynamic Updates

A.2

B

C

D

E

F G

Socialization: Rank and

Standards of University

A.1

Discussion

The Supervisor

Socialization: Through personal

mentoring

Fit: personality

Socialization: through

networking

Fit: Methodologically

Service/ Resources

Data

Socialization: To Field through

topic

The Supervisor

Socialization: Understands all the person traps

and holds students

accountable

Accessible, Caring, Easy to Talk with and

Trust

Socialization: Introduces student to

professional networks/

friends , etc.

An expert in the students

methodology and can guide

past traps

Has a wide variety of resources to offer and can personalize suggestions

Regularly sees students and

knows just what they are doing

An expert in the field of study of the student and

open for discussions

A

B

C

D

E

F G

Discussion

The Students Side:

Socialization: The work

Fit: Timing of Feedback

Full time students are isolated from

outside distractions and more likely to

develop social peers

Fit: Opportunities to

Present and Grow in

Profession

Resources Data: Lack of

Milestones

Socialization: Role and Culture

The Students Side: Persistence vs. Challenges Faced

Socialization: Accountability and Positive/Negative

Sanctions and Feedback

Fit: Timing of Feedback

Socialization: Student to

Student interactions

Fit: Opportunities to

Present and Grow in

Profession

Enough money and tools

Step by step milestones or other ways to judge steady

progress through thesis

Socialization: Positive Role Models – no institutional

racism

Project Manager, Wanderer, Hobbyist

Discussion

What Strengths Do We Pull Out of This Discussion?

Data: Inconvenient Truths? Need for studies

No Clear Milestones Inequities in the workflow Tensions between profit and scholarship • Lots of variation but STEM and business generally fastest to finish • Interesting time/task data that suggests part timers finish with fewer hours and full time • Full time on campus may be as much as 7.5 Xs as likely to finish as ESL or non STEM

References

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the Looking Glass : Critical Reflections of Doctoral Preparation Experiences, 22(3), 149–163.

Arizona, N. (2013). New Higher Education Reforms in Kenya, (73), 14–16.

Butterwick, S., Cockell, J., McArthur-Blair, J., Maciver, S., & Rodrigues, J. (2012). Connectivity and

collectivity in a doctoral cohort program: An academic memoir in five parts. Alberta Journal of

Educational Research, 57(4), 446–459.

Carmean, C., & Frankfort, J. (2013). Mobility, connection, support: Nudging learners to better results.

Educause Review.

Carter, S. (2008). Examining the doctoral thesis: a discussion. Innovations in Education and Teaching

International, 45(4), 365–374. doi:10.1080/14703290802377208

Characteristics That Matter Most Doctoral Students’ Perceptions of Positive and Negative Advisor Attributes

(1). (n.d.).

Cohen, S. M. (2009). Doctoral Persistence and Doctoral, 33.

Colouring the pedagogy of doctoral supervision considering supervisor, student and knowledge through the

lens of indigeneity (1). (n.d.).

CyclusBreak. (2015). Cyclusbreak.com. Retrieved January 30, 2015, from http://cyclusbreak.com/

Eisenbach, B. (2013). Finding a Balance: A Narrative Inquiry into Motherhood and the Doctoral Process.

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live

References

Facilitating Thesis and Dissertation Completion in the E-Learning Classroom. (n.d.).

Felder, P. P., Stevenson, H. C., & Gasman, M. (2014). Understanding Race in Doctoral Student

Socialization. International Journal of Doctoral Studies, 9, 21–42.

Gardner, S. (2010). Faculty perspective on doctoral student socialization in five disciplines. International

Journal of Doctoral Studies, 5. Retrieved from http://ijds.org/Volume5/IJDSv5p039-

053Gardner293.pdf

GradesFirst. (2015). GradesFirst. Retrieved January 15, 2015, from http://gradesfirst.com/

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students. Innovations in Education and Teaching International, 46(3), 253–264.

doi:10.1080/14703290903068862

Kiley, M. (2009). Rethinking the Australian doctoral examination process, 51(2), 32–42.

Lahenius, K., & Martinsuo, M. (2011). Different Types of Doctoral Study Processes. Scandinavian Journal

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Moniz, A. B. (2012). Designing a Technology Assessment post-graduation programme: Experiences, limits

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6_20\nhttp://link.springer.com/content/pdf/10.1007/978-3-531-93468-6_20.pdf

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References

Pyhältö, K., Vekkaila, J., & Keskinen, J. (2012). Exploring the Fit between Doctoral Students ’ and

Supervisors ’ Perceptions of Resources and Challenges vis-à-vis the Doctoral Journey Engagement

in Doctoral Research. International Journal of Doctoral Studies, 7, 395–414.

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in the behavioral sciences. International Journal of Doctoral Studies, 8, 61–81.

Widening Participation in Higher Education in Ghana and Tanzania. (2012), (67), 21–23.

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custom publishing group Feb 23,. Retrieved February 27, 2015, from

http://www.skyfactor.com/?news=one-size-fit-student-risk-prediction-retention-strategies

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