Welcome
1
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-internationalpractice/taught-postgraduate-student-experience
Presenters
Prof Roni Bamber (LFIP Chair)
Jane Denholm (Project Consultant)
Heather Gibson (Project Officer)
Dr Judith Lane – Queen Margaret University
Dr Pete Coffee – Stirling University
Dr Chris Lukinbeal – University of Arizona
Dr Simon O’Leary – Regent’s University
Dr Emma Bond & Stuart Agnew – University
Campus Suffolk
Format of Session
2 hrs, 20 mins:
• Briefing on LFIP thinking
• Illustrative case examples
• Discussion of your practices now +
potentially
• Plenary of ideas emerging
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 Group
Wider 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’
Sector
Student
PGT Student
Experience
How do we support that experience?
Emphasis on practices within each context...
Eg What are the pointers for practice from
these lecturers?
Dr Emma Bond and Stuart Agnew
MA Childhood and Youth Studies,
University Campus Suffolk
So...
How to support the transition of these
students to Masters-level study?
Case examples today
• 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)
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
QMU:
Learning Methodologies module
Structure
analyse
task; main
content
Selection
Critique
search
strategy
analyse
positives
/negatives
Synthesis Conclusions
patterns,
meaning
regarding
assignment
task
21
Learning Methodologies module
Paraphrasing
Academic
skills
Understanding
assignment task
IT skills
QMU hub
Structure as
a basis for
searching
/selecting
info
3 weeks
In text
Synthesis
referencing
Critical
Synthesis Concluding in
and logical relation to
analysis
structure
assignment task
Databases, literature
searching and reference
manager
Power
point
TurnitinUK
Rest of the year
Consolidate – writing an
assignment workshops
Formative assignment
Strands
Language
Take further – SPSS
workshop, HCPC
workshop, reflection
Personal academic
development linked to
PATs and learning
contracts based on
formative feedback
More ELS input
Departments involved – Physiotherapy, Occupational
Therapy, IIHD, Nursing, LRC, CAP and ELS
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And...
Psychology of Sport (Stirling) – Dr Pete
Coffee
Pete Coffee (2)
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
Autonomy
Professionalism
• Working outside the box
of knowledge
• Learning from mistakes
• Community of learning
• Self-analysis, reflection
• Building confidence
• Real world work with professionals
• Applying the science
Discussion: Definitions
Look 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
So what?
How might you use the Facets
idea / activity to inform your
practice or your students?
Take Aways
 What are your take-aways from this
session?
 What take-aways should we
incorporate into the LFIP project?
Thank you
Selected sources: references and events (1)
References
A 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)
Events
The 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