Council for Research Education SVERIGES LANTBRUKSUNIVERSITET

1. Council for Research EducationSVERIGES LANTBRUKSUNIVERSITET Supporting a culture of research and education 8th November 2011 Dr Anne Lee dr.anne.lee@which.net www.drannelee.wordpress.com

2. Trends in doctoral education • Identifying ‘doctorateness’ • Recent developments in the UK relating to learning outcomes • Creating appropriate milestones

3. Trends in doctoral education (Taylor 2009) • Massification • Globalisation • Diversification • Commodification • “McDonaldisation” • Regulation • Capitalisation • Multiplication

4. Implications for supervisory practice • Group supervision • Supporting diversity • Meeting institutional demands for completion • Following polices and procedures • Generic skills and careers advice • Meeting student expectations

5. What do students want? Identifying student motivation, objectives and needs

6. Identifying ‘doctorateness’ • UK Framework for Higher Education • Dublin Descriptors • Researcher Development Framework • Stepping stones to the Doctorate

7. Dublin Descriptors: The Third Cycle Qualifications are awarded to students who: • have demonstrated a systematic understanding of a field of study and mastery of the skills and methods of research associated with that field; • have demonstrated the ability to conceive, design, implement and adapt a substantial process of research with scholarly integrity; • have made a contribution through original research that extends the frontier of knowledge by developing a substantial body of work, some of which merits national or international refereed publication; • are capable of critical analysis, evaluation and synthesis of new and complex ideas; • can communicate with their peers, the larger scholarly community and with society in general about their areas of expertise; • can be expected to be able to promote, within academic and professional contexts, technological, social or cultural advancement in a knowledge based society;

8. The Researcher Development Framework • Major new approach to researcher development • Builds the UK research base • Develops world-class researchers • Enhances the personal, professional and career development of researchers • Developed through UK-wide interviews with successful researchers in a range of disciplines • Led by Vitae in collaboration with the HE sector and other stakeholders

9. The Researcher Development Framework • Framework of the knowledge, behaviour and attributes of successful researchers • Enables self-assessment of strengths and areas for further development • Common framework across institutions in the UK • Universal language for communicating researcher capabilities

10. Using the RDF • Researchers: • identify strengths and priorities for professional and career development • Managers and supervisors of researchers • fundamental to planning researcher development • Staff supporting researchers in HEIs • underpins strategies for researcher development • Policy makers, employers and other stakeholders • realising researchers’ potential for all sectors of the economy and society

11. 4 domains • 12 sub-domains • 63 descriptors

12. PLACING QUESTIONS FOR ASSESSING A THESISAdapted from Trafford V and Leshem S (2008) Stepping Stones to Achieving your Doctorate: by focussing on your viva from the start. Maidenhead. McGraw Hill/Open University Press

13. PLACING QUESTIONS FOR ASSESSING A THESISAdapted from Trafford V and Leshem S (2008) Stepping Stones to Achieving your Doctorate: by focussing on your viva from the start. Maidenhead. McGraw Hill/Open University Press

14. Some typical examination questions • Why did you choose this topic for your doctorate? • How did you arrive at your conceptual framework? • How did you design your research? • How would you justify your choice of methodology? • Why did you decide to use XYZ as your main instrument(s)? • How did you select your respondents/material/area? • How did you arrive at your conceptual conclusions? • How generalisable are your findings and why? • What is your contribution to knowledge? • We would like you to critique your thesis for us • What are you going to do after you gain your doctorate? • Is there anything else you could tell us about your thesis which you have not had the opportunity to tell us during the viva? Pp20-22 Trafford and Leshman (2008)

15. How to prepare the student for their assessment

16. Creating appropriate milestones? • Regular supervision meetings • Completion of summary forms of supervision discussion • Log books signed off • Agenda for supervision meetings planned a year ahead • Self assessment on progress towards meeting learning outcomes presented to supervisor • Presentations to colleagues • Agreed deadlines for papers to be written • First draft • Soliciting feedback • Submissions • Mock defence

17. RDF Links and resources • RDF: www.vitae.ac.uk/rdf • RDS: www.vitae.ac.uk/rds • RDF profiles:www.vitae.ac.uk/rdfprofiles • Downloadable CPD tool: www.vitae.ac.uk/rdftool • Contact: rdf@vitae.ac.uk

18. References Dublin Descriptors (2004) www.jointquality.org Higher Education Funding Council. (October 2011/33) PhD study. Trends and Profiles http://www.hefce.ac.uk/pubs/hefce/2011/11_33/ Higher Education Academy: Postgraduate Research Experience Survey http://www.heacademy.ac.uk/resources/detail/postgraduate/PRES_2011_report Higher Education Academy Professional Standards Framework http://www.heacademy.ac.uk/assets/documents/ukpsf/ukpsf.pdf Lee A (2012) Successful Research Supervision. Abingdon. Routledge. QAA (2004) Code of Practice for Postgraduate Research Programmes http://www.qaa.ac.uk/Publications/InformationAndGuidance/Documents/postgrad2004.pdf QAA (2008) Framework for Higher Education Qualifications http://www.qaa.ac.uk/Publications/InformationAndGuidance/Documents/FHEQ08.pdf Taylor, S. (2009) The Post-Humboldtian Doctorate: Implications for Supervisory Practice. in V.King, F.Deepwell, L. Clouder, L. and C. Broughan (eds.) Academic Futures: Inquiries into Higher Education and Pedagogy. Cambridge, Cambridge Scholars Publishing. Trafford V and Leshem S (2008) Stepping Stones to Achieving your Doctorate: by focussing on your viva from the start. Maidenhead. McGraw Hill/Open University Press