Facilitated and chaired by: Prof Pam Denicolo who is the co-convenor of the Postgraduate Issues Network. For more details about the network and its activities, please click here.
Overview:
In this exploratory, interactive session, Rosemary Deem, Pam Denicolo and Gill Houston will invite participants to consider important questions about the teaching and support of doctoral researchers, specifically how the quality of such education is experienced and evaluated. This will include looking at periodic institutional visits and internally driven evaluations as well as risk-based assessment procedures (all present across the UK HE systems.) After a short introduction to the topic, referencing current evaluation mechanisms in England and other UK countries, we will explore how doctoral researchers’ views are gathered and what their expectations are of programmes and outcomes. We will also consider the importance of the would-be doctoral researcher recruitment process in contributing to a rewarding and successful doctoral experience for researchers and supervisors. We will then pose some questions for participants to consider and debate, including:
i) Why evaluation of doctoral provision is important;
ii) Who does the evaluation and who should do the evaluating;
iii) What is included in evaluation approaches, what is not, and why;
iv) How is evaluation undertaken and how can that be improved; and
v) How can issues such as fairness, trust, inclusion and social justice be incorporated into evaluation, recognised and celebrated?
Participants will split into groups to consider these questions. We will consider the outcomes of their discussions in a plenary and close with a summary of the workshop findings.
Schedule
11.00 – 11.15 |
SRHE welcome and housekeeping Introduction and overview of the session by Prof Pam Denicolo |
11.15 -11.35 |
Prof Rosemary Deem: Quality Evaluation of doctoral education in UK countries |
11.35 – 11.55 |
Dr Gill Houston: How doctoral researcher views about their programmes are gathered and used |
11.55- 12.10 |
Prof Pam Denicolo: The importance of choosing the right candidates for doctoral study |
12-10 – 12.30 |
First Activity – Characteristics/attributes sought & why |
12.30 – 1.15 |
Lunch break |
13.15- 14.30 |
Group discussions and plenary feedback |
14.30 – 14.45 |
Refreshment Break |
14.45 – 15.30 |
Summary and Concluding remarks |
Speaker bios
Rosemary Deem is Emeritus Professor of HE Management at Royal Holloway (University of London), Dean of History/Social Science (2009-11);Vice-Principal, Education (2011-17); Vice-Principal Teaching Innovation & Equality/Diversity (2017-19); Doctoral School Dean (2014-19). At Bristol University 2001-2009; Social Sciences Postgraduate Dean (2004-6) Faculty Research Director (2007-2009). At Lancaster University, Head of Educational Research (1992-4), Dean of Social Sciences (1994-1997) and University Graduate School Director (1998-2000). Fellow, UK Academy of Social Sciences (2006) and Member of Academia Europaea ( 2024). Co-editor, Higher Education (Springer) 2013-present. Appointed OBE for services to HE & Social Science 2013. 2015-2018 first woman to Chair UK Council for Graduate Education. Chair of Trustees, Sociological Review Foundation 2020 – present. Have supervised and examined many doctoral students in the fields of Education, Sociology, Management and Gender Studies. Research focuses on equality, diversity and inclusion in HE organisations; leadership, management and governance in HE settings; purposes of higher education; doctoral education.
Gill Houston is an independent researcher. She has worked extensively in doctoral education, culminating in the roles of vice-chair and chair of the UK Council for Graduate Education. Recent (2024) publications include: Clegg K, Houston G and Gower O., Doctoral Education and Research Culture, Routledge, 2024, and Houston, G and Lunt, I, The final examination of the UK PhD: fit for purpose? Assessment and Evaluation in Higher Education.
Pam Denicolo, having supervised and examined an extraordinary number of doctorates, and supported the development of supervisors and examiners for over 35 years, is a prolific author on topics related to doctoral education and research methods. She established and ran a Graduate School, has acted as a consultant to universities on the development of doctoral education and training and continues to provide workshops for researchers, supervisors, and examiners nation- and worldwide. Pam is a co-convenor of SRHE Postgraduate Issues Network (PIN), was substantial contributor to Vitae’s Researcher Development Framework (RDF) and was Vice-Chair of UKCGE. She currently co-edits and contributes to the Sage Success in Research series and the De Gruyter Brill Critical Issues in the Future of Learning and Teaching series. Relevant publications are Delivering Inspiring Doctoral Assessment, London: Sage, 2020; Fulfilling the Potential of your Doctoral Experience London: Sage, 2018; Doctoral Education as If People Matter, Brill, 2022.
8 All Saints Street
London, N1 9RL
United Kingdom
Event Fee(s) | |
Member Price | £0.00 |
Guest Price | £75.00 |
Resources
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