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TRANSCRIPT
The career trajectory for PhD – making the most of opportunities and changes
Gráinne Conole, University of Leicester23rd May 2014
PGR Student conference, Southampton University
National Teaching
Fellow 2012 Ascilite fellow 2012EDEN fellow 2013
Outline
• Career history• Turning points and
reflections• Current role and research
interests• Harnessing the power of
social media
Early years…
• Born in Cork, Ireland• Moved to London when
five years old • One sister, Moya• Dog named James Joyce!• Schools
– Holy Mary, Kingston– St Philomenas, Carshalton
Academic performance
• Secondary School 74-82– A late developer!– 10 O’ levels– 4 A levels (Chem, Biol,
Maths, Art)
• University 82-85– Chemistry, 2.1. Sheffield
University
The Thatcher influence…
• …..or life in the ‘real’ world• 85-86– Graduate training programme– Allied bakeries– Area retail manager– 150 staff in 10 outfits across
London!
Life as a Chemist• 86-90
– PhD X-Ray Crystallography
– P/T demonstrating and lecturing
• 90-91– Lecturer on newly
established Foundation Science course – HITECC
• 91-96– Lecturer (Inorganic
Chemistry)
Changing roles
• UNL June 96 - Sept 99– Project Director Learning
and Teaching Innovation– Director of Teaching and
Learning Technology Centre
– Head of Technology-based Learning
• Bristol Sept 99 –April 02– Director of Institute for
Learning and Research Technology
Changing roles….
• Southampton 2002 – 2006– Chair in educational
innovation in post-compulsory education
• OU 2006 - 2011– Professor of e-learning
• Leicester 2011 - now– Professor of Learning
Innovation
Early turning points
• Moving to England– Identity crisis – Irish or English?
Integrating into a new society• O’ and A’ level choices– Switch from Sociology to
Chemistry O’ level– Switch from Geography to
Maths A’ level– Lack of career advice or choice
of university
Turning points• Retail manager! and switch to PhD
(phew)• Securing lectureship• Promotion to Principle Lecturer (96)• Birth of Eleanor (94) & Tabby (98)• Taking the Bristol post, Tabby 6 months• Nannies and au pairs!• Chair at Southampton, then OU & now
Leicester• JISC & EU funded projects• Increasing involvement in national and
international activities
Focus of research
• Enhancing the learner experience
• Effective & innovative use of technologies
• New approaches to design
• Open practices in learning, teaching and research
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Institute of Learning Innovation
• Research• Teaching• Supervision• Consultancy• Visiting scholars• Institutional advice
http://www.le.ac.uk/ili
Four phases
• Multimedia• The Internet• Learning Design• Social and Participatory
Media
My network
Blogs• Of the moment
reflections• Digital archive• The power of peer
review• Record of events, reviews
and resources• Wider audience reach
and hence profile• Link into facebook and
Twitter• Complements traditional
publication routes
e4innovation.com
gconole.wordpress,com
Using facebook
Ideas for harnessing Web 2.0?
Twitter and facebook #fb
Conferences• Purpose: presentation & feedback• Network, network, network!• Potential collaborators & bid partners• Put in a symposium of experts• Expert validation workshops• Put papers/presentations online• Follow up contacts afterwards: email,
fb, Twitter, blogs, etc.• Work up into a research paper• Work the hashtag• Live blog or follow conference-related
blogs
A personal example
Publishing•Write books and chapters•Become an editor ofa special issue of a journal•Keep publication list up to date in your research
repository•Set up a writing group or workshop (real/virtual)•Co-write with lots of different people•Disseminate publications via Tweet, fb etc •Set up a blog•See Twitter, blogs, journals, books as
complementary
GO OPEN!!!!
Networking
• Build international links
• Join professional bodies
• Become a reviewer• Do a special issue• Sit on committees• Do a study visit
Reflections
• Difficulty of balancing home and work
• Significance of turning points• Importance of support –
partners, friends and childcare support
• Clash of having children and career breaks
• Politics!
Importance of relaxation!
Porthcurno, Cornwall
Seascamp
http://www.le.ac.uk/ilihttp://www.slideshare.net/GrainneConole
[email protected]://e4innovation.com
@gconole