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RESEARCHSUPERVISORPRACTICEWORKSHOP

Session 2: Improving Supervisor

Practice

Prof Joe Luca Dean, Graduate Research School

Edith Cowan University CRICOS IPC 00279B

OVERVIEW

1.  Supervisor Models 2.  Selecting for Success 3.  The Research Journey 4.  Managing the Research Process 5.  Completing & Exiting the Research

Degree

1. SUPERVISOR MODELS

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1.1 SUMO PHDS

1.  Improving HDR Supervisor Practice – Project Management viewpoint

2.  Eleven Practices of Effective Postgraduate Supervisors – Partnership viewpoint

3.  Guide for New Supervisors – Honours, Masters by Coursework –  Social Constructivist viewpoint

SUPERVISOR MODELS FOR PHDS

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•  Aims to enhance quality of HDR supervisory practice

•  Provides overarching model/framework with tools and learning materials for HDR supervisors

•  Applies a project management approach to HDR supervision

•  Developed collaboratively by 5 Australian universities as ebook

IMPROVING SUPERVISOR PRACTICE MODEL

IMPROVING SUPERVISOR PRACTICE MODEL

•  Aims to guide supervisors and improve the quality of supervision

•  Highlights possible approaches and strategies, and flags potential problems

•  Developed from research into effective supervision practices

•  Applies a partnership approach to HDR supervision

‘ELEVEN PRACTICES’ MODEL

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FOUNDATIONS

1 … ensure the partnership is right for the project

2 … get to know students and carefully assess their needs

3 … establish reasonable, agreed expectations

4 … work with students to establish a strong conceptual structure and research plan

MOMENTUM

5 … encourage students to write early and often

6 … initiate regular contact and provide high quality feedback

7 … get students involved in the life of the department

8 … inspire and motivate

9 … help if academic and personal crises crop up

FINAL STAGES

10 … take an active interest in students’ future careers

11 … carefully monitor the final production and presentation of the research

•  https://melbourne-cshe.unimelb.edu.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0004/1761502/11practices.pdf

‘ELEVEN PRACTICES’ MODEL

•  Aims to prepare first-time supervisors for HDR supervision

•  Offers guidance and information based on stages of the supervision process

•  Applies a social constructivist approach to HDR supervision http://www.dissertationsupervision.org/project-materials

‘GUIDE FOR NEW SUPERVISORS’ MODEL

•  Prepare for supervision (understand the requirements, role, responsibilities, and boundaries of supervision)

•  Clarify expectations with co‐supervisors •  Clarify expectations with students •  Meet regularly to monitor progress •  Ask students to send a meeting summary with

actions required after each meeting •  Provide timely, constructive feedback •  Etc

http://www.dissertationsupervision.org/Media/Default/Docs/Good%20practice%20recommendations.pdf

‘GUIDE FOR NEW SUPERVISORS’ MODEL

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2. SELECTING FOR SUCCESS

2.1 CANDIDATE SELECTION

HOW TO GET THE RIGHT PHD CANDIDATE

•  Candidate selection –  Critical and difficult first step in a successful PhD

program –  Involves committing significant university resources

before an acceptable research proposal has been produced

–  Requires judgment/decision of candidate’s research capability, passion, focus, energy, etc.

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HOW TO GET THE RIGHT PHD CANDIDATE

Selection Guide: 1.  Selection Criteria

–  Knowledge, Skills, Attitude

2.  Selection Tools –  Degrees, Previous work, Tests, Interview

3.  Selection Process –  Your project, Candidate Project, match?

4.  Decision Making –  Selection Do’s & Don’ts

http://www.phdcentre.eu/nl/nieuws/documents/20160405-PhDselectionguideTuD.pdf

•  Research Supervision Toolkit: https://ecu.box.com/s/nhlj8g7yyu2ud89l9ttxmeczmv9hvmm2

Impact: The demonstrable contribution of research beyond academia to… •  The Economy •  Society •  Culture •  National Security •  Public Policy and Services •  Health •  The Environment •  Quality of Life

Australian Research Council

(http://www.arc.gov.au/research-impact-principles-and-framework)

THE RIGHT CANDIDATE: IMPACT AND ENGAGEMENT

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Engagement •  Interaction between researchers and end-

users outside of academia (business, government, communities, organisations, etc.)

•  Involves mutually beneficial exchange of knowledge, technologies, methods, resources, etc.

•  2 forms: knowledge transfer or collaboration

•  Australian Research Council (http://www.arc.gov.au/ei-pilot-overview)

THE RIGHT CANDIDATE: IMPACT AND ENGAGEMENT

2.2 SUPERVISOR SELECTION

Supervisor Selection: the most significant decision that candidates(?) make… critically impacts on quality, completion and success/failure of the PhD •  Who should be on the team? •  Who makes the decision? •  What is the mix (team workloads and roles)? (B3.4) •  Consider: expertise, workload, current research,

leadership, experience

SUPERVISOR TEAM

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•  How does recruitment and selection happen in your institution/School?

•  What would you like to change? •  How can you actively be involved in the

process?

GROUP

3. THE RESEARCH JOURNEY

3.1 SETTING EXPECTATIONS

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•  What does your group consider to be the THREE most important issues to clarify with candidates at the beginning of their candidature?

GROUP

•  Avoids confusion and conflict occurring later on, when all expectations are made clear at the very start

•  Mutual process for both supervisors and candidates

•  Take into account available meeting, support options, communications, and should cover the following: –  Assessing learning needs –  Agreeing initial expectations –  Formalising the candidate/supervisor panel agreement

SETTING EXPECTATIONS

What needs to be Agreed? •  Meetings •  Feedback •  Supervisor panel •  Publication plan •  Training, Induction and Skills Development •  Resources available •  ??

SUPERVISOR-CANDIDATE AGREEMENT

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3.2 ACHIEVING CONFIRMATION

•  Critical phase within the HDR process •  Most major decisions regarding the

research topic are made •  Candidature remains probationary –

project cannot proceed •  No data can be collected without ethics

approval •  Involves formal symposium/presentation

CONFIRMATION OF CANDIDATURE

•  Develop the student’s research proposal •  Key questions are: –  Is the proposed research feasible &

appropriate for the level of award? –  Does the candidate demonstrate

appropriate written, analytic, and verbal skills?

–  Is the continuation of candidature likely to lead to an examinable thesis within the time frame?

–  Does the proposed study meet all the ethical standards of the institution?

PRE-CONFIRMATION SUPERVISION

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3.3 DOING THE RESEARCH

Writing

Researching

FEEDBACK

Publishing

DOING THE RESEARCH

•  Collecting and analysing data –  Project planning –  Roadblocks –  Contingency plans –  Finding/securing research partners –  Building academic/professional

networks

RESEARCH

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•  One of the key elements of the research process •  Needs to be done often and early •  Writing should be continuous rather than done at

the end of the research •  A candidate who hasn’t started writing has not

really started on their research •  Writing hurdle can lead to attrition

WRITING

•  Almost 60% of HDR students do not receive any training in academic writing from their supervisors http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/13603110802668682

•  General expectation that students take responsibility for developing and improving their own academic writing http://dx.doi.org/10.1108/18363261311314935

•  Most common request from HDR students is for writing help http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/14703297.2013.866329

WRITING

•  Many candidates struggle with writing academically •  What is academic writing? –  Technical (often discipline specific) –  Aims to influence discourse –  Style and structure influenced by discipline –  Is iterative and continuous –  Requires combination of the following types of

writing: descriptive, analytical, persuasive, critical •  Who teaches academic writing – supervisor or writing

consultant?

ACADEMIC WRITING

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•  A Chronological Approach to Elements of Academic Writing – Anne Lee, 2017

•  Flow chart shows development/evolution of students’ writing

•  Useful for supervisors to identify stages where attention and support may be needed/provided to students

SUPERVISING WRITING

h-p://dx.doi.org/10.1080/14703297.2013.866329

TheWri;ngFrameworkApproach–AnneLee&RowenaMurray,2015

•  ‘Learning through writing’ approach to supervising writing

•  Extended framework shows range of writing activities which aligns to different purposes of research writing/writing development

•  Helps deployment of different strategies during candidature

SUPERVISING WRITING

•  Should supervisors encourage candidates to publish?

GROUP

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•  Publishing during candidature – Supports writing/validates thesis – Shares knowledge faster – Provides additional critique/external input – Reduces isolation/builds networks

PUBLISHING

Assess & Give Feedback to Learners –  “One of, if not the, most important functions of

supervisors is to give students effective feedback on their work, for example on experimental design or documentary or data analysis or artefacts” •  Giving students timely and constructive

feedback on their work which is clear and actionable

•  Giving students feedback on their writing •  Familiarising students with assessment

criteria and examination requirements…. Etc...

UK PROFESSIONAL STANDARDS FRAMEWORK (UKPSF)

•  In giving feedback to students, supervisors have to bear in mind the need for it to be –  Timely. Delays can hold up the

whole research project – Constructive. Students’ self-esteem is

on the line and negative feedback can damage their confidence or worse

– Clear. And, where appropriate, be actionable

UK PROFESSIONAL STANDARDS FRAMEWORK (UKPSF)

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•  Show required standard •  Improve content, structure, clarity

and quality •  Provide encouragement and

motivation with progress (Scaffolding and Fading)

•  Keep them “on track” (monitoring) •  Demonstrate enthusiasm and

interest in their work

WHY DO STUDENTS NEED FEEDBACK

• Feedbacktoimprovestudentlearning

•  h-p://www.flinders.edu.au/teaching/teaching-strategies/assessment/feedback/feedback_home.cfm

BENEFITS OF FEEDBACK

•  What is the feedback targeting? – Grammar, academic writing? – Disciplinary content? – Methodology? – Conceptual framework? – Chapter structure?

•  Can you provide feedback on all of the above at the same time?

•  Scaffold and Fade!

FOCUS OF FEEDBACK

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Positive – but constructively critical Consistent Timely Clear, straightforward, detailed & directive Enthusiastic about the research

(Bitchener et al., 2011)

WHAT FEEDBACK DO STUDENTS WANT

Comments ... §  Are too general or vague §  Lack guidance §  Focus on the negative §  Are unrelated to assessment

criteria §  Not timely

Weaver, 2006

STUDENT EVALUATION OF FEEDBACK

•  What do I want the student to do in response to these comments?

•  What do I want the student to learn from these comments

•  “it cannot simply be assumed that when students are ‘given feedback’ they will know what to do with it” (Sadler, 1998, p. 78)

HELPING STUDENTS USE FEEDBACK

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(Nicol & Macfarlane-Dick, 2006)

Feedback should: •  Help clarify what good performance is •  Facilitate the development of self-assessment in learning •  Deliver high quality information to students about their

learning •  Encourage teacher and peer dialogue around learning •  Encourage positive motivational beliefs and self-esteem •  Provide opportunities to close the gap between current and

desired performance •  …etc...

PRINCIPLES OF GOOD FEEDBACK PRACTICES

3.4 FINALISING THE THESIS

•  Who decides when the thesis is ready to submit?

•  Who selects the examiners? •  How are examiners selected?

International experts, early career researchers, etc.

GROUP

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•  Final write-up phase –  Critical supervisory act: •  close off fieldwork •  ensure thesis completion/timely

submission

•  Examiners –  Whose responsibility? –  Selection/guidelines? –  Examiner checklist

•  Wrap-up –  When is thesis complete (first vs.

final drafts)? –  Coherence/consistency:

writing consultants, support staff, reader networks, etc. –  Addressing examiners’

feedback

4. MANAGING THE RESEARCH PROCESS

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4.1 MANAGING PROGRESS

MANAGING VS MOTIVATION

Progress reports are important. They are currently the only formal measure of

progression between CoC and submission.

STUDENT PROGRESSION – PROGRESS REPORTS

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•  Progress reports are intended to be a collaborative assessment

•  Progress reports monitor the performance of the candidate: –  Relative to candidature consumed (rate of progress)

–  Compared to agreed project objectives

–  At the standard required for the award (quality of progress)

•  Students should receive frank and constructive feedback on progress, clarity around expectations, and advice on overcoming any ‘road blocks’

STUDENT PROGRESSION – PROGRESS REPORTS

Warning Signs in Postgraduate Research Education Catherine Manathunga, Teaching in Higher Education

•  Constantly changing topic or planned work –  Broadening or altering topic, particularly after CoC

–  Used as a reason for not producing work that had been agreed upon.

•  Avoiding communication with supervisors –  Not showing up to meetings or constantly rescheduling

–  Not responding to contact (email or phone)

–  Supervisor availability sometimes used as an excuse for not contacting supervisors.

•  Isolating themselves from other staff and peers

•  Not submitting work for review –  Taking on lots of teaching

–  Over-reading

–  Collecting more and more data

–  Re-submitting older work

•  Thesis Unit Grades – SP = Satisfactory Progress – MP = Marginal Progress – F = Fail

•  2 consecutive MP grades = Fail •  Recommendation for Exclusion

STUDENT PROGRESSION

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PERCEPTIONS OF MP

•  An MP is not an automatic fail •  An MP is an opportunity to re-assess the research

project and develop milestones to bring things back on track

•  Support and options available to students should be part of the discussion

•  Deferral/intermission is not the only option •  A progress contract is a way of having a more

monitored course of study, and a guide of what is required for the coming period of enrolment

ADVICE GIVEN TO STUDENTS

•  How do you manage the balance between professionalism and friendship?

•  Would you be able to exit a candidate after one year, if they were not achieving milestones?

•  “Colleague in training” or “cheap labour”?

GROUP

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4.2 MANAGING THE RELATIONSHIP

ANXIETY ROLLER COASTER

Meetings

•  How often should you meet your candidate?

•  What does a meeting constitute?

•  How do you handle remote students?

Feedback

•  What is acceptable turnaround time for giving written feedback back to candidates?

•  What do you think is quality feedback?

MEETINGS & FEEDBACK

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In managing your candidate, how do you: 1.  Track the research journey and key

milestones? Who is responsible? 2.  Allocate grades (SP, MP)? 3.  Keep aware of warning signs?

GROUP

4.3 SUPERVISOR DEVELOPMENT

•  Supervision is a skill! •  Developed through reflective practice –  Based on good practice principles –  Enhanced through community of

practice

•  How can you measure your success?

SUPERVISION

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A new pathway to Principal Supervisor

•  Under ECU policy, you can only become Principal Supervisor after a successful HDR completion as an Associate Supervisor

•  NEW: Successfully complete PSAP = deemed to have attained the equivalence of a completion

•  If you are also o  ‘research active’

o  up-to-date with training

o  and hold appropriate qualifications

you then become eligible to be a Principal Supervisor

PRINCIPAL SUPERVISOR ACCREDITATION PROGRAM (PSAP)

PSAP also focusses on promoting best practice…

•  creating a culture of thoughtful, active discussion around supervision

We do this by: –  Multiple expert speakers

–  Supporting individual discussion with senior mentors

–  Workshop exercises, panels and literature

–  Knowledge dissemination beyond PSAP group •  your supervision tool

•  and your presentation

BUILDING THE CULTURE

The thinking behind PSAP…

•  “With great power comes great responsibility.”

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A year-long program first run in 2016

•  19 participants (18 formally enrolled and one auditing) recruited from seven Schools

•  Of the 18 formal enrolees, 17 achieved accreditation

•  One participant ‘intermitted’ and will complete in PSAP 2017.

•  We anticipate a 100% graduation rate from this initial group.

BACKGROUND TO PSAP

Analysis of anonymous written participant evaluations demonstrated a high level of enthusiasm for PSAP 2016.

–  100% (n=17) of respondents reported that they now felt more confident about becoming a Principal Supervisor

–  94% stated that they would recommend PSAP to other supervisors (16/17 – other one ticked ‘neutral’).

‘I think every person who supervises, including supervisors who are already principal supervisors, should do this course.’

EVALUATIONS OF PSAP

•  Participants commented very positively on: –  their increased confidence in supervision, –  being exposed to expert supervisors,

mentoring and best practice, –  gaining greater awareness of ECU

processes, resources and wider literature, and

–  the opportunities for networking and community building.

COMMENTS (PSAP)

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They also reported feeling that PSAP taught them more than a completion might have. –  ‘Having a student go through to

completion makes you an expert on that one student, whereas the PSAP program requires you to look at the diverse range of issues that may come up with many different students.’

–  ‘I think it would have taken several years to discover this 'ad hoc' and therefore I may not have been as effective supervisor as now possible.’

COMMENTS (PSAP)

The main issue identified was workload and time: –  ‘My only reservation is the time it takes.’ –  ‘We wear so many hats and time has

been the biggest issue!’

And they suggested this be made clear up front to participants and their managers. So: PSAP requires time and writing time!

COMMENTS (PSAP)

1.  Introduction to Supervision 2.  Supervising Early Candidature Students 3.  Ethics and Research Integrity 4.  Progress and Dealing with Challenges 5.  Supporting Publication and Networks 6.  Understanding Diversity 7.  Supervising through the final stages and

post-submission

PSAP MODULES - OVERVIEW

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5. COMPLETING AND EXITING THE RESEARCH DEGREE

5.1 EARLY EXIT STRATEGIES

•  Not all research journeys end in success.

•  Candidatures span years – impacted by external life forces – often out of supervisor and student control

•  Research work depends on candidate’s self-management capability, motivation, skills, etc.

•  Early exit/downgrading of thesis may be needed; i.e., termination

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•  Situations: marginal progress, serious academic misconduct, threat to staff/student health and safety

•  Process: –  collect evidence (of misconduct,

warnings, remedial not working, etc.)

–  assess exit options (e.g., lower award)

–  terminate (minimise damage to student)

•  Good attrition

5.2 COMPLETION & CAREER

•  Post-PhD relationships

– publications, research work

– Commercialisation

– acting as referee

– providing career advice/further study/teaching/tutoring opportunities

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•  How do you provide mentoring and career advice to your research candidates?

MENTORING & CAREERS

Industry & PhD Research Engagement Program (iPREP) •  Post-thesis submission •  6 week placement for late

stage PhD students •  Interdisciplinary teams from all

five WA universities •  Business, government and

community based organisations eligible

•  Projects that solve authentic workplace problems

•  Students paid $3000 stipend

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HG9QdEXE6qg  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xJAttqkwAhA  

iPREP OVERVIEW

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Induction

4 days

Placement

6 weeks

Weekly seminars Final pitch Celebration

event

*NEW in 2017 – Entrepreneurial mindset training by CERI

iPREP STRUCTURE

iPREP COMPANIES

“We estimate that the PhD student team saved us $100,000 in consulting fees over the 6 week period. It also brought a lot of

intangible benefits like expansion of our networks, linkages within a number of universities

and an increased public profile.”

– Shawn Ryan, Executive Director of Bombora Wave

•  Already 4 have taken part in iPREP twice

•  All value the PhD expertise

•  Many have employed PhDs after the program

iPREP INDUSTRY FEEDBACK

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“I was quite surprised at how easily I could conduct research in a new field”

“After this program, my options for future career became broader. I don’t confine myself in academic settings anymore. It was an eye-opening opportunity!”

“I was able to apply my understanding gained from the PhD into the real business world”

iPREP STUDENT FEEDBACK

research.ecuECUresearchedithcowanuniversity

ECUgetready.com.au