National Postgraduate Student Experience

Symposium Programme

7 – 8 April 2016,

Gold Coast, Queensland

Supported by the Australian Government Office for Learning and Teaching. 1

Contribute to the conversation –

Twitter: @PGStudentExp #21CSE http://PostgraduateStudentExperience.com/

Welcome from the Project Co-Leaders

Associate Professor Linda Crane Associate Dean Learning and

Teaching (Health, Sciences and Medicine), Bond University

Associate Professor Shelley Kinash Director Learning and Teaching,

Bond University

On behalf of the Postgraduate Student Experience project team we thank you for attending the National Postgraduate

Student Experience Symposium, 2016.

The Symposium will feature keynote presentations, panel sessions, practical workshops and a poster session aimed at sharing successful strategies to enhance the postgraduate

student experience.

We are also pleased to feature an OLT Strategic Priority Panel session in which members of the Student Experience Cluster teams will present the preliminary findings of their

respective projects.

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Thursday 7 April

Times Sessions 1200 – 1230 Symposium Registration

Light lunch provided for registered delegates

1230 – 1255 Welcome Address Professor Tim Brailsford, Bond University Ms Di Weddell, Australian Government Office for Learning and Teaching

1255 – 1340 Keynote Address – Success, Achievement & Futures Chair – Associate Professor Linda Crane Professor James Arvanitakis, Western Sydney University

1340 – 1400 Poster Session

1400 – 1430 Presentation – What does the data tell us about the postgraduate student experience? Ms Ali Radloff, Australian Council for Educational Research

1440 – 1540 Presentation of OLT Strategic Priority Projects Chair – Ms Helen McLean, RMIT University Associate Professor Linda Crane Associate Professor Sally Male, University of Western Australia Professor Sally Varnham, University of Technology Sydney

1540 – 1550 Afternoon Tea

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Thursday 7 April

Times Sessions 1550 – 1635 Keynote Address – Personalized Postgraduate Learning Through

Technology Enhanced Approaches & Alternative Perspectives on University Purpose Chair – Associate Professor Linda Crane Professor Ken Udas, University of Southern Queensland

1645 – 1745 Postgraduate Student Panel Chair – Ms Alice Aitkenhead, Bond University Mrs Elissa Roper, University of Divinity Ms Ghada Saad, Victoria University Mr Harry Rolf, University of Tasmania Mr Jim Smith, Council of Australian Postgraduate Associations Ms Sadie Heckenberg, Swinburne University

1745 – 1830 Educator Panel Chair – Associate Professor Gary Hamlin, Bond University Associate Professor Barrie Todhunter, University of Southern Queensland Ms Josephine Hook, Monash University Associate Professor Bill Eckersley, Victoria University Dr Kate Davis, Queensland University of Technology

1830 – 1930 Drinks & Networking

1930 – 2030 Dinner

2030 – 2115 Presentation Professor Keitha Dunstan, Bond University

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Friday 8 April (AM)

Times Sessions 0815 – 0900 Breakfast

0900 – 0945 Keynote Address – The first year postgraduate experience Chair – Associate Professor Linda Crane Professor Sally Kift, James Cook University

0945 – 1000 Morning Tea

1000 – 1200 Break-out session 1: Demystifying your thesis Professor Ron Adams, Victoria University

Break-out session 2: UPGRADE for coursework students Associate Professor Barrie Todhunter, University of Southern Queensland

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Friday 8 April (PM)

Times Sessions 1200 – 1230 Lunch

1230 – 1315 Keynote Address – UK Perspective on the postgraduate student experience: Access, funding and employability Chair – Associate Professor Linda Crane Professor Anthony Smith, University College London

1325 – 1425 Leadership Panel Chair – Professor Helen Partridge, University of Southern Queensland Professor Keitha Dunstan, Bond University Professor Selma Alliex, University of Notre Dame (Australia) Associate Professor Jonathan Powles, University of Canberra Professor Sally Kift, James Cook University

1430 – 1445 Practical goal setting Associate Professor Shelley Kinash

1445 – 1500 Closing Dr Grace Lynch, RMIT University

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Poster presentations

Engaging postgraduate students and supporting higher education to enhance the 21st century student experience. Linda Crane, Shelley Kinash, Madelaine-Marie Judd, Gary Hamlin, Ashley Stark, Ken Udas, Helen Partridge, Bill Eckersley & Sarah Richardson Learning through teaching: Building a mentoring community around PhD students as academic apprentices. Teresa De Fazio & Fiona Henderson National Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander Postgraduate Association (NATSIPA). Sadie Heckenberg Nothing About Us Without Us: Protecting Indigenous Knowledges through Oral Histories and Culturally Safe Research Practices. Sadie Heckenberg, Andrew Gunstone, Sue Anderson & Karen Hughes Improving sport science students’ practical skills and employment prospects: Is the answer in your smartphone? Justin Keogh Enhancing postgraduate learning with Intensive Mode Teaching. Sally Male, Stuart Crispin, Phil Hancock, Jeremy Leggoe, Caroline Baillie, Cara MacNish, Dev Ranmuthugala & Firoz Alam

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Poster authors will be available to answer delegate questions during the poster session. Full posters are available at the end of this programme.

Poster presentations

Exploring the Difficulties of Teaching Programming to Non-Native English Speakers at an Australian Regional University. Ibrahim Nnass ReDTrain: Supporting and Engaging Research Students. Maris Parker, Joan McGilvray, Melena Harper, Lester Norris, Douglas Eacersall, Mark Emmerson & Peter Terry Creating opportunity: Career development initiatives to enhance the employability of QUT research higher degree graduates. Nikki Penhaligon, Susan Ryan & Stephanie Bonson Measuring collaboration by HDR students: A network visualisation of Higher Degree by Research (HDR) student co-authorship. Harry Rolf & Denbeigh Armstrong Student voice – what post graduate students think matters. Sally Varnham, Bronwyn Olliffe, Katrina Waite & Ann Cahill Teacher personality traits and its impacts on learning. Ned Wales Redefining postgraduate education: Introducing the Concierge at City Service. Shawn Walker, Joe Linnestad & Mark Young

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Poster authors will be available to answer delegate questions during the poster session. Full posters are available at the end of this programme.

Keynote presenters

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Professor James Arvanitakis is the Dean of the Graduate Research School and the Head of The Academy at the Western Sydney University. His research areas include: citizenship, resilience, piracy and the future of universities.

Professor Ken Udas is the Deputy Vice-Chancellor, Academic Services and CIO at the University of Southern Queensland. Prior to joining USQ, he co-founded an educational services company and served in senior administrative and teaching roles at Umass and PennState.

Professor Sally Kift is the Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Academic) at James Cook University and President of the Australian Learning and Teaching Fellows (ALTF). In 2006, Professor Kift was awarded a National Senior Teaching Fellowship to investigate the first year experience.

Professor Anthony Smith is the Vice Provost (Education and Student Affairs) at University College London. Professor Smith is a Fellow of the High Education Academy and the Royal Pharmaceutical Society.

Project Abstract: Engaging postgraduate students and supporting higher education

to enhance the 21st century student experience.

The reported research was conducted as a strategic priority project of the Australian Government Office for Learning and Teaching between February 2015 and August 2016. Bond University was the lead institution, with partner institutions – University of Southern Queensland, Victoria University and partner peak body organisations – Australian Council for Educational Research and Council of Australian Postgraduate Associations. In total there were 366 research participants from across 26 Australian universities (319 students and 47 staff). Among the three methodological approaches of engagement breakfasts (7), interviews (82) and focus groups (9) there were 223 students, 38 students/44 staff and 58 students/3 staff research participants respectively. Results clustered into six themes. The first theme regarded diversity and profiling. Data suggests that there are six common profiles of postgraduate coursework students, these include: those who progressed immediately from undergraduate studies; those who are employed and see their coursework degree as contributing to a clear perceived career trajectory; those who undertake coursework studies to change their career path; those who are unable to obtain employment within their field and are still deciding what to do; those who feel the degree is required in order to reach professional goals and; those who complete the studies purely out of interest. The second theme regarded tiering and belonging. The sheer diversity of the postgraduate cohort leads to a difference in perceptions of ‘belonging.’ In the research, postgraduate students referred to such key activities as ‘networking,’ and ‘community’ and described that these factors are integral to their student experience. The third theme was in the context of first year experience. Postgraduate students appear to have similar needs to undergraduate students with respect to first year experience. The majority of staff and students participating in this research believe that first-year supports require improvement. The fourth theme regarded career development and employability. Only 14 per cent of interviewees (7 people) who expressed an opinion (51 people) among interviewed postgraduate students and university staff (82 people across Australia) are optimistic that postgraduates will secure related careers upon graduation. Furthermore, 61 per cent (of the 71 people who expressed an opinion) believe that Australian universities need to improve postgraduate employability supports. The majority of recommendations to enhance employability (37 per cent) related to the provision of work opportunities whilst studying (embedded in curriculum and/or supported work experience and internships). The fifth theme is in the context of student services. Due to the sheer diversity of the postgraduate cohort, it appears that universities continue to grapple with the student support and learning services that this cohort requires. The sixth theme addressed demographic differences in the variety of postgraduate student experiences. Results suggest that postgraduate needs differ depending upon student demographics. Factors such as international/domestic, metropolitan/regional, coursework/research, and online/face-to-face appear to impact the student experience and services required from universities.

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Notes

Notes