Postgraduate Supervisory Skills

This module is designed to help both new and experienced research supervisors to develop and reflect on their ability to effectively mentor Master and/or Doctoral candidates, using a variety of effective supervisory strategies and methodologies. This is a flexible learning module that can be delivered online, blended or in-class- as appropriate. It employs a flipped classroom teaching methodology. Participants engage with a suite of online supervisory skills resources and participate in a series of active learning workshops.Themes explored on the module include: research ethics/integrity, facilitating an effective supervision meeting, clarifying roles and responsibilities, managing expectations and possible conflicts, monitoring and recording progress appropriately and ethically, preparing for examination and/or the dissemination of the research, developing a research programme student handbook, models of supervision (face, digital and  peer mentoring circle) and higher education policy and perspectives on supervision. 

1. Evaluate the professional role and responsibilities of an effective research supervisor, including ethical integrity.

2. Effectively facilitate,  and critically assess the effectiveness of,  face-to-face, virtual and  peer mentoring circle models of supervision. 

3. Critically assess the role and practice of pedagogy in the research supervisory context, with reference to educational theory.

4. Professionally and ethically manage expectations, challenges and potential conflicts in supervision.

5. Appraise the wider context of a doctorate or master degree and assess the requirements of relevant external agencies/professional bodies/stakeholders.