Postgraduate research success: communities of practice involving cohorts, guardian supervisors and online communities

Abstract

Traditionally, supervisors work with students on an individual basis and postgraduate development programmes are run on site. However, with increasing numbers of part-time and international students, supervisory relationships are likely to be conducted at a distance as students study alongside other commitments. Isolation can often be a key feature for many postgraduates, whether based in the same institution as the supervisor and more particularly for international students or those studying at a distance. It can also be an issue for their supervisors. However, in this age of electronic communication, interactions at a distance should be able to be at least as robust as many of those conducted face to face. More broadly, the international research community is something generally cited as the context for research work, supervision, study and publication more generally. Entry firstly into the university academic community, and then into the larger global research community can be enabled, we would argue, by the support of communities of practice from the outset of postgraduate students' and supervisors' interactions. In this context, considerable numbers of international postgraduates at Anglia Ruskin University (UK) and their supervisors are being effectively supported through three innovations which build institutionally related communities of practice: (1) Guardian supervisors work with the students on research development programmes, with accompanying meetings organised during and round programme workshops, which focus throughout on strategies of meta-learning. Subsequently they support students' work at a distance with emails, and webcam correspondence. (2) PhD students are empowered to develop mutual, critically focused support for each other's work through the enhanced use of the cohort in the compulsory research development workshops and through ongoing discussion lists, self-help groups and symposia. (3) Supervisors of international postgraduates are supported as a community of practice through the revision of online supervisory discussion and development. This paper is based on action research carried out with current and graduate students, guardian supervisors and supervisors as collaborators to explore the rationale, problems, practices and the richness of the experience of working with a system which fosters communities of practice, involving guardian supervisors, distance supervisors and postgraduate cohorts.

Improving doctoral support through group supervision: analysing face-to-face and technology-mediated strategies for nurturing and sustaining scholarship

“…Social and academic isolation is recognised as a specific issue experienced by doctoral students in general, and particularly those embarked on part-time study or working at a distance (Bourner, Bowden, and Laing 2001;Samara 2006;Wisker, Robinson, and Shacham 2007). Isolation has been identified as a major contributory factor in the decision of doctoral students to leave prior to completion Kohun 2006, 2007).…”

“…The development of these programmes has generated 'creative tensions' (Malfoy 2005) and 'issues of validity' (Costley and Lester 2012) associated with their scope and delineation, particularly when compared with the conventional PhD. These tensions impact on students and supervisor relationships, highlighting the need to consider alternative, more innovative and enabling pedagogic support strategies that can address these challenges and create opportunities for more collective and collaborative research cultures and environments (Delamont, Atkinson, and Parry 1997;Cousin and Deepwell 2005;Malfroy 2005;Samara 2006;Wisker, Robinson, and Shacham 2007) focused on 'nourished scholarship' (Carr, Galvin, and Todres 2010).…”

Challenges in Postgraduate Studies: Assessments by Doctoral Students in a Swedish University

“…In the past supervisor-student relationship has been relatively formal and supervisors have more control of the doctoral degree process (Hemer, 2012). Presently, it is more of a mentor and collaborative type of relationship (Manathunga, 2007;Wisker et al, 2007). Supervision may focus on the tasks that need to be undertaken by the doctoral student, i.e.…”

Improving Communication Between Postgraduate Researchers and the University Library: A Case Study at De Montfort University Library and Learning Services

“…One way to achieve this would be to provide avenues for online discussion. There has been extensive discussion of the roles of "communities of practice" in building and sharing research student experiences along these lines (e.g., Wisker, Robinson, & Shacham, 2007). However, it should be noted that these types of community may lack authenticity if attempts are made to construct them from outside, rather than allowing them to emerge (Schwen & Hara, 2003).…”