Hello
The supervision training and workloading for the uk is similar to that in Australia. There are plenty of resources but the problem for design and art is different in that research supervision takes place in fields still establishing their legitimacy, producing outputs which are questioned by higher Ed, and directed by individual faculty who themselves may have no research training and limited experience
-----Original Message-----
From: David Durling <[log in to unmask]>
To: <[log in to unmask]>
To: Durling, David <[log in to unmask]>
Sent: 13/05/2009 7:00:38 AM
Subject: Re: Critiques of PhD supervision
On 12 May 2009, at 9:19 pm, Karel van der Waarde wrote:
> Which universities offer a PhD-supervision course?
Hi Karel,
Thank you for these thoughts. I know several universities that offer
supervision training. I think it is now quite normal in the UK to
expect new supervisors to undergo such training (whether they have a
PhD or not), and possibly for experienced supervisors to undertake
periodic refresher courses. Of course we also expect new supervisors
to get experience by being part of a supervisory team which would
normally consist of an experienced director of studies and at least
one other supervisor. The DoS would normally have 2 or 3 successful
completions.
In my last university the training included, beyond the taught day
sessions, a final reflective assignment which was assessed.
In art and design, still many staff do not hold the PhD, so
supervision training becomes critical to begin to understand this
higher level of teaching.
In my current university we have had the additional benefit of the
excellent Professor John Wakeford. Out of interest I attended one of
his two day workshops a couple of years ago, and found it most
illuminating. He has a great store of knowledge not only from his own
long experience as a supervisor and trainer, but also from the case
studies he has made over many years of problems experienced by PhD
students. These stories were really eye opening, and concerned all
subjects, and all universities from redbricks to ex-polytechnics. The
advice was excellent.
The list of topics for training that you give are very appropriate. I
have seen at least some of them touched upon. Supervision is a very
difficult business, and it's something you have to experience with a
good mentor to really appreciate the difficulties.
BTW, you suggest that of the four PhD points only the fourth needs
some attention. I suggest that the first requires a better focus too,
as it applies only in the content appropriate to research in the
specific subject field. In the studio practice that I am used to, and
which I am sure the great majority of design teachers actually engage
in, a masters degree (in design practice) is of far more general value
than the PhD, in order to be an effective teacher. I use the
experience of my RCA masters (and some years of design practice) far
more in the studio than what I learned from the PhD. We should not
confuse designing skills with research skills. I undertook a design
masters to understand professional designing. I undertook a PhD to
learn how to be a professional researcher.
A study of teaching might also be of greater value than - or
additional to - the PhD, which is why many colleges and new
universities in the UK make a PG Cert obligatory for all new staff.
David
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David Durling FDRS PhD http://durling.tel
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