All Ireland Society for Higher Education
| Name: | James Derounian |
|---|---|
| Email: | jderounian@glos.ac.uk |
| Institution: | University of Gloucestershire |
Warmington, Wal, Wal.Warmington@uce.ac.uk University of Central England
Hunter & White (2004: 20 cited in Schreiner & Anderson 2005) pose the question "could fixing academic advising fix higher education? Their answer ... is a resounding 'yes'".
This presentation centres on the advisory relationship between students and staff engaged in the dissertation process. The ability to satisfactorily complete such an extended study is commonly considered "a hallmark of an honours degree" (University of Gloucestershire 2006: 4). The presentation will fit with a number of the conference themes: v "Adapting to ... diverse groups of students" v "Enquiry and problem-based learning" through dissertation endeavour
The presentation also exemplifies "research-led teaching", since it discusses pedagogic research intended to improve and inform future dissertation preparation.
What do participants expect from the dissertation relationship? Do their expectations coincide? And does this translate to practice? How do we build rapport; and what challenges and opportunities are there to establish trust and effective joint working?
This part-presentation, part-interactive workshop, draws on the authors' secondary and original research undertaken in Winter/Spring 2007. The authors have developed a 'Lexicon' of keywords relevant to relationships surrounding dissertation preparation and have used these to assemble a checklist and recommendations to inform future undergraduate dissertation supervision.
The session will also explore the vexed question of staff-staff relations and their impact on dissertation (blind double) marking. This session will be of interest across disciplines, levels (postgraduate and first degree), institutions and countries. As Styles and Radloff noted "the quality of the student-supervisor relationship is paramount in achieving many of the goals of ... study" (2001:97).
Hunter, M.S. & White, E.R. (2004) Could fixing academic advising fix higher education? About Campus 9 (1), 20-25
Styles, I. And Radloff, A. (2001) The Synergistic Thesis: student and supervisor perspectives, Journal of Further and Higher Education, 25 (1), 97 - 106