ESCalate Developing Pedagogy and Practice 2010 Project
Final Literature Review
Understanding Pedagogy in Online Doctoral Learning
Overview of the Literature
My project has investigated the pedagogy of online doctoral learning. As there have been few systematic studies of this topic, one of my priorities in the project has been to develop an up-to-date literature review that will bring together and synthesize a useful set of references (within the time constraints of the project). In this review, I am also briefly highlighting some of the challenges and processes of inquiry I encountered in developing my literature review in order to begin to locate the questions stimulated by my project within the existing literature and appraisal of these questions.
My biggest challenge in developing this literature review has been to find studies that combine research about doctoral education with research about technology-enhanced learning. Another big challenge has been that much of academic practice related to doctoral education is ‘tacit’ and ‘taken for granted’ (Taylor, 2008) and there has not been as much research about practice published about it. This has required me to look in many different locations in order to bring some of this together. A third challenge, as highlighted in the report, has been that doctoral education is in the process of massive change and some studies, of several years standing, have seemed no longer relevant to the current policy context.
So the literature review process has required me to build my own conceptual map of research from different fields of research and practice. I would categorise these as related to policy studies, doctoral education, pedagogic research, research training, technology enhanced learning and distance learning.
Here are some brief comments on each of these fields:
Policy studies
There are some very important recent policy reports/studies that have had impact on policy such as the VITAE Researcher Development Framework, the Higher Education report on Redefining the Doctorate (Park, 2007), the QAA report on doctoral degree characteristics (2011) and the LERU report on doctoral degrees across Europe (2010). All of these studies are worth looking at to determine the policy framework for doctoral education.
Doctoral education
Many of the policy documents also discuss characteristics and procedures around doctoral education such as Denicolo & Park (2011). There are also other studies that have looked more theoretically at ideas of ‘doctorateness’ and usefully relate these ideas to empirical research. These studies include Neumann (2007), Wellington (2012) and Wisker et al (2010). Other studies look at particular aspects of doctoral education such as Austin (2009), Burgess & Wellington (2010)and McAlpine & Asgha (2010).
Pedagogic research
In this category, I would include theoretical frameworks that have resonance for doctoral education, such as that developed around research-led teaching by Brew (2006) and communities of practice (Wenger, 1999) Wenger developed in a systematic and thorough way the idea of learning as a social participation process that is achieved through a community of practice. This idea has had a major impact on the development of technology-enhanced learning and the building of online communities and certainly has substantive resonance for doctoral education. Other pedagogic research has given insights into particular aspects of doctoral learning – such as Doctoral Learning Journeys (Wisker et al 2010) and Usher’s study (2002) on Doctorates and the Knowledge Economy.
Research training
There have been a number of studies on the meaning and impact of the development of research training for doctoral students such as the Cumming study on the skills debate in research education (2010b) and a critique of skills training by Craswell (2007).
Technology enhanced learning and distance learning
As stated in the report, the use of technology in doctoral education is still relatively in its infancy, and some of the studies about this are more about the effect of distance rather than technology (see Butcher & Sieminski (2006) and Wikeley & Muschamp (2004). Other studies highlight the use of technology and online networks: Barrett (2003), Joyes & Banks (2008) and Thomson & Allan (2010). In all these studies, challenges, problems and conflicts are highlighted – but also potential for technology to enhance doctoral education in ways that are not quite yet being achieved.
All these studies can be found in the bibliography below:
Bibliography
Austin, A. (2009) Cognitive apprenticeship theory and its implications for doctoral education: a case example from a doctoral program in Higher and Adult Education. International Journal for Academic Development, 14 (3), pp. 173-183.
Barnacle, R. (2005) Research education ontologies: exploring doctoral becoming. Higher Education Research and Development, 24(2), 179-188.
Barrett, E. (2003) Spirit, trust, interaction and learning: a case study of an online community of doctoral students. British Educational Research Association Conference, Edinburgh 2003. Available at: http://www.leeds.ac.uk/educo/documents/003184.htm
Boud, D. & Lee, A. (2005) ‘Peer learning’ as pedagogic discourse for research education. Studies in Higher Education, 30, 5, pp. 501-516.
Brew, A. (2006) Research & Teaching: beyond the divide. Basingstoke: Palgrave Macmillan, Universities into the 21st century series.
Burgess, H. & Wellington, J. (2010) “Exploring the impact of the professional doctorate on students’ professional practice and personal development: early indications” in Work Based Learning E-journal, Vol.1, No.1, pp. 160-176.
Butcher, J. & Sieminski, S. (2006) The challenge of a distance learning professional doctorate in Education. Journal of Open and Distance Learning, 21 (1): 59-69.
Craswell, G. (2007) Deconstructing the skills training debate in doctoral education. HE Research and Development, 26, 4, PP.337-391
Cumming, J. (2010a) Doctoral enterprise: a holistic conception of evolving practices and arrangements. Studies in Higher Education, 35, (1), 25-39.
Cumming, J. (2010b) Contextualised performance, reframing the skills debate in research education. Studies in Higher Education, 35, (4), 405-479.
Denicolo, P. & Park, C. (2011) Doctorateness – an elusive concept? QAA Report. [Downloaded on 8/11/11]
http://www.qaa.ac.uk/Publications/InformationAndGuidance/Documents/doctorateness.pdf
Espinoza-Ramos, R & Hammond, M. (2008) Can ICT build a solid bridge to a more “engaged” and collaborative practice in doctoral study? Paradoxes, constraints and opportunities. Proceedings of the 6th International Conference on Networked Learning. Available at: http://www.networkedlearningconference.org.uk/past/nlc2008/abstracts/Hammond.htm
ESRC (2005) Postgraduate Training Guidelines, Swindon: ESRC.
Green, H. & Powell, S. (2005) Doctoral Study in Contemporary Higher Education. Buckingham: Open University Press.
Joyes, G. & Banks, S. (2008) Using technology in research methods teaching. In Donnelly, R. & Sweeney, F. (eds) Applied e Learning and eTeaching in Higher Education. New York: Idea Group Publishing.
League of European Research Universities (2010) Doctoral degrees beyond 2010: training talented researchers for society. LERU report. [Downloaded 8/11/11]
http://www.leru.org/files/publications/LERU_Doctoral_degrees_beyond_2010.pdf
Leonard, D., Becker, R. & Coate, K. (2005) To prove myself at the highest level: The benefits of doctoral study, Higher Education Research & Development, 24, (2), 135-149.
McAlpine, L. & Asgha, A. (2010) Enhancing academic climate: doctoral students as their own developers. International Journal for Academic Development, 15 (2), 167-178.
Neumann, D. (2007) Policy and Practice in Doctoral Education. Studies in Higher Education, 32(4): 459-73.
Neumann, R. (2003) The Doctoral Education Experience: Diversity and complexity. Australian Government, Department of Education, Science and Training. Canberra. Available from http://www.dest.gov.au/NR/rdonlyres/873B3698-F3BA-4D86-869C-0C3C6DB95658/804/03_12.pdf.
Park, C ( 2007) Redefining the Doctorate, York: Higher Education Academy
Parker, R. (2009) A learning community approach to doctoral education in the social sciences. Teaching in Higher Education, 14, 1, pp. 43-54.
Philips, E & Pugh, D (2000) How to get a PhD (3rd edition) Buckingham: Open University Press
Pilbeam, C. & Denyer, D. (2009) Lone scholar or community member? The role of student networks in doctoral education in a UK management school. Studies in Higher Education, 34, 3, 301-318.
Powell, S. & Green, H. (2007) The Doctorate World Wide. Buckingham: Society for Research into Higher Education and Open University Press.
Pryor, J. & Crossouard, B. (2007) Doctoral supervision as formative assessment. Society for Research into Higher Education (SRHE), Brighton, December 2007.
Pyhalto, K., Stubb, J. & Lonka, K. (2009) Developing scholarly communities as learning environments for doctoral education. International Journal for Academic Development, 14 (3), 221-232.
Quality Assurance Agency for Higher Education (QAA) (2004) Code of practice for the assurance of academic quality and standards in higher education. (Gloucester, QAA).
Quality Assurance Agency for Higher Education (QAA) (2011) Doctoral degree characteristics. (Gloucester, QAA) [Downloaded 5/11/11]
http://www.qaa.ac.uk/Publications/InformationAndGuidance/Pages/Doctoral_characteristics.aspx
Scott, D., Brown, A., Lunt, I. & Thorne, L. (2004) Professional Doctorates:
Integrating Professional and Academic Knowledge, Maidenhead: SRHE/ Open University Press.
Styles, I. & Radloff, A. (2000) Affective reflections: postgraduate students’ feelings about their thesis. In M. Kiley & G. Mullins. (Eds). (2000). Quality in postgraduate research: Making ends meet. Advisory Centre for University Education, The University of Adelaide.
Taylor, S. & Beasley, N. (2005) A handbook for doctoral supervisors. London: Routledge.
Thomson, C. & Allan, B. (2010) Supporting the learning and networked experiences of doctoral students. Proceedings of the International Conference on Networked Learning 2010, Aalborg, Denmark.
[Downloaded on 8/11/11] http://www.lancs.ac.uk/fss/organisations/netlc/past/nlc2010/abstracts/PDFs/Thomson.pdf
UKCGE (2002) Professional Doctorates. Staffordshire, UK Council for Graduate Education.
Usher, R. (2002) A Diversity of Doctorates: fitness for the knowledge economy? Higher Education Research and Development, 21(2): 143-53.
VITAE (2010) Researcher development framework (RDF). [Downloaded from VITAE 8/11/11] http://www.vitae.ac.uk/researchers/428241/Researcher-Development-Framework.html
Wellington, J. (2010a) Making supervision work for you. London: Sage Publications.
Wellington, J. (2010b) Supporting students; preparation for the viva: their pre-conceptions and implications for practice. Teaching in Higher Education, 15, (2), 135-150.
Wellington, J. (2012) Searching for ‘doctorateness’. Studies in Higher Education, forthcoming.
Wellington, J., Bathmaker, A., Hunt, C., McCulloch, G., & Sikes, P. (2005) Succeeding with your Doctorate. London: Sage Publications.
Wellington, J. & Sikes, P. (2006) A doctorate in a tight compartment’: why do students choose a professional doctorate and what impact does it have on their personal and professional lives. Studies in Higher Education, 31, pp. 723-734.
Wenger, E. (1999) Communities of practice: learning, meaning, and identity, Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
Wikeley, F. & Muschamp, Y. (2004) Pedagogical implications of working with doctoral students at a distance. Distance Education, 25, 1, pp. 125-143.
Wisker, G, Morris, C., Cheng, M., Masika, R., Warnes, M., Trafford, V., Robinson, G., Lilly, J. (2010) Doctoral learning journeys. HE Academy report. [Downloaded on 5/11/11]
http://search.heacademy.ac.uk/kb5/hea/evidencenet/results.page?qt=Doctoral+learning+journeys&nh=&rowstop=10&rowsbottom=10&Submit.x=37&Submit.y=10
Woodward, D. & Denicolo, P. (2010) A Review of Graduate Schools in the UK. UKCGE report. [Downloaded on 5/11/11]
http://userpage.fu-berlin.de/~jmoes/pide/Material/UK%20Studie%20zu%20Graduateschools.pdf
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