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