Supervision Archives - Enhancing Postgraduate Environments

Postgraduate Curriculum

PostGrad — Wed, 20 Mar 2024 15:31:33 +0000

This series of videos emerges from the Enabling Quality Postgraduate Education project, which brings together Deputy Vice-Chancellors, Directors of Research, Directors of Postgraduate Studies, and Deans to reflect with postgraduate scholars on quality in postgraduate education. You can learn more about this project, funded by the Department of Higher Education and Training in South Africa and led by Professors Sioux McKenna and Stephanie Burton by visiting the project website.

In this video, the focus is on how we develop a postgraduate curriculum. The reliance on postgraduate students simply finding their own way through their studies as a ‘lonely scholar’ reliant entirely on their supervisor for guidance is challenged.

This video was produced by Sinethemba Oz Konzaphi. Thanks to all who provided their inputs into this video.

Briefly Speaking 25 – Models of Postgraduate Supervision – this short piece outlines the international move to more collaborative and structured postgraduate models.

Who might find this useful?

This might be a useful video to include in a supervision development course, along with the ‘Briefly Speaking’ above.

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The ‘being’ of the postgraduate student

PostGrad — Wed, 20 Mar 2024 15:24:04 +0000

In this video, the focus is on how the disposition of the postgraduate student. Professor Notyatyambo Pearl Dastile from Walter Sisulu University shares her views on the student dispositions needed for success.

This video was produced by Sinethemba Oz Konzaphi. Thanks to Professor Notyatyambo Pearl Dastile

Who might find this useful?

This might be a useful video for a supervision development course.

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Higher Degrees, Examining & Vivas

PostGrad — Mon, 12 Oct 2020 15:09:11 +0000

Besides supporting and guiding the postgraduate student to completion, a supervisor has additional roles that they need to fulfil within the institution. This video elaborates on supervisory roles related to the examination of student theses. Firstly, the supervisor has to select suitable examiners as well as prepare students and support them through the examination process. The examination process may include a viva, depending on institutional requirements. Secondly, the supervisor may be approached to be a thesis examiner, and the video discusses a number of important considerations in this process.

Prof Chrissie Boughey at Rhodes University wrote and narrated the presentation. The material was originally developed for a postgraduate supervision course.

Explore these additional resources

Who might find this useful?

This material is mainly for supervisors, although the discussion on thesis examination (and particularly the additional resources) may be useful to postgraduate students who are nearing the end of their studies.

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Working towards social inclusion: A humanising pedagogy

PostGrad — Mon, 12 Oct 2020 14:17:31 +0000

Supervisors often make assumptions about what their students are able to do. The assumption is that their undergraduate learning provided them with a solid foundation for the kind of work required at postgraduate level. This presentation challenges that view and calls supervisors to reflect on their assumptions about their students and what each of their students brings into the supervisory relationship. Supervisors are challenged to think about supervision differently – as a way of inducting students into a disciplinary knowledge community and reflecting on which students are excluded or often struggle with postgraduate studies in their disciplines.

Prof Sioux McKenna put together this presentation. The material was originally developed for a postgraduate supervision course.

Explore these additional resources

Gee on Discourses
Wheelehan on powerful knowledge
A review of this book can be found here.

Who might find this useful?

This material is mainly for supervisors.

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A Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) Between Supervisor and Postgraduate

PostGrad — Wed, 31 Jan 2018 07:07:49 +0000

The aim of a memorandum of understanding (MoU) is to give the postgraduate student and supervisor an opportunity to develop a sound and productive working relationship. There is no blueprint for such an agreement. Rather, it is the result of an open discussion in the early stages of the relationship, during which both student and supervisor can clarify expectations and preferences, surface any misunderstandings or misaligned expectations and pave the way for a productive working relationship.

The aim of this resource is to provide a starting point for such a discussion between postgraduate student and supervisor. The content given here is meant to serve as a prompt for things to include in one’s own agreement, and supervisors/students are encouraged to make as many changes as needed during their discussions. In its current form, this MoU template should not be regarded as policy or even as a fixed template. Each supervisor-student relationship is unique and the outcome of this discussion will be a personalised and adapted version of this MoU.

Having said that, it may be the case that your faculty or department already has its own MoU template. It may even be compulsory for you to complete such an MoU, according to your departmental requirements. In that case, please see this document as an additional prompt for issues you might want to discuss with your supervisor/postgraduate student at the start of your relationship. Departments and faculties are also welcome to use and adapt this template. It is then up to individual departments or faculties to explain the “status” of the MoU, e.g. whether it is compulsory, recommended or optional.

Developed by Stellenbosch University, Postgraduate Office. Thanks to Natasha Mothapo, Ethel Phiri, Jenna Leysens and Alison Bucholz who played key roles in the production of this video (SU). Thank you to Venita Januarie, David Phair, Rose Richards, Mannini Kotele, Karen Esler, Jaco le Roux, Nathaniel McGregor, John Measey and Samkele Zonyane for their valuable contributions in the making of this resource. Thank you to Sioux McKenna (Rhodes University) and Ronel Steyn for their earlier contributions to the MoU template.

Who might find this useful?

This resource might also be useful to postgraduate studies support divisions and faculties or departments that co-ordinate postgraduate supervision and that may not have an official MoU in place.

The following open questions are posed at the end of the video:

How do you feel about an MoU?
Does your department have one?
How do you intend to establish a healthy postgraduate/supervisor relationship?
Have you considered all aspects of how the different stages of the research project will be handled?
Have you agreed on the type and frequency of communication that needs to take place to maintain a good relationship?
Are you prepared to be flexible in your approach – to adapt the MoU contents if necessary as you progress along the research journey together?

Explore these additional resources

Additional reading for supervisors:

Van Schalkwyk, S.C., Murdoch-Eaton, D., Tekian, A., van der Vleuten, C. and Cilliers, F. (2016) The supervisor’s toolkit: A framework for doctoral supervision in health professions education: AMEE Guide No. 104, Medical Teacher, 38:5, 436, DOI: 10.3109/0142159X.2016.1142517
https://theconversation.com/ten-types-of-phd-supervisor-relationships-which-is-yours-52967

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How to approach a potential supervisor?

PostGrad — Tue, 29 Aug 2017 07:27:47 +0000

This brief Power Point presentation with voice over explains how to approach your preferred supervisor for your PG studies. What does she/he need to assess if she can embark on the PG journey with you.

Developed by Henk van den Heuvel & Colette Gerards – Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam. Thanks to EPE consortium for constructive feedback.

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