'Postgraduateness': Skill Development and Vocational Relevance
Thursday 10th June 2004, University College Northampton, Graduate School
An GEES SC swap-shop in association with the RGS-IBG Higher Education Research Group (HERG)
Contents
- What is the event about?
- What is the Cost?...It's Free!
- Who should attend?
- Draft Programme
- How Can You Contribute?
- Contact details
What is the event about?
Many HEIs across the UK are developing taught Masters courses in Geography, Earth and Environmental Sciences (GEES) disciplines. While there is a lack of national guidance about what taught Master's level courses should include in terms of knowledge and skills, there are also a number of key questions. How can both 'postgraduateness' and vocational relevance be achieved? What differentiates postgraduate study from undergraduate study? What skills should be developed at postgraduate level and how are these best assessed? At the RGS-IBG 2003 annual conference, the Higher Education Research Group (HERG) identified taught Masters level courses and skills development as a key area for research and discussion. GEES SC is currently funding three small research projects that focus on different aspects of postgraduate learning, including an evaluation of 'postgraduateness in vocational course development' and 'interdisciplinary approaches to the innovative development of key skills at postgraduate level'.
This timely swap-shop provides a unique opportunity for practitioners from GEES departments to collaborate and network on these issues. So, if you have ever wondered how other disciplines and departments are dealing with taught postgraduate issues, this is your chance to learn from their experiences - or to present and showcase your own initiatives! The meeting will be structured around two main themes, namely:
(1) Skills development at taught Masters level
and
(2) Linking 'postgraduateness' and vocational relevance in taught Masters level.
We hope that the event will benefit from lively debate, interaction and agenda
setting. Finally, the convenors are investigating ways to publish the different
outputs of the meeting in the GEES SC Resource
Database, PLANET and possibly
in the Journal of Geography
in HE.
What is the Cost?...It's Free!
As this event is being subsidised by HERG and GEES SC, delegates will only be expected to meet their travel costs.
Who should attend?
Those responsible for the development, design or delivery of taught Master's courses in Geography, Earth and Environmental Sciences (and cognate areas); those keen to develop insight into the debates around postgraduate course development, design and delivery and those with strategic planning responsibilities for taught Masters developments within the GEES subjects and beyond.
Convenors: Dr. Lindsey McEwen, University of Gloucestershire and Dr. Paul McDermott, University College, Northampton.
Draft programme
09.45-10.15 Registration and coffee
10.15-10.30 Welcome
10.30-11.30 Session 1: Skills development at taught Masters
level
Lead context setting introduction to issues (15-20 mins) by Dr. Caroline Mills,
Head of the Postgraduate Modular Scheme, University of Gloucestershire.
short (10 mins) presentations by other workshop participants*
11.30-12.30 Session 2: 'Postgraduateness' and vocational
relevance
Lead context setting introduction to issues (15-20 mins) by Professor Pauline
Kneale, University of Leeds.
short (10 mins) presentations by other workshop participants*
12.30-13.30 Lunch + poster displays
13.30-14.30 Discussion swop-shops - Theme 1 and Theme 2 (contributors to bring an A4 summary sheet) ** These will involve small-group discussion
14.30-15.30 Discussion swop-shops - Theme 2 and Theme 1 (contributors to bring an A4 summary sheet) ** These will involve small-group discussion
15.30-16.00 Plenary + tea
There will be the opportunity here to discuss more general postgraduate issues
in GEES and how GEES SC might further support them in the future.
How Can You Contribute?
There are opportunities to participate in two main ways: (a) by offering a 5-10 minute presentation in either of the morning sessions; and (b) by providing a swop-shop contribution for the afternoon workshops. All participants are actively encouraged to provide a swop-shop contribution so that maximum levels of engagement and exchange of ideas can be achieved.
(a) 10 minute presentations (morning session)*
These should debate issues associated with either:
Skills development at taught Masters level - What skills should be developed at postgraduate level, how are they linked to the curriculum and how are these best measured and assessed?
or
Postgraduateness and vocational relevance - How can 'postgraduateness' and vocational relevance be achieved?
Presentations can differ in approach - whether theoretical, conceptual, empirical, reflective - depending on personal or institutional experiences of postgraduate taught education.
Please provide a 200 word abstract by May 28th latest if you would like to offer a short presentation. After the meeting, there will be the opportunity to produce a Planet article and/or a refereed journal article for a special edition of JGHE on postgraduate issues.
(b) Discussion Swop-shop**
Participants are asked to prepare an A4 written contribution that provides a case-study of:
either
how skills development has been delivered at postgraduate taught level;
or
how postgraduate level engagement has been matched with vocational relevance;
in their personal or institutional experience. Individual contributions on both themes are of course most welcome!
Headings for the A4 sheet might include:
- Topic
- What is the nature of the issue?
- How has this been approached/ resolved in your institution?
- What are the strengths and limitations of this approach?
- What is the feedback from different stakeholders (students, teachers, practitioners, employers etc.)?
- What is the way forward now?
In addition, workshop participants are also encouraged to raise in advance of the meeting specific issues they would like to see debated. Poster displays on related themes are also welcomed.
If you have any queries about the above information or have some suggestions to contribute, please get in contact with the meeting convenors (contact details can be found below).
We look forward to completing the organisation of a meeting that will allow
lively debate and cross-institutional engagement on key postgraduate issues.
Contact details:
Dr. Lindsey McEwen, University of Gloucestershire, Francis
Close Hall, Swindon Road, Cheltenham, Gloucestershire, GL52 7YR.
email: lmcewen@glos.ac.uk
Dr. Paul McDermott, The Graduate School, NCR, Park Campus,
University College Northampton, Boughton Green Lane, Northampton, NN2 7AL.
email: paul.mcdermott@northampton.ac.uk