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Peter - I'd also be interested in further information, demo etc. It sounds as though it would be a useful tool for our Virtual Graduate School (part of our Doctoral Development Programme) at Sheffield that I'm working on. See Home Page: http://vgs.group.shef.ac.uk/cms Best wishes, Sheena Sheena Banks Virtual Graduate School Coordinator School of Education University of Sheffield On 16 February 2012 08:40, Cox, Derek L. <[log in to unmask]> wrote: > Peter**** > > ** ** > > The software does indeed sound very interesting. So yes to a discussion, > demo or PP from me, at least.**** > > ** ** > > Bw**** > > ** ** > > Derek**** > > ** ** > > =============================== > Derek Cox > Head of Academic Practice **** > > University of Leicester**** > > 9th Floor**** > > Charles Wilson Building > University Road > Leicester LE1 7RH > > Ph: +44 116 252 5056 **** > > ** ** > > *Elite without being Elitist* > > ** ** > > *Times Higher Award Winners 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011* > > *Follow us on Twitter http:/twitter.com/uniofleicester* > > ** ** > > *From:* Online forum for SEDA, the Staff & Educational Development > Association [mailto:[log in to unmask]] *On Behalf Of *Peter Hartley > > *Sent:* 16 February 2012 00:03 > *To:* [log in to unmask] > *Subject:* Re: If you ever considered doing a doctorate....**** > > ** ** > > Gina was too modest to mention the software we have developed and which we > talked about at the last SEDA conference. This gives users a mock viva > interview on their pc. While it can be used specifically to prepare for the > viva itself - and users report back that it really does 'work - we feel > that it can also be used much earlier in the PhD process (with and without > supervisor input) as both a stimulus to discussion and a progress check. > Happy to discuss this with anyone interested and send out a demo and/or > explanatory powerpoint.**** > > ** ** > > Peter**** > > ** ** > > On 15 Feb 2012, at 10:29, Gina Wisker wrote:**** > > > > **** > > fascinating! weve uncovered a rich seam of beavering away colleagues -and > an agreement about supportive communities and structure.**** > > I agree about the work related topic - another problem with it though is > confidentiality and some colleagues I know have had difficulties with the > ethics, and the spotting of who might have said what at 'X university in > the North' or 'Y small specialist college in the south'**** > > ** ** > > do we need an online SEDA community for this ongoing exchange Gwen > started???**** > > Gina**** > ------------------------------ > > *From:* Online forum for SEDA, the Staff & Educational Development > Association [[log in to unmask]] on behalf of Cash, Caroline [ > [log in to unmask]] > *Sent:* 15 February 2012 10:23 > *To:* [log in to unmask] > *Subject:* Re: If you ever considered doing a doctorate....**** > > Hello Gwen, Peter, Debra, Gina.... and all,**** > > **** > > I’m currently in the second stage of an EdD with University of Exeter and > endorse all the comments about the strength of peer support. We have > regular weekend meetings (three times/year) and an online forum where we > can share progress, issues etc. I was a reluctant EdD-er at the outset, > feeling that I ‘ought’ to do this, but now it is so core to my life I > couldn’t be without it and the journey has taken me to new areas of > knowledge and been far more fascinating than I could ever have imagined.** > ** > > **** > > Time management is a real issue: juggling full-time work, home, life and > creating some sort of balance needs careful planning. One way of trying to > achieve this is to choose a topic of research that is closely aligned to > your work, hopefully creating double wins for your targets. A word of > caution though, four/five years is a long time in which roles, > responsibilities and strategic priorities change, so you do need to choose > an area with some longevity of interest (both for yourself and the sector). > **** > > **** > > At the start of my writing phase I attended a very helpful Vitae workshop > on time management which really did focus on strategies for (already) busy > people and things that I took away from that session include:**** > > · Pyjama writing**** > > · JFDI**** > > · Using Outlook for planning**** > > · Focus on task, not time**** > > · Writing space/place**** > > **** > > Happy to share more if you are interested.**** > > **** > > Best wishes,**** > > **** > > Caroline**** > > **** > > *Caroline Cash***** > > *Award Leader, MA Education***** > > *University College Falmouth***** > > **** > > E-mail: [log in to unmask]**** > > Tel: 01326 214390 (internal 4390)**** > > **** > > **** > > *From:* Online forum for SEDA, the Staff & Educational Development > Association [mailto:[log in to unmask]] *On Behalf Of *Kahn, Peter > *Sent:* 14 February 2012 16:11 > *To:* [log in to unmask] > *Subject:* Re: If you ever considered doing a doctorate....**** > > **** > > Gwen, Debra and all**** > > **** > > Good to hear that you’ve had such a positive experience of undertaking a > professional doctorate, Gwen. I believe my colleague Professor John Taylor > who is now here in Liverpool had earlier been involved in setting up your > DBA, so I’m sure he will be pleased to hear.**** > > **** > > Several of my colleagues here in Educational Development at the University > of Liverpool have also recently undertaken professional doctorates and > cohort-based PhDs, including those at the Open University and Lancaster > University. They all speak very highly of their experience, and we’ve > benefited as a centre from all of this learning. It has made a difference > to their support that they have colleagues around them who are engaged in > research or undertaking similar qualifications, Debra. But several of them > have also very found supportive communities on the programmes. If you are > proactive, then the community is there.**** > > **** > > We started an fully-online EdD in Higher Education here at the university > last year (for which I’m now Director of Studies), and it’s clear that the > participants make very earlier gains, well before they get to the thesis.* > *** > > **** > > Time management though is a real challenge – so you do need to be up for > it. It’s certainly more work than undertaking SEDA’s Senior Fellowship > (even for those who have taken the old scheme!) But networking at the same > time within SEDA (e.g. through the Fellowship scheme) would only help in > developing a supportive community. In coordinating some of the final > assessments on the old scheme it’s evident that there is a research base in > the field at large.**** > > **** > > All the best**** > > **** > > Peter**** > > **** > > *From:* Online forum for SEDA, the Staff & Educational Development > Association [mailto:[log in to unmask]] *On Behalf Of *Gwen M. van der > Velden > *Sent:* 14 February 2012 15:26 > *To:* [log in to unmask] > *Subject:* If you ever considered doing a doctorate....**** > > **** > > Dear colleagues,**** > > **** > > If you ever considered doing a doctorate and didn’t get round to it ‘first > time’ (like me), then maybe you’re interested in a professional doctorate > like the one I am taking at the moment. If not, I am sorry to have filled > up your mailbox…**** > > Mine is a research doctorate in International Higher Education Management, > offered at the University of Bath (yes, that’s my own institution, but I’m > no less critical, not to worry). In brief, it consists of four residentials > in the first phase, each with their own research assignment to follow and > then a full thesis, just like you would produce for a PhD. The big > advantage of not going for the individual PhD route, but taking this type > of doctorate is that you meet a group of fellow students from universities > all over the world, and you build up a study network that keeps you going, > inspires you and challenges you to do better than you thought you could. > But you also learn how to write at publication level, even before you start > on your thesis. By the time you start, you should be well prepared for ‘the > real thing’. Your fourth assignment is your research methodology and so you > will have lots of help and assurances on that aspect before you start > collecting data.**** > > **** > > In my case, I am now a year an a half into the programme. Working on > finalising assignment three, I have just had my first assignment accepted > for publication in an international journal (Higher Education Quarterly). > The wider research and reading I’ve done so far on student engagement and > organisational cultures has also helped inform the talks and seminars I am > giving in a few universities and at conferences, and the stronger research > underpinning is well received. I have also made professional and personal > friends in countries across the world and this has led to new insights into > how universities *could* be organised that I would never have had > otherwise. Incredibly useful for my day to day work. In my year group there > are 22 HE managers studying on the programme, from 19 different countries. > And that is not unusual, it seems. The whole experience so far, has been > ‘brain candy’ as one of my Canadian fellow students descries it. This > Saturday, five of us met online to catch up on our study progress, and this > is how we all keep on track with our studies.**** > > **** > > I am not writing this out of any other interest than encouraging perhaps > just one or two of you, to give a doctorate a go, no matter where you are > in your career. I can honestly say, it is absolutely worth it. To be fair, > you may also want to have a look at alternatives, such as the Doctorate at > the Institute of Education which I know some colleagues are also quite > happy with. I guess there are others as well, but I’m afraid I like the > Bath one so much, I didn’t look that far! If you are interested, have a > look at the brochure the programme team has just released: > http://www.bath.ac.uk/management/dba/ .**** > > Also, feel free to drop me a line if you want to hear more about my own > experiences, or talk to me at any next event we might both be at, but keep > in mind, I’m still going, who knows what I’ll say when I reach the other > end of the course?**** > > **** > > **** > > Best wishes,**** > > Gwen van der Velden > Director of Learning and Teaching Enhancement > Learning and Teaching Enhancement Office > Wessex House 5.38 > University of Bath > Claverton Down > Bath BA2 7AY**** > > t: 01225 383775 > m: 07891 790105 > e: [log in to unmask] > w: www.bath.ac.uk/learningandteaching**** > > <image001.gif>**** > > **** > > **** > > ** ** > ------------------------------ > > > This email is confidential and intended solely for the use of the intended > recipient only. 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