1,059 research outputs found
Recognising and supporting PhD students crossing conceptual thresholds
Full text linkThis is an ESCalate development project led by Gina Wisker of the University of Brighton and completed in 2007. It looked at threshold concepts in the work of PhD students where their work moves beyond the fact finding and questioning to the conceptual level of deep learning
Different Journeys:Supervisor Perspectives on Disciplinary Conceptual Threshold Crossings in Doctoral Learning
Full text linkThis article offers insights into supervisor awareness of conceptual threshold crossings in doctoral learning nuanced by researcher disciplines, and also considers supervisors’ related support for doctoral candidate development. First explored in undergraduate learning, threshold concepts highlight variation related to learning in the disciplines, identifying how realising the absolutely key concepts in disciplines cause troublesome, and transformative, learning, raising the cognitive levels of understanding and creation of new knowledge in that discipline (Meyer and Land, 2005). Building on work on undergraduate disciplinary threshold concepts, but focusing on research learning, particularly at doctoral level, conceptual threshold crossings have been identified (Kiley and Wisker, 2009) characterising significant stages in the learning journeys of doctoral candidates. At these stages, candidates evidence transformations in research learning above and beyond the frequent, everyday advances. They then work – research and write – in more conceptual, creative and critical ways, essential for PhD success, as defined by colleagues focusing on doctorateness (Trafford and Leshem, 2008) and examination (Mullins and Kiley, 2002). They cross conceptual thresholds. There has to date, however, been little exploration of specific discipline-related stages at which doctoral candidates cross such conceptual thresholds. Previous work (Wisker et al. 2009; Kiley and Wisker, 2010) focuses on supervisor awareness of conceptual threshold crossings, and of ways in which they might supportively persuade candidates to make such crossings or breakthroughs in learning, to enhance the quality of their research and thesis. In this new work, data from supervisor workshop discussions offers suggestions for moments when conceptual threshold crossing can take place. This new work focuses specifically on discipline-related practices and stages of conceptual threshold crossing in doctoral research learning and supervisors’ awareness and support for work arising from this.<br/
Review of Gina Wisker\u27s “Post-Colonial and African American Women’s Writing: A Critical Introduction” (Houndmills: Macmillan, 2000)
No full textIn this book, Gina Wisker attempts to bring together two areas of criticism and fiction which have by now been widely but separately discussed, namely African-American and Post-Colonial women\u27s writing. Their juxtapositon and analysis along the lines of gender and patriarchal oppression have encountered strong opposition. This criticism points to the dangers of erasing the differences existing between, for example, ethnic groups in the United States and Great Britain and people in formerly colonized regions such as the Caribbean, India, or Australia. Therefore, it is no surprise that Gina Wisker uses much of her introduction to justify this "bringing together [of] overlapping areas of study - post-colonialism and African American, with the focus on women" (1) by arguing that "[s]ilencing and subordination have been a shared experience for colonial and African American peoples, and for women in particular. Speaking out and back in one\u27s own terms is a shared development" (3). Wisker identifies as common interests the exploration of "family relationships, mothering, and motherhood, the role of women in family and economic life, and a search for identity with all the complexities of race, religion, sexual choice, myth, family position, unique experiences" (32)
Beyond Blockages to Ownership, Agency and Articulation: Liminal Spaces and Conceptual Threshold Crossing in Doctoral Learning
No full textResearch into doctoral student learning has focused on stages of the learning journey (Wisker, Morris, Cheng, Masika, Warnes, Lilly, Trafford & Robinson, 2010), communities (Wisker, G., Robinson, G., Trafford, V., Warnes, M., & Creighton, E., 2003; Vekkaila, Pyhältö & Lonka, 2013; Wisker & Morris, 2010; Holbrook, Dally, Cantwell, Scevak, Bourke & Lovat, 2003) and doctoral ‘orphans' (Wisker & Robinson, 2012). Building on that earlier work, this research is concerned with how doctoral students identify and deal with two kinds of blockage in their research learning journey: problems with the supervisor, and a struggle with writing or articulation. Students report silencing, loss of confidence and paralysis in their work with each of these blockages, but offer evidence of strategies which can overcome the problems so that they move on in their research and writing. Identifying and tackling the issues with changed behaviours and ownership of their work are, I argue, often evidence of conceptual threshold crossings (Wisker & Kiley, 2009). Re-scrutiny of the data from three earlier projects and new data gathered for this project involving face-to-face and email interviews offers insights into the ways in which doctoral students identify blockages and meet and cross conceptual thresholds in their work. It indicates how they evidence and articulate their awareness of moving forward to the achievement of their doctoral learning journeys and identities as researchers and writers, through ownership, agency and articulation
In sickness and in health, and a ‘duty of care': phd student health, stress and wellbeing issues and supervisory experiences
No full textIll health, mental and physical, during PhD study, is now becoming more widely recognised, but is still under-researched. For doctoral students, health, stress and wellbeing are fundamentally linked with intellectual development, conceptual threshold crossings (Kiley & Wisker 2009) and achievement at doctoral level. Our established and recent research indicates a close connection between success in the intellectual, doctoral learning journey and sensitive, informed management of and support for physical and mental health issues experienced by doctoral students, whether they are ongoing, or appear as time limited crises. The role of supervisors in supporting students with health issues is also under-researched, and is sparked latterly by recent concerns specifically with doctoral student health (Wisker & Gordon in THE 2016). Our focus here arises from recent work on wellbeing for both students and supervisors, where supervisor empathy and engagement at personal, institutional and learning levels is seen as fundamental in effective supervisory relationships with students. Postgraduate student learning journeys involve the whole person, over time, and both postgraduates and supervisors need to be aware of and develop strategies to minimise the damage done by ill health, emotional and psychological upset, which can hamper general health and affect timely (or any) completion
COASTAL: Curriculum, Outcomes, And Sustainable Teaching, Assessment, Learning
Full text linkCOASTAL is a research project funded by ESCalate and led by Professor Gina Wisker of the University of Brighton. The project aims to identify, share and encourage the uptake of successful models and strategies for embedding Sustainable Development (SD) into the Higher Education (HE) curriculum. The project aimed to identify, share and encourage the uptake of successful models and strategies for embedding sustainable development in the HE curriculum in terms of learning outcomes, learning and teaching practices, and assessment. It explored: criteria, definitions , examples and models for effective and sustainable development (SD) in the HE curriculum; developing HE student SD learning outcomes through different disciplines and across disciplines; sharing effective models for SD learning. The project built on existing work at the University of Brighton which has started to bring together
Different Journeys:Supervisor Perspectives on Disciplinary Conceptual Threshold Crossings in Doctoral Learning
Full text linkThis article offers insights into supervisor awareness of conceptual threshold crossings in doctoral learning nuanced by researcher disciplines, and also considers supervisors’ related support for doctoral candidate development. First explored in undergraduate learning, threshold concepts highlight variation related to learning in the disciplines, identifying how realising the absolutely key concepts in disciplines cause troublesome, and transformative, learning, raising the cognitive levels of understanding and creation of new knowledge in that discipline (Meyer and Land, 2005). Building on work on undergraduate disciplinary threshold concepts, but focusing on research learning, particularly at doctoral level, conceptual threshold crossings have been identified (Kiley and Wisker, 2009) characterising significant stages in the learning journeys of doctoral candidates. At these stages, candidates evidence transformations in research learning above and beyond the frequent, everyday advances. They then work – research and write – in more conceptual, creative and critical ways, essential for PhD success, as defined by colleagues focusing on doctorateness (Trafford and Leshem, 2008) and examination (Mullins and Kiley, 2002). They cross conceptual thresholds. There has to date, however, been little exploration of specific discipline-related stages at which doctoral candidates cross such conceptual thresholds. Previous work (Wisker et al. 2009; Kiley and Wisker, 2010) focuses on supervisor awareness of conceptual threshold crossings, and of ways in which they might supportively persuade candidates to make such crossings or breakthroughs in learning, to enhance the quality of their research and thesis. In this new work, data from supervisor workshop discussions offers suggestions for moments when conceptual threshold crossing can take place. This new work focuses specifically on discipline-related practices and stages of conceptual threshold crossing in doctoral research learning and supervisors’ awareness and support for work arising from this.<br/
Creating and curating: three voices from Namibia, Australia and the UK on decolonising the literary-related doctorate
No full textThis piece is the creative, critical product of constructive dialogue between graduated doctors, Josephine Mwasheka Nghikefelwa (Namibia/South Africa), Frances Wyld (Australia) whose doctorates are in literary-related work and who are transforming what is possible in decolonised doctorates in terms of perspectives, voice, research and writing and Gina Wisker (UK), researcher and examiner
Different Journeys: Supervisor Perspectives on Disciplinary Conceptual Threshold Crossings in Doctoral Learning
Full text linkThis article offers insights into supervisor awareness of conceptual threshold crossings in doctoral learning nuanced by researcher disciplines. First explored in undergraduate learning, threshold concepts highlight variation related to learning in the disciplines, identifying how realising the absolutely key concepts in disciplines causes troublesome and transformative learning (Meyer & Land, 2005). Building on work on undergraduate disciplinary threshold concepts, but focusing on research learning, particularly at doctoral level, conceptual threshold crossings have been identified (Kiley & Wisker, 2009), characterising significant stages in the learning journeys of doctoral candidates. At these stages, candidates evidence transformations in research learning. They cross-conceptual thresholds. There has to date, however, been little exploration of specific discipline-related stages at which doctoral candidates cross such conceptual thresholds. This new work focuses specifically on discipline-related practices and stages of conceptual threshold crossing in doctoral research learning and supervisors\u27 awareness and support for work arising from this
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