One size of training does not fit all: Strathclyde's flexible approach to effectively embedding transferable skills within doctoral training structuresCampbell Reid, Research Fellow in Researcher Professional Development

Session overview

Embedding transferable skills in the Strathclyde PhD:

• Background and rationale

• Overview of our approach

• Challenges of change

A bit about Strathclyde:

• Founded in 1796 • Tradition of ‘useful learning’• Approximately 22,000

students• Scotland’s 3rd largest

University• 52% Female / 48% Male• International Technological

University • THE Awards UK

Entrepreneurial University of the Year 2013

• THE Awards UK University of the Year 2012

41%

11%

38%

9%

FACULTY OF ENGINEERING

FACULTY OF HUMANITIES AND SOCIAL SCIENCES

FACULTY OF SCIENCE

STRATHCLYDE BUSINESS SCHOOL

over 1200 PGRs and 500 research staff across four Faculties

2003

ROBERTS AGENDA

Transferable skills built in

New courses introduced for all PhD students

2008

VITAE & IMPACT

FRAMEWORK LAUNCHED

PGR Office created

2009

CONCORDAT TO SUPPORT

CAREER DEVELOPMENT

OF RESEARCHERS

& PRES

PGRO created with

responsibility for Roberts’

Strategic investment through a

Committee

UK PGR survey launches (PRES)

2010 - 2012

ROBERTS REVIEW, RCUK STATEMENT OF

EXPECTATIONS, EC HR EXCELLENCE,

PRES/CROS/PIRLS & RDF LAUNCHED

PGRO disbanded, RDP team created

Development of strategy & operation plan

Revised funding arrangements

Researcher development a core function from 2012

Two flagship programmes developed and delivered for over

150 PGRs – Becoming an Engaging Researcher and

Enterprise Academy

2002ROBERTS’

REPORT SET FOR SUCCESS

Strathclyde’s RD journey in a UK context (2003 – 2011/12)

The Researcher Development Programme (RDP) provides comprehensive professional

and personal development training and opportunities to support Strathclyde’s vibrant

early career research community

RDP provides over 100 transferable skills-related training opportunities each year including:

workshops seminars challenges residential & collaborative programmes e-learning 1:1 training sessions resources, including publications and videos career management tools

Programme shortlisted in 2011 & 2012 for Outstanding Support for Early Career

Researchers

A unique approach to the training of postgraduate research students (PGRs) which aims to differentiate Strathclyde doctoral graduates in an increasingly

competitive employment market

So, what is Strathclyde’s revolutionary approach to embedding transferable skills in the PhD?

Internal and external drivers

Internal Motivation

Funder Expectations

Employer Expectations

Professional competencies

How was the PG Certificate developed?

2011-12Mapping of provision across the University at all levels to

the Researcher Development Framework/Statement

Dec 2011Taskforce formed,

comprised of Vice Deans, professional services staff

and researchers

2012Proposal to Senate

recommending formalisation of researcher development

arrangements across all Faculties

Winter 2012Implementation group of Vice Deans, academics, PS staff and researchers created and an action plan is developed

Autumn 2013PG Cert is officially launched 1 October following robust roll-

out over summer

Spring 2013Senate approve PG Certificate in

RPD and the embedding of processes within PGR monitoring

processes

RD904 Researcher

Engagement, Influence and

Impact

(10 credits)

RD901 Researcher

Knowledge and Intellectual Abilities

(20 credits)

RD903

Research Governance and

Organisation

(10 credits)

RD902 Researcher

Personal Effectiveness

(10 credits)

VitaeRDF Framework

StrathclydePG Certificate RPD

Structure of the PG Certificate

What makes it different?

Q. How do students accumulate credits towards each class?

A. This is key to the flexibility of the whole system!

Types of provision

The process of mapping all training opportunities (activities) within the University to the RDF also involved categorising them to 3 levels of ‘provider’:• Department • Faculty• University (i.e., Researcher Development Programme)

The flexibility comes from the fourth level of provision:• Developmental

Experiential learning

Developmental activities cover any experiential learning opportunities and can be internal or external

One size does not fit all, and developmental activities allow the PG Certificate to be unique for each student

This requires a conceptual shift in how incorporate experiential learning

Students, and supervisors, must think ‘outside the box’ and approach each student’s experiences individually

Applying experiential learning to the PG Certificate

To understand how a developmental activity can contribute to the PG Certificate, answer the following questions:

• What are the primary learning outcomes of the activity?• Which domain of the RDF do the learning outcomes map

to, therefore which PG Certificate class?• How do the learning outcomes of the activity meet the

learning outcomes of the PG Certificate class?• How can the learning from the activity be applied to the

immediate research, but also future situations and career goals?

• How much time was spent on the activity (10 hours = 1 credit)

Stage 1: register for 5 container

classes on Pegasus

Stage 2: plan professional development

activities

Stage 3: book and attend activities

Stage 4: record activity and

upload evidence

Stage 5: submit assessment for completed class

Stage 6: annual review

Stage 7: approved class returned to

Pegasus

Stage 8: credits appear on

transcript at viva

PG Certificate awarded at viva

PG Certificate: Pathway to success

USP?

Regulated 60 credit

academic award

No prescribed curriculum –

‘container classes’ – for

bespoke training

experience

Embedded within the

PGR progression monitoring

process

Underpinned by a

recognised professional

competencies framework

Ensures consistency & quality of experience

whilst supporting flexibility

Formal recognition of skills training, action-based

and experiential

learning students

undertake

PG

CERTIFICATE

RPD

Challenges the award creates

• Change invariably creates conflict• Academic culture change and buy-in• Student engagement and understanding• Continuing students • Part-time/remote students • Consistency, recording and monitoring (QA)• Dual awarding at the Viva• Resource as numbers increase (capacity)

• Review provision to ensure relevance (Summer 2014)

• Development of resources/materials (Summer 2014)

• Embedding PDP (2014/15)• Systems refinement (2014/15)• Quality monitoring(ongoing)• Tracking project and evaluation (ongoing)• Student and supervisor awareness and

engagement• Engaging with employers and professional bodies

Our continuous improvement plan

Follow us on and like us on

Visit http://www.strath.ac.uk/rdp for more info or email pgrcredits-enquiry@strath.ac.uk

Questions?

(and hopefully some answers…)