[Channel Zhou]

in reply to: Module 5, Session 1: Project Management and Time Planning #5874

I agree that postgraduate supervision is similar to project management in that they are all time bound and focused on the delivery of a well-designed and useful artifact. Just like with any project, the “terms and conditions” have to be specified and agreed on. Communication during the journey is a prerequisite, each party has to play its role, and where there are challenges they need to be communicated and solutions agreed on. The postgraduate journey is a project that consists of many deliverables which may include conference attendances, publications, and thesis chapters. To successfully execute the project a plan of when each milestone is to be achieved should be put in place. At each level, both the student and the supervisor must reflect and learn from the experiences, aiming to improve at each level.

[Channel Zhou]

in reply to: Module 4, Session 3: Coaching and Mentoring #5752

I think a supervisor can take the roles of a coach and mentor interchangeably depending on the circumstances. Both these roles are important in supervision. Furthermore, I think the relationship between the supervisor and the student should enable both to talk about any form of challenge that the student may encounter, and the supervisor must be able to provide professional, psychological, and moral support when necessary. It is important for the two to create a space where they can discuss issues that may frustrate progress and map the way forward. The supervisor should be able to wear the mentorship hat as well as the coaching hat when need arises.

[Channel Zhou]

in reply to: Module 4, Session 1: Ethics in Research #5750

My research is in the area of ICT4D and mostly looks at the social side of technology (adoption, use, etc), and just like other research areas where humans are involved, one of the most pertinent ethical issues is to do with responsible use of research subjects’ data. Not only is the responsible use of research subjects important, but also their consent to participate as well as their rights to understand how their data/contribution is used and their right to withdraw from the study. Another ethical issue that is pertinent is the keeping of records and the practice of honesty in interpreting and reporting research findings. One of the most important issues of ethics is of course the issue of fabrication, falsification, and plagiarism in proposing and reporting research. I can say all the issues highlighted in the presentation are very important and should be addressed accordingly to avoid conflict. My field of research is interesting because it is more of an intersection between social sciences and pure sciences and hence has broader ethical considerations as opposed to pure sciences. I think it’s important to instill and nurture ethical responsibility in the student from the beginning. Workshops to make the student conscious of the importance of ethical considerations are necessary. Normally the process of ethical clearance is long and needs adequate preparation. As a supervisor, I think it is important to encourage your students to start the process earlier.

[Channel Zhou]

in reply to: Module 2, Session 2: Scholarly community of practice #5653

To me, a scholar is someone who is actively involved in the processes of knowledge creation in a way that benefits the community. Scholarship involves identifying problems and using pre-existing work to guide you to solutions in the practical sense. In order to contribute new knowledge, it is essential for the scholar to engage the academic community. This helps widen one’s perspective of the world, which is important when one wants to address a problem in a holistic manner. Being active in the academic community means engaging with new knowledge and always trying to find ways of enhancing/improving existing knowledge. I think an active academic is one who engages the community (both social and academic) in the quest to address the community’s current and anticipated challenges.

[Channel Zhou]

in reply to: Module 1, Session 2: Supervision with a humanizing pedagogy #5304

The PowerPoint presentation reflects on some of the most important aspects that supervisors have to take into consideration if they are to successfully supervise students from diverse backgrounds. Exclusion may come in different forms, the basic one that affects foreign postgrad students is funding which may be based on geography. This limits the potential of students to contribute to the knowledge economy, as some may find themselves dropping out of their studies. But also most interesting is the assumption by supervisors that postgrad students are aware of what they are supposed to do. It is important for supervisors to orient the students on the process of knowledge creation and keep reminding them about what it means to be an academic in a particular field. Thank you for the PowerPoint presentation for addressing a wide range of issues regarding what is expected against what happens on the ground. As a supervisor, I think one should always find ways of bringing the best out of a student.

[Channel Zhou]

in reply to: Module 1, Session 2: Variables and dynamics in the supervision process #5298

Knowledge, topic, and field play an important role in the supervision process. In my opinion, these three variables determine whether the student and the supervisor will understand each other from the onset, and will also determine the rapport that will exist between supervisor and student throughout the supervision cycle. When both have the knowledge and are well versed in the topic, and understand the field dynamics, the supervision burden is lessened and progress may happen as planned. I think this is universal, in all contexts.

[Author]

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