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DR Essentials

Online induction package for First Year Doctoral Researchers. DR Essentials is a stand-alone online course placed on the self-registration area of WebCT . Doctoral Researchers can access it by adding it to their university online profiles. The course contains five separate modules covering key stages of the incipient doctoral research career. Each module combines content with a number of embedded talking heads that capture the views of Doctoral Researchers and Supervisors across the institution. At the end of each module there is a check list of tasks that should be completed. DR Essentials in its original version was developed at the University of Melbourne in Australia. The version used at the University of Birmingham has been developed by a team of experts from the Centre for Learning and Academic Development (CLAD) and the University Graduate School to meet the needs of researchers at Birmingham. The course is self-paced and users can dip into or work through in its entirety as they may need.
Institution(s):
University of Birmingham
Region(s):
Midlands
Date first submitted:
21 Oct 2010
Date last modified:
2 Nov 2010
Relationship to RDF:
  • Domain A: Knowledge and intellectual abilities
  • Domain B: Personal effectiveness
  • Personal Qualities
  • Self-management
  • Professional and career development
  • Domain C: Research governance and organisation
  • Research management
  • Finance, funding and resources
  • Domain D: Engagement, influence and impact
  • Working with others
  • Communication and dissemination
Focus:
  • Personal effectiveness
  • Research project skills
  • Academic practice
  • Career development
Audience:
  • Doctoral researchers
Range:
  • Institution
Impact Level 2: Learning

Improved knowledge regarding the what is expected on Birmingham doctoral researchers, particularly in the first 6 months, the support and resources that are in place etc.

Rationale, aims and outcomes
What is the rationale for doing this?
How does it fit with institutional strategy?
What are the main features of the provision?
What are the aims and expected outcomes?

Doctoral researchers are a very important part of the university community and it is our privilege to nurture their development.  Their hard work contributes a major proportion of the research out-put of the University and their ability to communicate their ideas and research findings is an important part of our knowledge transfer activity. 

DR Essentials is an online induction programme that provides an integrated transition for new doctoral researchers. In particular, the program supports doctoral researchers in identifying and developing the academic skills and management tools needed in the first six months of their research and beyond. The learning environment also provides opportunities for peer-support and interaction with University advisers.

The aim of DR Essentials is to support doctoral researchers at the early stages of their research and help them develop a range of skills such as communication skills, time and task management skills that they will need to develop for their research and their future employability.

The intended outcomes of the course are:

·    Understand the key stages and distinct challenges involved in doctoral research

·    Develop knowledge of time and task management issues, tools and resources

·    Reflect on and clarify the roles and responsibilities of supervisors and researchers at the doctoral level

·    Explore the range of tools available for conducting and recording literature searches

·    Understand the requirements and elements of a literature review

Engagement
Are there any pre-requisites for engagement, e.g. levels of skill, years of experience, essential pre-activities?
How many participate in each 'activity'?

DR Essentials is tailored to the needs of First Year Doctoral Researchers, although access to the course is available free of charge to all doctoral researchers across the university via the self-registration section of the institutional virtual learning environment, which is currently WebCT.

Evaluation: benefits, challenges and next steps
How do you monitor effectiveness?
Who do you seek feedback from?
Do you have benchmarks?

The course will provide early doctoral researchers with resources to develop generic skills which are essential to the success of their research and future career plans.  It also allows doctoral researchers to feel part of the University’s research community.

Better access to online resources, especially for distance and part-time doctoral researchers. We are addressing this challenge by improving the provision of online courses delivered through the institutional virtual learning environment, WebCT.

The Centre for Learning and Academic Development (CLAD) and The University Graduate School at The University of Birmingham support the further development of online resources for doctoral researchers. We are constantly improving ways to design and deliver interactive, online versions of existing and new courses in the areas of:

·         presentation skills

·         poster design

·         writing research documents

·         project management

·         data analysis

·         databases

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Owner

Dr Catherine Mills