Advantages and Disadvantages of using an “off-the-shelf” e-learning solution for Postgraduate Researcher Development

Dr Bob OdlePostgraduate Research Officer.j.odle@gre.ac.uk

What I’ll cover• Context• What the “solution” needs to cover• What topics did we want to include• What have people said

– Advantages– Disadvantages

• The future

Science

Engineering

Business

Education

Architecture

Computing and Maths

Health & Social Care

Humanities and Social Sciences

Context

Younger

Older

Modes

QAA

RDF

Solution needs to ….

• be Accessible• be Asynchronous• be Applicable

• provide an input• check understanding• revisit/refresh

What did we want to cover…

Research

Methods

Literature Review

Research

EthicsProject

Management

Getting Published

Networking & ConferencesCareer Planning

Managing your Supervisor

EPIGEUM

So what have Students, Supervisors & others been saying about Epigeum?

• Advantages– Useful– High quality/polished appearance– Can revisit as a refresher– Ability to add bespoke pages

So what have Students, Supervisors & others been saying about Epigeum?

• Disadvantages– Assessments are not fit for purpose if

linked to progression– Some parts can be too facile– A panacea they are not

The future….

• Changing face of the PhD– RDF – Research Councils – QAA– Growing skills agenda – an expectation– Engaging with the dinosaurs– Global market place

Summary• Context• What the “solution” needed to cover• The topics we want included• Feedback

– Advantages– Disadvantages

• Future challenges

Thank you for attending

Dr Bob Odle

01634 883870

r.j.odle@greenwich.ac.uk