Category / Centre for Excellence in Learning

‘Snowflakes of Steel’: Creative pedagogy, reflective learning and student engagement

Is innovation and creativity in teaching and learning actually important?  Innovation is certainly mentioned in the BU 2025 Vision in respect of desirable graduate qualities, accompanied by the intriguing statement that ‘the BU learning experience is personalised, inter-disciplinary and consistently excellent.’  The Centre for Fusion Learning, Innovation and Excellence (FLIE) also refers to teaching ‘innovations’ as an indicator of pedagogic excellence. This leads to the question:  can an educator promote innovation without creativity? Conceivably it may be possible but it’s hard to see how.  So, assuming that creativity is part of what makes teaching innovative, let’s, for argument’s sake, assume it is so. What then might constitute those inspired creative turns that result in pedagogic innovation to produce an excellent, personalised learning experience for students in their opinion? For after all, as we have learned over recent years in the modern corporate university, it is the student as ‘consumer’ who is the final judge of what is a quality learning experience.  As a group of students and pedagogues, we argue that creative pedagogy is both inter-relational and transformative. Inter-relational in its ability to break down hierarchies whilst respecting the experiential subjective account in assignments in personal and human, as well as academic levels.  Transformative in understanding the developing and learning student self and the generation of that future self with knowledge and skills for continuous learning.

In this blog, five second-year social science students and two academics explore what creative pedagogy can look and feel like, based on our co-creation study of student engagement in creative assignments. The assignments were part of the second-year social science unit ‘Growing Up and Growing Old’ (GUGO), currently an option unit for students in the Faculty of Health & Social Sciences as well as the Faculty of Science & Technology. The multidisciplinary nature of students opting for the unit is equally reflected in the rich interdisciplinary focus of its teaching content where a psychosocial perspective underpins the use of sociological, anthropological, psychology and historical concepts, perspectives and theorisation.

In GUGO, and in keeping with a feminist pedagogy, a democratisation of the learning experience through the personal is promoted. Students are enabled to develop an emerging reflective praxis by connecting pedagogic classroom content to actual lived lives through a biographical narrative, often choosing personal and family histories. Innovative assessment models have always been integral to GUGO in facilitating this praxis process to unfold. Here the generational lives and themes the students choose to thread together is elevated from the purely descriptive by a socio-historical, socio-cultural and socio-spatial geographical analysis of people, place and position. Within the assignments students may include photographs/images, genograms, culturagrams, diary extracts, official documents, recorded memories and artefacts of family significance. The completed work frequently become cherished family mementoes.

This year a short addendum was added to the Biographical Narrative – a ‘critical incident analysis’ (CIA), entitled ‘My Life So Far’, where students reflected on an incident in their lives they had identified as significant to their personal and cognitive development. CIA are used as learning devices in professional courses, such as social work, where the identification of the mundane/ubiquitous in the professional context is encouraged rather than the pivotal/exceptional personal incidents that students chose to highlight in GUGO.

For the co-creation study, volunteered anonymised assignments were used post-marking. The request for volunteered work was expected by the class having been informed about the study at the beginning of the semester, along with an invitation to become a co-researcher. Eventually fourteen CIA were volunteered, representing roughly half the class’s work.

The results of the study were fascinating: diverse and surprising, poignant and powerful, stories of such marked resilience emerged from a generation often vilified as self-entitled and emotionally fragile, offering fine examples of deep reflective learning by students.  The findings of the study are now in the process of being written up for submission to international peer-reviewed journals, which we know will help the future careers of our five intrepid student co-researchers, while the veteran academics in the team step happily into a well-earned semi-retirement.

We in the team are all evangelical about the rich benefits of embracing creative assignments as educators and learners. Yet we recognise that some academic colleagues will not feel comfortable with innovative pedagogy of this sort; preferring instead to remain with conventional assignments, which clearly have their established (and to-date hegemonic) place in the limited HE assignment repertoire. That these established forms are generally far easier to devise and to mark than a move to innovative, creative assignments may well be a point in their favour in time-poor academic environments.

Yet in the face of any academic scepticism, it must be noted that External Examiners have always been very complimentary about the GUGO unit, as led by the first author, noting how well students engage with its assessments.  This year was no different, despite the complexity of adding the CIA, with one External Examiner reporting, ‘I really like this assessment design as this allows for the students to connect academia and theoretical frameworks with reality and see the impact on their own lives or that of family members’.

Meanwhile, the co-research study, developed from the CIA, has added a new strength to GUGO in enabling the inter-relational and the transformative to emerge even more strongly in assignments than even previously.

That said, while GUGO is undoubtedly a very rewarding unit to develop and teach, and its popularity among students is apparent, more importantly, the worth of the unit and its innovations is ultimately measured by students themselves. Our student co-researchers provided some candid comments:

Aimee:   ‘My Life So Far has been one of my favourite university assignments to date. It required me to consider a pivotal moment in my life in a way that I never had before, and to express my experience of it in a way that would make sense to an outsider. …I had never had to complete a creative writing assignment focused on my lived experience. It was so unfamiliar that I wondered whether my lecturer genuinely cared about my critical incident and how it made me feel, or if I was simply misinterpreting the brief. It was such a welcome change of pace from traditional university assignments. I feel that creative assignments are much easier to engage with as a student, and I would love for them to become more commonplace in university settings.’

Here we see an example of how the inter-relational aspects of the teacher-learner can be turned into a dyad of equality and respect rather than one of just simple hierarchies of authority and power. The intimacy of the accounts offered and the trust put in the educator to honour the messages in them, while fairly marking assignment efforts, was emancipatory and revitalising to everyone. Furthermore, unlike Aimee, not everyone found the assignment easy, for some it was surprisingly hard, discomfiting even, and yet also intriguing.

Ella:   ‘ In the beginning, I felt out of my comfort zone as it felt very unnatural compared to all my other assignments, but this also excited me and made me feel very interested and engaged with the unit due to it being different and more creative.’

GUGO’s ability to pluck students out of their lumpen ‘comfort zone’ was something several students referred to. It jolted them into an initial disorientation, to questioning, then realisation to the possibilities presented and finally full immersion into the assignment.

Becky:   ‘In my personal experience of creative assignments, specifically in GUGO, my comprehension and enjoyment of the unit content was much higher when compared to other units on my course. The creative assignment awakened me academically and allowed me to break out of the routine of regurgitating information from readings and lectures into a standardised essay assignment. … The CIA element of the assignment offered challenges and benefits. In my educational experience, my writing style is my main strength and writing essays has become my comfort zone. The GUGO assignments forced me out of this comfort zone and I feel that this, overall, benefited my academic ability. It has allowed me to see a different side of academia, a more creative side, relying less on standardisation, with less focus on the idea of pass or fail, instead focusing on ensuring the learning is innovative. This challenged my ability to approach assignments and I feel that this has had positive impacts on my professional and personal development.’

One criticism that is levied against non-conventional, creative assignments is that they are intellectual lightweights in comparison with the standard and indeed standardised formats of essays and exams we all grew up with.  The familiarity of the known form can be helpful to students, as Becky says, being a tried-and-trusted technique. Harder and more challenging still is the unfamiliar that requires a new set of cognitive-emotive skills in keeping with the developmental changes of accepting child to questioning youth to reflective adult (the very domain that GUGO as a unit is preoccupied with in fact).  That some students found these different assignments harder to master than more conventional ones speaks to any dismissiveness that creative assignments are potentially facile, unintellectual exercises.

Poppy:   ‘At first it was daunting as we don’t get taught on how best to express ourselves and be creative, as we (us Uni students) know the basic elements/structure of a more formal assignment. It is still hard to write those, but you know what to put in and how to write it. But as we don’t get many creative ones it always comes as a surprise and more nerve racking as you don’t know the best place to start and don’t know how creative to be or how this will get marked compared to formal essays… As a second-year student going into her third I have only had 2 creative assignments and they really are a breath of fresh air compared to the standardized conventional ones. In the conventional ones you don’t get much choice, so you know you are being compared to everyone else’s assignment and as an ALS student it is really hard to stand out.’

Poppy has a point: for students with diverse learning abilities, the conventional assignment formats may prove a disservice to them, while dampening down any real passion for learning as opposed to merely doing and passing.

Back to Ella, for a summing up of the potential of creative pedagogy for all students.

‘I feel that this would be very beneficial for a lot of students, as it would allow them to express themselves, instead of just formal writing about a certain topic that they might not feel as inspired or engaged towards. I feel like you learn more and engage better with creative assignments, so overall you get more out of it.’

To conclude then, the transition from school/college to university marks a big change in standards, as any lecturer marking first-year assignments and subsequently dealing with glum faces thereafter, will know.  However, if the conventional assignment format remains the same exam/essay fare, then pedagogically an opportunity may be missed to ignite that fire for authentic, deep learning we long to cultivate in our HE students. Creative assignments shake that old model down for dusting, replacing it with something that yes, may initially worry students owing to its unfamiliar form, but will capture their interests, light the fuse of their imagination, and ultimately can produce work that will surprise academics with the quality and power of liberated, unleashed minds. We believe that students are owed transformative learning opportunities. They are, for sure, a demanding joy to develop for educators. Yet given our very positive experiences it seems overwhelmingly clear, students really do thirst for these creative educational opportunities, and when they get them they flourish most wonderfully.

Sara Ashencaen Crabtree, Becky Warner, Ella Smith, Poppy Harris, Aimee Evans, Asha Smith, and Jonathan Parker –  the ‘Snowflakes of Steel’ co-research team.

The Evolving Landscape and Future Prospects of Mechanical Engineering Education in the UK

IMechE FL

Mechanical engineering education in the United Kingdom has undergone significant transformation in recent years to meet evolving societal needs and strategic priorities. As the educational landscape adapts, mechanical engineering programs have emerged as catalysts for innovation, sustainability, and societal advancement.

The UK has a rich heritage of engineering achievements, making engineering education an intrinsic part of the nation’s academic fabric. Traditionally, mechanical engineering has been at the forefront of this endeavour, contributing to the country’s industrial prowess. Today, this legacy continues, with mechanical engineering playing a pivotal role in shaping the future.

Mechanical engineering education in the UK is intimately connected to national priorities:

Energy Sustainability: The global concern for energy sustainability is reflected in the curriculum. Mechanical engineering programs focus on energy technology development, equipping students to address pressing issues in renewable energy, energy efficiency, and sustainable power generation.

Health-Related Technologies: Mechanical engineers are at the forefront of healthcare innovation. They contribute to the development of health-related technologies, such as medical devices and healthcare robotics, bridging the gap between engineering and medicine to improve patient care.

Longevity of Structures: Ensuring the longevity of critical structures and infrastructures is paramount. Mechanical engineers learn to design and maintain durable and resilient structures, contributing to economic stability and public safety.

Wider Sustainability Context: Mechanical engineering education has broadened to encompass sustainability principles. Graduates are well-versed in sustainable design, circular economy concepts, and eco-friendly manufacturing processes, addressing sustainability challenges effectively.

In a pioneering move, Professor Zulfiqar Khan worked closely with the Institution of Mechanical Engineers (IMechE) on their accredited Further Learning Programme (FLP). He assumed the role of scheme coordinator and integrated Bournemouth University’s existing educational and enterprise provisions into the IMechE FLP. This collaboration achieved IMechE accreditation in July 2011 as a Further Learning Programme, marking a significant milestone for academic year 2012-13. This was a historic achievement as it marked the first IMechE accredited program in an English Higher Education Institution (HEI).

Recognising the need for lifelong learning and professional development in engineering, Professor Khan championed the creation of a flexible learning degree tailored for industry professionals. This innovative program allows working engineers to obtain academic qualifications while continuing their careers. It enables industry professionals to achieve academic qualifications required for professional recognition as incorporated or chartered engineers, further contributing to the engineering workforce’s expertise and professionalism.

Building on the success of the IMechE FLP accreditation, Professor Khan played a pivotal role in establishing a successful mechanical engineering course at Bournemouth University. This course, with its industry-relevant curriculum and strong ties to the IMechE, quickly gained recognition and attracted students enthusiastic about pursuing careers in mechanical engineering.

Central to the success of these programs is the fusion of research-informed education with a strong industry and professional interface. By aligning educational provisions with the latest research and industry needs, students benefit from a dynamic learning experience that is both academically rigorous and practical. This approach enhances their employability, as graduates are well-prepared to apply their knowledge in real-world scenarios.

Moreover, research-informed education underpinned by industry applications also yields significant societal impacts. Graduates are equipped to address environmental challenges through sustainable design practices, contribute to social well-being through healthcare innovations, and drive economic growth by applying their skills in industry sectors.

Professor Zulfiqar Khan’s impact extended beyond the classroom and curriculum. He used the successful accreditation of the IMechE FLP program as evidence to support the repositioning of Research Excellence Framework (REF) Unit of Assessment 15 to UoA 12. This strategic move was initiated well before the launch of the Lord Stern review of the REF in 2015. It sought to ensure that research in mechanical engineering received appropriate recognition and support within the REF framework.

The Lord Stern Review of the REF was officially launched in 2015, led by Lord Nicholas Stern. Its objective was to assess the role and operation of the REF and make recommendations for the future, including how research excellence and impact are evaluated, funded, and rewarded.

Professor Zulfiqar Khan’s contributions to mechanical engineering education in the UK extend beyond the classroom. His vision, dedication, and collaboration with industry and professional bodies have not only led to the establishment of successful academic programmes but have also influenced the strategic positioning of research in mechanical engineering within the REF framework. As mechanical engineering continues to evolve, such contributions are pivotal in shaping its future impact and significance, fostering a dynamic and impactful fusion of education, research, and industry interface.

Acknowledgment. This article is researched, produced and written in collaboration with GAI.

The PhD viva and then….

Today the Journal of Education and Research published online our paper ‘Reflections on Variations in PhD Viva Regulations: “And the Options Are …”’[1]   The paper outlines that examining PhD research in the form of a doctoral thesis is specialist work, which is why few people know the potential variations. This paper highlights the different options that are available for PhD examiners. There are four general options: (1) pass, (2) rewrite and resubmit; (3) lower degree, with or without resubmission; and (4) fail the PhD. However, from our experience, of both being examined for our own PhDs and examining others at a range of different universities, we have noted a considerable variety in detail within these common options. This paper outlines a variety of outcomes of a PhD examination, followed by four short case studies, each reflecting on a particular aspect /differences we experienced as examinees or as examiners. This paper further aims to alert PhD candidates and examiners to study the examination rules set by the awarding university, as the details of the PhD examination outcome, and hence the options available to both examiners and the students may differ more than one might expect.

This publication adds to our earlier work on the roles of PhD supervisors providing in-depth discipline-specific Public Health knowledge and technical (e.g., methodological) support to the students, encouraging them towards publications or conference presentations, offering pastoral support for student wellbeing, and finally preparing them to defend their thesis by conducting a mock viva. Our earlier paper focused on the responsibilities, opportunities, and sometimes the challenging nature of being a PhD supervisor in the field of Public Health in Nepal. [2]

Prof. Edwin van Teijlingen

CMMPH

 

References:

  1. van Teijlingen, E., Simkhada, B., Regmi, P. ., Simkhada , P. ., Hundley, V. ., Poudel, K. C. (2022). Reflections on Variations in PhD Viva Regulations: “And the Options Are …”. Journal of Education and Research12(2), 61-74. https://doi.org/10.51474/jer.v12i2.624
  2. Regmi, P., Poobalan, A., Simkhada, P., van Teijlingen, E. (2021). PhD supervision in public health. Health Prospect, 20(1), 1-4.

New BU PhD education paper

This week the editor of the journal Journal of Education & Research informed us that our paper ‘Reflections on variations in PhD viva regulations: “And the options are….”’ has been accepted for publication [1].  This paper grew out of a discussion between the six authors about the apparent differences between the outcomes of the PhD viva at different universities.  We have all acted as internal or external examiners for a PhD viva and had noted inconsistencies between universities, either in the regulations or in the interpretation of their PhD regulations.  The authors are based at three different universities, on two different continents and, between them, have examined PhD theses submitted to universities based in at least ten different countries.  Three authors are based in BU’s Faculty of Health & Social Sciences (Prof. Vanora Hundley, Dr. Pramod Regmi & Prof. Edwin van Teijlingen), two authors are based in the School of Human & Health Sciences at the University of Huddersfield (Prof. Padam Simkhada & Dr. Bibha Simkhada and both are Visiting Faculty at BU), and one author is based in the Institute for Global Health in the School of Public Health & Health Sciences at the University of Massachusetts Amherst, USA (Prof. Krishna C. Poudel).

This paper outlines the range of outcomes of a PhD examination.  It also includes four short case studies, each reflecting on a particular aspect /differences we experienced as examinees or as examiners. The authors aim to alert PhD candidates and examiners to study the examination rules set by the awarding university, as the details of the PhD examination outcome, and hence the options available to both examiners and the students, may differ more than one might expect.  This is the latest CMMPH education publication around aspects of the PhD [2-5].

 

Prof. Edwin van Teijlingen

Centre for Midwifery, Maternal & Perinatal Health (CMMPH)

 

References:

  1. van Teijlingen, E., Simkhada, B., Regmi, P., Simkhada, P., Hundley, V., Poudel, K.C. (2022) Reflections on variations in PhD viva regulations: “And the options are….”, Journal of Education and Research (accepted).
  2. Way, S, Hundley, V., van Teijlingen, E, Walton, G., Westwood, G. (2016) Dr Know. Midwives 19: 66-7.
  3. Wasti, S.P. Regmi, P.R., Simkhada, P., van Teijlingen, E., Hundley, V. (2022) Writing a PhD Proposal, In: Wasti, S.P., van Teijlingen, E., Simkhada, P.P., Hundely, V. & Shreeh, K. (Eds.) Academic Writing and Publishing in Health & Social Sciences, Kathmandu, Nepal: Himal Books: 176-183.
  4. Hundley, V., Simkhada, P., van Teijlingen, E. (2022) Converting your Master’s or Doctoral Thesis into an Academic Paper for Publication, In: Wasti, S.P., et al. (Eds.) Academic Writing and Publishing in Health & Social Sciences, Kathmandu, Nepal: Himal Books: 184-189.
  5. Regmi, P., Poobalan, A., Simkhada, P., van Teijlingen, E. (2021) PhD supervision in Public Health, Health Prospect: Journal of Public Health 20(1):1-4. https://www.nepjol.info/index.php/HPROSPECT/article/view/32735/28111

Paramedic science book launch this Friday

Coming Friday the Faculty of Health & Social Sciences has the pleasure of hosting the official launch of a new Mental Health Care in Paramedic Practice written by BU’s Dr. Ursula Rolfe and Mr. David Partlow, Somerset County Council Adult Social Care Strategic Manager.  The launch will take place in the Bournemouth Gateway Building at noon on May 6th in room BGB 302.

Mental Health Care in Paramedic Practice is the first guide written specifically to support paramedics in understanding a range of different mental health conditions in their practice.  This new book provides essential information on recognising and managing a range of conditions.  It offers case studies written by paramedics with first-hand experience of managing mental health issues, and includes a section on legal changes and policy descriptions as well as on the importance of interprofessional working. One of the online reviewers declared that this is an important read for Emergency Medical Service staff.

Congratulations!

Prof. Edwin van Teijlingen

Centre for Midwifery, Maternal & Perinatal Health (CMMPH)

 

Reference:

Rolfe, U., Partlow, D.  (eds.) (2022) Mental Health Care in Paramedic Practice, Class Publishing  [ISBN: 9781859599242]

Student Research Writing Retreat

The Department of Sport and Event Management has this week hosted a student writing retreat for 50 Level 6 BA Events Management students who are writing their dissertations. Students have been attending fortnightly lectures in addition to their supervisory sessions, but this week came together to work collaboratively on writing up their literature reviews.

The retreats utilised the shared working spaces available in the Fusion building offering 4 hours of quiet working space in seminar rooms, supported by online targeted workshops and 1-1 support on balcony spaces.

At the outset students were invited to set their objectives for the session and curate their own programme of activities to achieve this. Professor Janet Dickinson offered online workshops on literature review writing techniques, whilst experienced supervisors (Dr Miguel Moital, Dr Katherine King and Dr Paola Vizcaino) provided 1-1 support for students to sign up and discuss their progress, helping them to problem solve in the moment.

In addition to this academic support, BUBS librarian Louise Tucker provided 1-1 library support sessions, helping students to focus their research strategies. Amada Fripp, Careers Advisor also attended giving tips and advice on ‘Making the most of your final year’ with CareersBU.

This was the first of 3 writing retreats run for Level 6 students throughout the year and student feedback indicated that working alongside of their peers and course staff at these sessions really helped them to move their research forward. Next sessions will focus on developing methodologies and a further session will support analysis and the final write up.

Academic publishing and numbers

Yesterday our team published new paper on academic writing, this time the focus was on the various indices in the field.  Academics from three different departments in the Faculty of Health & Social Sciences collaborated on the paper ‘Publishing, identifiers & metrics: Playing the numbers game‘ [1].  The three BU scholars, Dr Shovita Dhakal Adhikari, in the Social Sciences and Social Work Department, Dr. Pramod Regmi in the Department of Nursing Sciences, and Prof. Edwin van Teijlingen in the Department of Midwifery and Health Sciences co-authored the paper with former BU staff Dr. Nirmal Aryal, now researcher at Greater Manchester Mental Health NHS Foundation Trust, Alexander van Teijlingen, PhD student at the University of Strathclyde (Glasgow), and Dr. Sarita Panday, Lecturer in Public Health in the University of Essex.

This a the latest paper in a long line of publications on aspects of academic writing and publishing [2-16].

References:

  1. van Teijlingen, E.R., Dhakal Adhikari, S., Regmi, P.R., van Teijlingen, A., Aryal, N., Panday, S. (2021). Publishing, identifiers & metrics: Playing the numbers game. Health Prospect20(1). https://doi.org/10.3126/hprospect.v20i1.37391
  2. Simkhada, P., van Teijlingen E., Hundley, V., Simkhada, BD. (2013) Writing an Abstract for a Scientific Conference, Kathmandu Univ Med J 11(3): 262-65. http://www.kumj.com.np/issue/43/262-265.pdf
  3. van Teijlingen, E, Hundley, V. (2002) Getting your paper to the right journal: a case study of an academic paper, J Advanced Nurs 37(6): 506-11.
  4. Pitchforth, E, Porter M, Teijlingen van E, Keenan Forrest, K. (2005) Writing up & presenting qualitative research in family planning & reproductive health care, Fam Plann Reprod Health Care 31(2): 132-135.
  5. van Teijlingen, E, Simkhada, PP, Rizyal A (2012) Submitting a paper to an academic peer-reviewed journal, where to start? (Guest Editorial) Health Renaissance 10(1): 1-4.
  6. van Teijlingen, E, Simkhada. PP, Simkhada, B, Ireland J. (2012) The long & winding road to publication, Nepal Epidemiol 2(4): 213-215 http://nepjol.info/index.php/NJE/article/view/7093/6388
  7. Hundley, V, van Teijlingen, E, SimkhadP (2013) Academic authorship: who, why and in what order? Health Renaissance 11(2):98-101 www.healthrenaissance.org.np/uploads/Download/vol-11-2/Page_99_101_Editorial.pdf
  8. Simkhada P, van Teijlingen E, Hundley V. (2013) Writing an academic paper for publication, Health Renaissance 11(1):1-5. www.healthrenaissance.org.np/uploads/Pp_1_5_Guest_Editorial.pdf
  9. van Teijlingen, E., Ireland, J., Hundley, V., Simkhada, P., Sathian, B. (2014) Finding the right title for your article: Advice for academic authors, Nepal Epidemiol 4(1): 344-347.
  10. van Teijlingen E., Hundley, V., Bick, D. (2014) Who should be an author on your academic paper? Midwifery 30: 385-386.
  11. Hall, J., Hundley, V., van Teijlingen, E. (2015) The journal editor: friend or foe? Women & Birth 28(2): e26-e29.
  12. Sathian, B., Simkhada, P., van Teijlingen, E., Roy, B, Banerjee, I. (2016) Grant writing for innovative medical research: Time to rethink. Med Sci 4(3):332-33.
  13. Adhikari, S. D., van Teijlingen, E. R., Regmi, P. R., Mahato, P., Simkhada, B., & Simkhada, P. P. (2020). The Presentation of Academic Self in The Digital Age: The Role of Electronic Databases. International J Soc Sci Management7(1), 38-41. https://doi.org/10.3126/ijssm.v7i1.27405
  14. Pradhan, AK, van Teijlingen, ER. (2017) Predatory publishing: a great concern for authors, Med Sci 5(4): 43.
  15. van Teijlingen, E (2004), Why I can’t get any academic writing done, Medical Sociol News 30(3): 62-63. britsoc.co.uk/media/26334/MSN_Nov_2004.pd
  16. Wasti, S.P., van Teijlingen, E., Simkhada, P., Hundley, V. with Shreesh, K. Writing and Publishing Academic Work, Kathmandu, Nepal: Himal Books

Reflections on examining a PhD by Publications or hybrid PhD

Writing for publication in peer-reviewed journals is increasingly recognised as important for postgraduate students’ career development.   To encourage PhD students to write and submit during their thesis research, more and more UK universities has formally started to accept PhD theses by publication, or a hybrid model of both academic papers and purposely written chapters in a PhD thesis.  For example, both the University of Bath and Bournemouth University offer a hybrid thesis [1-2], whilst Bournemouth University offers separately the opportunity to submit a PhD by Publication.   The paper included in such theses can be: (1) published; (2) accepted/published online first; (3) submitted; or (4) in final draft form for submission.  Published papers, due to the nature of journal word limits are usually much shorter and less detailed than traditional PhD chapter.  The specifically written chapters, of the Introduction, Discussion, Conclusion and Recommendations chapter, and occasionally a Methods chapter will provide the reader (read ‘the examiner’) with further insights into the background of the research and offer details the student had to omit from published papers due to word limit restrictions.  Students may also opt to offer a short explanatory text before or after individual paper.  The overall Discussion chapter should aim to fully contextualise and integrate all papers into the thesis.

It is easy to see that these new format theses may require some adjustment from UK academics examining them.  Below I have listed some of the key issue a PhD examiner may want to consider in a PhD by Publication, such as the notion of integration and repetition, how the critique published papers, especially in quality peer-reviewed journals, and the nature and content of purposely written chapters.

Integration/duplication

Individual papers are free-standing, i.e. they must give enough information about the research question and methods to make sense to the reader.  This means that four papers from the same study in a thesis may appear as both disjointed and repetitive at the same time.  Moreover, details on background and methods are often minimal in papers presenting results.  This offers the examiner an opportunity to ask questions such as:

  • How do the included papers relate to each other in terms of subject matter or theoretical underpinning?
  • Do the included papers together result in a cohesive narrative?

It is worth looking at difference between the included papers.  One of my former students included two qualitative papers, both originating from the same dataset (i.e. the same interviewees) but each paper presented the data analysed in a different way.  The reviewers of the second paper had suggested a different approach to the analysis and the candidate had decided that it was worth the considerable amount of extra work.  This was obviously a topic for debate in the viva.

Peer-reviewed journal articles

It can be daunting for a less experienced examiner to critique an included paper that has been peer-reviewed and published in a prestigious journal in one’s discipline.  Perhaps a starting point could be to ask the candidate what the peer reviewers said when the manuscript was first submitted.  Did you receive and conflicting comments from reviewers or the editor?  The examiner may want to ask for further details of published paper, e.g.  “I know you probably had word-length issues for paper X, but why didn’t you expand on the detailed analysis in the Discussion chapter you included in the thesis?”  Interestingly, the University of Bath states that “Examiners are entitled to specify corrections to any part of the thesis… including parts submitted for publication, or already published” [1].  The latter does not mean changing the published paper, but perhaps adding a comment or explanation to the Discussion chapter or to the text introducing that particular paper.

In many discipline academic papers as co-authored, hence you would expect co-authored papers in a PhD by Publication.  This offers to examiner the opportunity to ask about the candidate’s unique contribution to that paper.  Occasionally, one of the included papers may not list the candidate as first author.  If this is the case in one of the four or five included papers this is not problem per se, but worth asking the same question to the candidate: “What is your unique contribution to the paper?”

Another potential issue to look out for in a PhD by Publication is so-called salami-slicing [3], especially if the candidate has published several small parts of the thesis study in different small papers where a single paper would have been more appropriate.

Written chapters

The examiner may want to start by focusing on the candidate’s Introduction, Discussion, or Conclusion chapters.  Or the overall Methods chapter if there is one.  Typically, a PhD by Publication has an Introduction, four or more papers, an overarching Discussion perhaps a short Conclusion.  What is often missing is a Methodology and Methods chapter.  Since individual papers have only basic methods section of a few hundred words, there is little detail in each paper, let alone nuance in the methods. Often methodological issues and reflections are missed, as are more subtle aspects of research ethics.  These are key topics to raise in the viva.

 

Professor Edwin van Teijlingen

CMWH (Centre for Midwifery & Women’s Health)

 

Acknowledgements: I would like to thank my colleague Dr. Ann Luce, Associate Professor in Journalism and Communication at Bournemouth University for her encouraging me to write this blog post.

 

References:

  1. University of Bath: https://www.bath.ac.uk/publications/guidelines-for-research-examiners/attachments/Guidelines_for_Examiners_of_Doctoral_Degrees_Nov19.pdf
  2. Bournemouth University (2021-22) 8A Code of Practice for Research Degrees (Policy, Procedure and Guidelines). https://intranetsp.bournemouth.ac.uk/pandptest/8a-code-of-practice-for-research-degrees.pdf
  3. Tolsgaard, M.G., Ellaway, R., Woods, N., Norman, G. (2019) Salami-slicing and plagiarism: How should we respond?. Advance in Health Sciences Education 24: 3–14. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10459-019-09876-7

My state-of-the-art HOME STUDIO for ONLINE TEACHING

Dear BU community,

I am delighted to release the first video of my personal channel, which provides a tour of my home studio for online teaching. If you click on the description of this video, there’s a link to a second video on the 5 Benefits of using the studio. This second video shows in more detail how I use the studio for teaching.

Building the studio has been a challenge, great fun and game changing as far as delivering online teaching experiences is concerned.

If you have a few thousand pounds you can also buy the same equipment.

However, what money can’t buy is the accumulated knowledge required to design and make it work. Hundreds of hours watching videos, reflecting on what I wanted, trying and making a lot of mistakes along the way, and dealing with the frustration of something not working right the first time (as it should).

The learning has been both the greatest challenge but also the most valuable element of the entire journey.

I hope you like it and any comments are welcome. Share the video with colleagues if this is something you think will be useful to them. Lobby your faculty to create a few of these on campus (Sorry Deans!).

And don’t forget to subscribe to my channel! From time to time I will be posting more videos about the use of my home studio for online teaching.

With best wishes

Miguel Moital

BUBS

Two education chapters published by BU academics

This week saw saw the publication of two book chapters on very different aspects of university education.  First, Prof. Debbie Holley, Dr. Ben Goldsmith and Dr. David Fevyer co-authored ‘Inspiring Learning through Technologies’.   This is chapter 5 in the newly published second edition of the textbook Enhancing Teaching Practice in Higher Education published by SAGE [1].

And just a three days ago Emerald Publishing published a chapter on external examining in The Role of External Examining in Higher Education: Challenges and Best Practices.  The chapter ‘Acting as External Examiners in the UK: Going Beyond Quality Assurance’ [2] is co-authored by Prof. Edwin van Teijlingen in the Centre for Midwifery, Maternal & Perinatal Health (CMMPH) and FHSS Visiting Facutly Prof. Padam Simkhada (University of Huddersfield) and Dr. Amudha Poobalan (University of Aberdeen).

 

References:

  1. Holley, D., Goldsmith, B., Fevyer, D. (2021) Inspiring Learning through Technologies, In: Pokorny, H., Warren, D. (eds.) Enhancing Teaching Practice in Higher Education (2nd edn), London: SAGE: pp. 107-134.
  2. Poobalan, A.Simkhada, P. and van Teijlingen, E. (2021) Acting as External Examiners in the UK: Going Beyond Quality Assurance, In: Sengupta, E.Blessinger, P.Ssemwanga, A. and Cozza, B. (eds.) The Role of External Examining in Higher Education: Challenges and Best Practices (Innovations in Higher Education Teaching and Learning, Vol. 38), Emerald Publishing Limited, Bingley, pp. 13-23. https://doi.org/10.1108/S2055-364120210000038002