skills development programs for research students at the australian national university dr elizabeth...

Skills Development Programs for Research Students at the Australian National University

Dr Elizabeth A. Beckmann

Research Student Development Centre Australian National University

Canberra, Australia

EA Beckmann, RSDC, ANU 2


Context 1

Postgraduates comprise 25% of the ANU student body (n=18,000).

About half of these PGs (n=2,300) are studying Higher Degree by Research (almost all PhD).


Context 2

Historic data tells us about 65% of these RS(mostly the men!) will go on to an academic career.

This means ANU is producing ~ 200-240 new academics a year.

Many are already at the teaching coalface as tutors, demonstrators or sessional lecturers.


Research Student Development Centre

Designs, develops, promotes & delivers appropriate training programs, with a focus on•Research skills•Teaching skills•Transferable skills•Personal development strategies.

Created in March 2008 to help research students (RS) develop their academic and professional skills.

Models / promotes excellence in professional skills training.


Welcome, Orientation & Induction

Formal and informal Orientation &Welcome events create opportunities for new students tointeract with student services’ staffand one another.

Induction events focus on “getting your research off to a good start”.


TOAST (Tool for Online Assessment & Skills Training)

• An online series of quizzes that allow students to assess their current skill levels.

• Each quiz ends by identifying the kinds of skills that the student could develop further.

• Very flexible and responsive: any ANU skills training provider can set up a quiz on a relevant particular skill development area.


Academic & Professional Skills Program

• Provides generic research skills training for RS.

• 7-9 month program of diverse free-choice 2-hour skills training sessions.

• Delivered by specialist staff from relevant ANU centres, with diverse topics.

• In 2010– 23 sessions between April

and October– 568 attendances

(average 25/session).


Annual celebration focuses on how RS contribute to research and teaching life of ANU.

ResearchFest provides a week of activities designed to inform and stimulate: a mix of inspiring talks, challenging competitions, and thought-provoking events.


Social Interaction Networks 1In 2010, an internal innovation grant allowed new focus on self-development programs (6 sessions)

Social Cooking Group – For RS tired of fast food! – To improve students’ cooking skills,

confidence, and imagination in a relaxed social setting.

– RSDC provides all food / equipment. English Conversation Group

– For RS wanting more fluency. – Includes fluent English speakers. – Weekly lunchtimes, themed conversations.


Social Interaction Networks 2

Living with a PhD student– Monthly Wine & Cheese Nights for

PhD students and their ‘carers’.

International Women Research Students– Sharing experiences and developing

strategies for studying, networking, and getting the most out of their PhD.

Combining Parenting with Research– Open to mothers, fathers & ‘expectants’. – Children welcome

(baby change facilities & toys provided).


Training for University Teaching

1. Graduate Teaching Program (GTP).2. Pinnacle Teaching Program.

3. Foundations of University Teaching & Learning(with Centre for Educational Development & Academic Methods).

4. Learn Online.5. SIDECARS.


Graduate Teaching Program (GTP)

Practice-based semester-long program, introduced in 1995.

Support and development for PhD students who are teaching as ANU tutors and demonstrators.

1000th participant this year.

In 2008, received national Australian Learning & Teaching Council award for Services Supporting Student Learning.


Graduate Teaching Program (GTP)

Strong demand for places (>100 applications each year) but participants must have part-time teaching position.

Sponsorship available to departmentsto take on tutors participating in GTP.

In 2010, 60 students graduated from the GTP (27 sponsored by RSDC, $42,500).

Participation satisfaction very high•99% would recommend participation.


GTP Feedback 1

It was comforting to know that the GTP was on every week of teaching. It provided a sense of support and a continual reminder that you weren't out there alone working under pressures that no-one else had ever encountered. It provides a great source of support if you don't have much teaching experience and are feeling a bit isolated, confused or stressed.

Adele MoreyWomen's Studies


GTP feedback 2

[The value of the GTP] was enormous.

Not only was I able to get sufficient experience and develop enough teaching skills to make myself competitive with international applicants, but as part of the selection process I had to give a demonstration seminar attended by the selection panel and if I hadn't done the GTP I would either have been too nervous to do anything, or I would have pitched the material at too advanced a level.

Brad CummingsMusicology

appointed to academic position


Pinnacle Teaching program

• Introduced in 2008, Pinnacle is a more intensive program aimed at helping RS make transition from tutor to course designer/deliverer (course convenor).

• Each RS paired with teaching academic as guide/mentor. • Intensive teaching tasks (classes, course design etc)

• Significant time commitment—recognised by $2,500 scholarship on completion (but places therefore limitedby available funding).

• 25% credit for ANU Grad. Cert. Higher Education. • 20 participants in 2010.


Learn Online

• Set of self-paced online modules to help RS think about the practical and research sides of teaching within an academic career.

• Primarily supports Pinnacle, but also stand-alone.

• Each module focuses on specific aspect (e.g. assessment) and guides the participant through reflection on some relevant theory and concepts.

• Each module takes 8-10 hours to complete.

• In 2010, 41 research students completed one or more modules.

SIDECARS

Support, Inspiration, Development for Early Career Academics and Research Students.

An ANU Learning Community initiated by past Pinnacle/GTP participants to continue / extend their informal engagement with teaching and professional skills to support one another as course designers / deliverers.



Foundations of University Teaching& Learning• Offered with Centre for

Educational Development & Academic Methods.

• For ‘early career’ academics, including RS, who want to explore teaching in the ANU context.

• Useful teaching development pathway for RS who are not currently teaching.

• Awarded 2010 Vice Chancellor’s Teaching Excellence Award for Program that Enhances Learning


Writing Partners

Structured program of mutualsupport and obligation to helpRS in their writingtasks

e.g. thesis chapters, journal papers, research proposals, conference presentations, etc.


Writing Partners

Students are helped to:• Think about their personal approaches to writing (e.g. procrastination, space/time, scheduling)• Identify individual writing goals and interim tasks• Create a time-limited (4 week) social support structure (3-4 students). • Make a self-focused ‘writing contract’. • Identify ways they can support their peers in remaining committed to this contract.


Writing Partners feedback 1

[I liked] sharing war stories and helpful hints (the best being not to turn on internet/email in the morning until you have done two hours' writing). …

Open[ed] my mind to try something I should not have thought would work, that is, the writing appointment with other RS. We sit for two hours in silence and work away. I found this very useful for tackling the hard jobs. No way to avoid them or procrastinate.


Writing Partners feedback 2

[The best thing was]:

• the social support in writing and the 'energy' I drew from writing together with other PhD students at the same level as myself.

• the process of actually thinking about

all the things that stopped me from writing and then thinking about how I could go about changing that. Drawing attention to the ways in which we write or don't write and thinking through how to write more effectively really helped.


Resilience of Women Research Students (RoWRS)Addresses special needs of women research students (as identified by research literature and local statistics).

Special funding from ANU Academic Women’s Career Advancement Fund and ANU Division of Registrar and Student Services.

Background research on design included reviewing branded women’s development programs offered at Oxford/Cambridge.Aimed at women RS in middle/final period of candidature. Pilot run in Semester 2, 2010: revised version in 2011.


Resilience of Women Research Students (RoWRS)2010 program had significant input (3 days) from professionaldevelopment consultant.

2011 program run in-house.

Program includes skills trainingin assertiveness, goal-setting, time management, networking, and other components of resilience.

Emphasis on ANU academic women as guest speakers speaking very personally on opportunities, benefits and costs of academic careers for women.


RoWRS feedback 1

So many people tell us that we “can't” do things. I found RoWRS to be enabling and empowering, and all about “can do”. I met women who were juggling children, pregnancy, family commitments, work and study and cramming way more into their days that I manage to ... and that's inspiring!


RoWRS Feedback 2

• [RoWRS] reinforced what I struggle with every day—trying to make it as an academic as a woman. ... It was nice to know that others faced the same dilemmas as me and had [developed] similar effective strategies for dealing with them.

• ... to bring other women across campus together—this was really the most extraordinary benefit.


RoWRS Feedback 3

… one of the things I find hardest about the PhD … it really is an emotionally draining task as well as intellectually. The work you are doing becomes so personal. … The parts of [RoWRS] that I have found the most rewarding have been the personal stories. I find it refreshing to hear someone say 'Yes, this is hard, there will be bad bits, very bad bits, but without those bad bits it wouldn't be life, would it?'

RoWRS Feedback 4

[Do I want a career in academia?] Absolutely! At first we discussed a lot of the problems, difficulties and negative elements of academia and I felt less inspired to pursue academia but once we started focusing on all the freedom, flexibility and satisfaction that can be derived from this area, my inspiration to continue pursuing academia was renewed. But it was good to hear about the realities: the time demands, competition, rejection, frustration and struggles. I think I have a clearer sense of what I want and how that comes with some boundaries and that I need to be firm about those to feel happy and balanced.



RoWRS Feedback 5

• Every speaker had different rich life experiences with which they demonstrate that adversity can be overcome by being determined.

• Helped me to look at my life in a different way ...

• RoWRS has made me restless and brave!

RoWRS: the Sequel?

I know male research students who need help with resilience and social support too.

(RoMRS???)


RSDC StaffDr Trevor VickersHead

Pinnacle; Sidecars; Learn Online; Welcome; ResearchFest

Dr Kate WilsonSenior Lecturer, Program Coordinator

Graduate Teaching Program; Teaching Workshops; ResearchFest

Dr Beth BeckmannSenior Lecturer, Program Coordinator

Resilience program; Writing Partners; Foundations

Dr Margareta OlssonDevelopment Officer

Academic & Professional Skills Program; Graduate Lounge; Orientation; Induction; ResearchFest

Charles TambiahProgram Convener

ANU Future Research Leaders Program

Dr John BallardVisiting Fellow

Dr Katrina HutchisonSocial Interaction Network; RoWRS support

Amy DawelSocial Interaction Netwrok


skills development programs for research students at the australian national university dr elizabeth...

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