Problem definition and thesis writing

The purpose of this paper is to present some innovative solutions to major problems experienced by coursework postgraduate students. The paper focusses on two key problem areas: the definition of the research problem, and the planning and writing of the first draft of the thesis. It is argued that one approach which can assist the student to overcome these problems is the workshop; research skills can be developed through the practical guidance, group-support, discussion and reflection which occur in the workshop context. The authors' experiences in conducting postgraduate workshops at Griffith University are discussed, and student evaluation of the workshops presented.     

The Reliability,Validity and Evaluation of the Objective Structured Clinical Examination in Podiatry (Chiropody)

The objective structured clinical examination (OSCE), initially developed for use in undergraduate medical training, has been adapted for use for the assessment of clinical skills in podiatry (chiropody) students. The introduction of this system of examination was accompanied by a 12‐month evaluation programme where issues of validity, repeatability, and stability of student performance over time were considered. The evaluation programme revealed relatively low levels of repeatability, high levels of construct and criterion validity, and good stability, of performance over time. Participating students were also surveyed for their level of acceptance of this format of clinical examination. Students demonstrated an overwhelming acceptance and support of the OSCE.     

Problematising the ‘Career Academic’ in UK construction and engineering education: does the system want what the system gets?

‘Career Academics’ are principally research-led, entering academia with limited or no industrial or practical experience. UK Higher Education Institutions welcome them for their potential to attain research grant funding and publish world-leading journal papers, ultimately enhancing institutional reputation. This polemical paper problematises the Career Academic around three areas: their institutional appeal; their impact on the student experience, team dynamics and broader academic functions; and current strategic policy to employ them. We also argue that recent UK Government teaching-focused initiatives will not address needs to employ practical academics, or ‘Pracademics’ in predominantly vocational Construction and Engineering Education. We generate questions for policy-makers, institutions and those implementing strategy. We argue that research is key, but partial rebalancing will achieve a diverse academic skill base to achieve contextualised construction and engineering education. In wider European contexts, the paper resonates with issues of academic ‘drift’ and provides reflection for others on the UK context.