1

Welcome

Mastering the Art of Master’s

A Workshop from the LFIP TPGSE Project

Learning from International Practice in the Taught Postgraduate Student

Experience

www.enhancementthemes.ac.uk/sheec/learning-from-international-practice/taught-postgraduate-student-experience

Prof Roni Bamber (LFIP Chair)Jane Denholm (Project Consultant)Heather Gibson (Project Officer)Dr Judith Lane – Queen Margaret UniversityDr Pete Coffee – Stirling UniversityDr Chris Lukinbeal – University of ArizonaDr Simon O’Leary – Regent’s UniversityDr Emma Bond & Stuart Agnew – University Campus Suffolk

Presenters

2 hrs, 20 mins:

•Briefing on LFIP thinking

•Illustrative case examples

•Discussion of your practices now + potentially

•Plenary of ideas emerging

Format of Session

Why focus on PGT?

•Limited empirical research•Taught Master’s: biggest UK PG sector

•Most HEIs increasing PGT•Main PGT motivation = employment•Many dimensions

•Type of course; student diversity; mode, length of study; professional/ non-profession-related; specialist / conversion...)

•50% international•Variations in practice between national

systems (Assimilate)

Challenges LFIP is seeking to address

•Student expectations not met re communication and workload

•Blurred boundaries SCQF Levels

•More transparent, explicit

Project Process

Working GroupWider Consultative Group   Activities:

• Engagement v written reports• Process:

• Blog and webpages• 4 national workshops • Student focus group • Proof of concept testing in university settings

• Discussion paper “What is Mastersness?” • Case studies

So, LFIP aims

To engage the sector in thinking about...

•What are the defining attributes of Masters-level

study?

•How to support the transition to Masters-level study?

Findings

Frequently used words in reports about PGT

Student words re PGT

‘Moments of truth’

PGT Student Experience

Sector Student

Emphasis on practices within each context...

Eg What are the pointers for practice from these lecturers?

Dr Emma Bond and Stuart AgnewMA Childhood and Youth Studies,

University Campus Suffolk

How do we support that experience?

How to support the transition of these students to Masters-level study?

So...

•Childhood and Youth Studies (UCS)

•Learning Methodologies in Health Sciences

(Queen Margaret University)

•Sport Psychology (Stirling)

•MSc Geographic Information Systems

Technology (Arizona)

•Luxury Brand Management (Regent’s)

Case examples today

Other cases on LFIP website...

• Psychology of Sport (Stirling)• Nursing (UWS)• Making the Most of Masters (Edinburgh, Stirling,

Aberdeen)• International Business (Greenwich)• Engineering (Glasgow)• PG Learning Model (Newcastle Business School)• Master’s Internship Module (Coventry)• I-See Employability Skills (Aberdeen)• Academic Writing (James Atherton, Doceo)• Accounting and Finance (Stirling)

What have we learned?

From the cases

And the literature

And discussion across the sector

Facets

• Aspects or characteristics of the underlying processes that the Working Group thinks underpin the concept of mastersness

• = What we ask staff to design in to M level courses

• = What the students do and how we try to help them learn

Facets

See green A4 cards for

Definitions

What can we learn from practitioners about facets?

Dr Judith Lane, Queen Margaret University

21

QMU:Learning Methodologies module

Selection

search strategy

Critique

analyse positives /negative

s

Synthesis

patterns, meaning

Conclusions

regarding assignment

task

Structure

analyse task; main

content

Academic Writing: Complex

22

Learning Methodologies module

Strands 3 weeks Formative

assignment

Rest of the yearLanguage

Paraphrasing In text referencing

Synthesis Consolidate – writing an assignment workshops Take further – SPSS workshop, HCPC workshop, reflection Personal academic development linked to PATs and learning contracts based on formative feedback More ELS input

Academic skills

Understanding assignment task

Structure as a basis for searching /selecting info

Critical analysis

Synthesis and logical structure

Concluding in relation to assignment task

IT skills QMU hub Databases, literature searching and reference manager

Power point

TurnitinUK

Departments involved – Physiotherapy, Occupational Therapy, IIHD, Nursing, LRC, CAP and ELS

Psychology of Sport (Stirling) – Dr Pete Coffee

Pete Coffee (2)

And...

And...

Dr Chris Luckinbeal, University of Arizona, MS-GIST

Chris Luckinbeal (2)

And...

Dr Simon O’Leary, Luxury Brand Management, Regent’s University

How do facets and practices link?

Complexity •Working outside the box of knowledge•Learning from mistakes

Autonomy •Community of learning•Self-analysis, reflection•Building confidence

Professionalism •Real world work with professionals •Applying the science

Discussion: DefinitionsLook at the facets and definitions. The facets are what we think characterises study at postgraduate level. Discuss in your group: 1. Which of the facets resonates best with what

you do and what you know about the learning & teaching experience for PG students?

2. Pick your top three. Why are they important?

3. Which facets don’t resonate so well with what you do? Why?

Facet example cards

These are excerpts from the LFIP TPGSE case studies.

1. Work out which is the main facet in each example? (although they could cover more than one facet)

2. Place the example cards on the appropriate definitions cards

Your examples

1. Write your own brief examples of what you currently do to help students learn at PG level, on pink Post-Its, and place these on the Facet diagram sheet

2. What else could you do to help students learn at PG level? Put these new examples on blue Post-its. Add them to your diagram

3. Discuss in your group

How might you use the Facets idea / activity to inform your practice or your students?

So what?

What are your take-aways from this session?

What take-aways should we incorporate into the LFIP project?

Take Aways

Thank you

Selected sources: references and events (1)ReferencesA wide range of policy and practice documents and journal articles including: Department for Business, Innovation and Skills (2010) One Step Beyond: Making the most of postgraduate education Joint Quality Initiative (2004) Dublin Descriptors for Short Cycle, First Cycle, Second Cycle and Third Cycle Awards Higher Education Academy (2009, 2010, 2011) Postgraduate Taught Experience Survey Higher Education Commission (2012) Postgraduate Education - An Independent Inquiry by the Higher Education Commission Higher Education Policy Institute (2010) Postgraduate Education in the United Kingdom. National Student Forum Reports (2009) and (2010) Quality Assurance Agency for Higher Education (2010) Masters degree characteristics. Scottish Credit and Qualifications Framework (2012) SCQF Level Descriptors. Warring, S (2011) An analysis of learning levels within and between a degree and a diploma: New Zealand case study. Quality Assurance in Education, Vol. 19 Iss: 4 pp. 441 - 450

Selected sources: references and events (2)EventsThe project has been about process, with events as follows: QAA 9th Enhancement Themes Conference Scoping Workshop - identifying postgraduate taught issues. Edinburgh, 8 March 2012 QAA Learning from International Practice, the Postgraduate Taught Student Experience project. Scoping Workshop - defining the project focus. Edinburgh, 31 May 2012 Strathclyde University Student Congress. Focus Group with postgraduate taught students. 24 October 2012 QAA Learning from International Practice, the Postgraduate Taught Student Experience project Workshop. “What is Mastersness? Will I know it when I see it?” Glasgow, 30 November 2012 British Council Sub-Saharan Africa Study Tour of Scottish universities for 24 National University / Higher Education Commission representatives. Workshop on “What is Masterssness? Will I know it when I see it?” Queen Margaret University, 19 February 2013 Queen Margaret University. Two proof of concept “What is Mastersness? Will I know it when I see it?” workshops (Business and Management; Health Sciences), February 2013