Fostering AI literacy as students, teachers, and researchers

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Dr Lynette Pretorius

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Dr Lynette Pretorius is an award-winning educator and researcher specialising in doctoral education, academic identity, student wellbeing, AI literacy, research skills, and research methodologies.

Credit: This blog post is an adapted form of a recent paper I wrote.

Artificial intelligence (AI) has been present in society for several years – think, for example, of computer grammar-checking software, autocorrect on your phone, or GPS apps. Recently, however, there has been a significant advancement in AI research with the development of generative AI technologies like ChatGPT. Generative AI refers to technologies which can perform tasks that require creativity by using computer-based networks to create new content based on what they have previously learnt.

For example, generative AI technologies now exist which can write poetry or paint a picture. Indeed, I entered the title of one of my published books (Research and Teaching in a Pandemic World) into a generative AI which paints pictures (Dream by WOMBO). The response it generated accurately represented the book’s content, was eye-catching, and I believe it would have been a very suitable picture for its cover. Check it out:

(Note: This response was generated by Dream by WOMBO (WOMBO Studios, Inc., https://dream.ai/) on December 12, 2021 by entering the prompt “research and teaching in a pandemic world” into the generator and selecting a preferred style of artwork.)

The introduction of generative AI has, however, led to a certain amount of panic among educators; many workshops, discussions, policy debates, and curriculum redesign sessions have been run, particularly in the higher education context. Educators acknowledge that there is a need to accept that generative AI can also be leveraged to support student learning. In fact, it is clear that students will likely be expected to know how to use this technology when they enter the workforce. Importantly, though, there has also been significant concern that generative AI would encourage students to cheat. For example, many educators fear that students could enter their essay topic into a generative AI and that it would generate an original piece of work for them which would meet the task requirements to pass.

I believe what is missing from these discussions regarding generative AI is the fact that assessment regimes focus predominantly on the product of learning. This focus assumes that the final assignment is indicative of all the student’s learning but neglects the importance of the learning process. This is where generative AI can be a valuable tool. From this perspective, the technology should be considered as an aide, with the intellectual work of the user lying in the choice of an appropriate prompt, the assessment of the suitability of the output, and subsequent modification of that prompt if the output does not seem suitable. Some examples of the use of generative AIs as an aide include helping students develop an outline or brainstorm ideas for an assignment, providing feedback to students on their work, guiding students in learning how to improve the communication of their ideas, and acting as an after-hours tutor or a way for English-language learners to improve their written skills. Using generative AI in this more educative manner can help students better engage with the process of their learning.

In a similar way to when Microsoft Word first introduced a spell-checker, I believe generative AI will become part of our everyday interactions in a more digitally connected and inclusive world. Importantly, though, as mentioned above, while generative AI may help the user create something, it is dependent on the user providing it with appropriate prompts to be effective. The user is also responsible for evaluating the accuracy or usefulness of what is generated. As such, we need to teach students how to communicate effectively and collaboratively with generative AI technologies, as well as evaluate the trustworthiness of the results obtained – a concept termed AI literacy. I believe AI literacy is likely to soon become a key graduate attribute for all students as we move into a more digital world which integrates human and non-human actions to perform complex tasks.

It appears that my university has come to the same conclusion. Monash University’s generative AI policy notes that students and researchers at Monash University are allowed to use generative AI, provided that appropriate acknowledgement is made in the text to indicate what role the generative AI played in creating the final product. The University has also created a whole range of resources which are freely accessible to students and the wider public to help them learn how to use generative AI ethically. I have recently developed a video (Using generative artificial intelligence in your assignments and research) that explains what generative AI is and what it can be used for in assignments and research.

In my teaching practice, I now advise students to use generative AI as a tool to help them improve their approaches to their assignments. I suggest, in particular, that generative AI can be used as a tool to start brainstorming and planning for their assignment or research project. I include examples of how generative AI can be used for various purposes in my classes. For example, I highlight that generative AI may be able to assist a researcher in generating some starting research questions, but it is the researcher’s responsibility to refine these questions to reflect their particular research focus, theoretical lens, and so on. I emphasise to students that generative AI will not do all the work for them; they need to understand that they are still responsible for deciding what to do with the information, linking the ideas together, and showing deeper creativity and problem-solving in the final version of their work.

I have recently showcased this approach in a video which is freely available on YouTube. The first video (Using generative artificial intelligence in your assignments and research) explains what generative AI is and what it can be used for in assignments and research. The second video (Using generative AI to develop your research questions) showcases a worked example of how I collaborated with a generative AI to formulate research questions for a PhD project. These videos can be reused by other educators as needed.

This video starts by showing students how I have used ChatGPT to brainstorm a starting point for a research project by asking it to “Act as a researcher” and list the key concerns of doctoral training programmes. In this way, I show the students the importance of prompt design in the way they collaborate with the generative AI. In the video, I show that ChatGPT provided me with a list of seven core concerns and note that, using my expertise in the field, I have evaluated these concerns and can confirm that they are representative of the thinking in the discipline. In the rest of the video, I showcase how I can continue my conversation with the generative AI by asking it to formulate a research question that investigates the identified core concerns. I show students how I collaborated with the generative AI to refine the research question until, in the end, a good quality question is developed which incorporates the specificity and theoretical positioning necessary for a PhD-level research question.

It is important to note that students are likely not yet experts in their field when they are designing their research questions. Therefore, it is important to provide them with guidance as to how to evaluate the ideas produced by generative AI. This includes highlighting that a generative AI is not always accurate, that it may disregard some information which may be pertinent to a specific research project, or that it may fabricate information. Students need to learn that a generative AI is not a tool similar to an encyclopedia which contains all the correct information. Rather, generative AI is a tool which responds to prompts by generating answers it “thinks” would be appropriate in that particular context. Consequently, I advise students to use generative AI as a starting point, but that they should then explore the literature to further assess the accuracy of the core concerns identified earlier as well as the viability of the research question for their project.

It is also worth noting that generative AI could be used as a way to help students see what a good research question might look like, rather than using it specifically to develop a research question for their particular research project. Generative AI may also be useful in helping students see how to organise the themes in the literature. In this way, we encourage students to use generative AI as part of the learning process, allowing them to scaffold their skills so that they can use their creativity and other higher-order thinking skills to further advance knowledge in their discipline.

Students should also be taught how to appropriately acknowledge the use of generative AI in their work. Monash University has provided template statements for students to use. I use these template statements as part of my regular workshops. In this way, I show students that ethical practice is to acknowledge which parts of the work the generative AI did and which parts of the work were done by a person.

I have also recently used such an acknowledgement in one of my research papers. I have included it below for other researchers to use in their work.

I acknowledge that I used ChatGPT (OpenAI, https://chat.openai.com/) to generate an initial draft outline of the introduction of this manuscript. The prompt provided for this outline was “Act as a social science researcher and write an outline for a paper advocating for change to survey design to collect more diverse participant information”. I adapted the outline it produced for the introduction to reflect my own argument, style, and voice. This section was also significantly adapted through the peer review process. As such, the final version of the manuscript does not include any unmodified content generated by ChatGPT.

As with all new technologies, there are potential challenges and risks that should be considered. Firstly, generative AI technologies can generate results which seem correct but are factually inaccurate or entirely made up. Secondly, there is the issue of equity of access. It is incumbent upon us as educators to ensure that all students have equal access to the technologies they may be required to use in the classroom. Thirdly, there is the risk that the generative AI may learn and reproduce biases present in society. Finally, for researchers, there are also ethical concerns relating to the retention and possible generation of potentially sensitive data.

Generative AI is, at its core, a natural evolution of the technology we already use in our daily practices. In an ever-increasingly digital world, generative AI will become integral to how we function as a society. It is, therefore, incumbent upon us as educators to teach our students how to use the technology effectively, develop AI literacy, and use their higher-order thinking and creativity to further refine the responses they obtain. I believe that this form of explicit modelling is how we, as educators, can help students develop an understanding of generative AI as a tool to improve their work. In this way, we focus on the process of learning, rather than being so focused on the ultimate product for assessment.

Questions to ponder

How do you think AI literacy can be integrated into current educational curricula to enhance learning while ensuring academic integrity? What are the potential challenges and benefits of incorporating generative AI into classroom settings?

How should students and researchers navigate the ethical implications of using AI-generated content in their assignments and research?

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Improving students’ understanding by building a culture of academic integrity

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Dr Lynette Pretorius

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Dr Lynette Pretorius is an award-winning educator and researcher specialising in doctoral education, academic identity, student wellbeing, AI literacy, research skills, and research methodologies.

Credit: This blog post is an adapted form of a case study I wrote for Advance HE.

Universities have been cracking down on cheating and all sorts of dishonest academic behaviour recently. They’ve rolled out a bunch of strict rules related to academic integrity and use fancy software to keep an eye out for academic misconduct. In this space, there’s this idea floating around that you should either focus your attention entirely on fighting cheating or you should only be championing academic honesty (Dawson, 2021). However, I believe that this is a false dichotomy. It’s not just about telling students what not to do, even though this is of course important; it’s also about getting them involved in the process, making them understand and own up to their responsibilities. It’s teaching them the ropes of being academically honest through real experiences. In this way, we create a culture of academic integrity (Cutri et al., 2021). This means encouraging students to think about their own academic integrity practices, talking about academic integrity openly, and using mistakes as teachable moments, especially when it comes to plagiarism.

Encouraging students to think about their own academic integrity practices

I’m a big believer in the power of self-reflection because I know that reflecting on your own experiences and beliefs can really open your eyes, spark growth, and sharpen your skills (Cahusac de Caux et al., 2017). That’s why I always make sure my students get the chance to think about their own academic integrity practices. For example, I recently completed a project with some PhD students where we dived into the research on academic integrity and they got to reflect on why they approached academic integrity in certain ways. It was eye-opening for them to see how their academic identities shaped their approaches to academic integrity. One student, for example, mentioned how coming from a country where textbooks were almost worshipped, they found it difficult to critically analyse other studies. They weren’t used to pointing out flaws or gaps in research, which led them to rely a lot on direct quotes. This project showed us that sometimes it’s a lack of confidence that drives how students write. We ended up developing a model of academic integrity at the doctoral level, which highlighted how feeling like an impostor can lead to plagiarism and other dishonest academic practices. We published our findings in an open-access paper in 2021 and you can access it by clicking on the button below.

Talking about academic integrity openly

Over the last decade, I’ve been developing different ways to help students get better at playing by the academic rules, including workshops, online videos, and something I call the Practice Turnitin Assignment. Every semester, I run a workshop named “Referencing and Academic Integrity”. It’s open to all the students in my faculty, and it’s all about understanding what counts as plagiarism, how to make sure work is original, and what is considered the right way to reference sources in our faculty. All the notes for this workshop are provided beforehand and are also publicly available through our Doing Assignments Booklet. If you would like to use these notes, you can download them by clicking on the button below.

I’ve been teaming up with my colleagues to improve how we describe assignments, design our marking guides, and give feedback. We’ve been making a real point of showing how crucial it is to back up arguments with solid evidence. It’s all about emphasising the importance of being honest in your work. This includes explicit marking rubric criteria linked to the use of references to support work as well as clear criteria associated with formatting the references correctly. This is because these two things are separate academic skills – one focuses on being able to support your arguments while the other emphasises being able to follow a template.

I also decided to develop a bunch of snappy videos in YouTube. I’ve played around with different styles for these videos, and students can pick and choose what they watch and in what order. It’s great for giving students the info they need, right when they need it. You can learn more about how I designed these videos here. Turns out, my YouTube channel’s a bit of a hit – it’s racked up over a million views last time I checked! Over 8,000 people have also subscribed so that they can be notified when I create new videos. The best bit? I’ve made all my videos freely available, so any educator out there can use them in their classes. Check out my channel by clicking on the button below.

Finally, I developed a resource called the “Practice Turnitin Assignment” which is available to all students in my faculty. My university uses Turnitin to spot any copied work, but I figured why not use it as a teaching tool as well? I set up a special Turnitin assignment where students can submit their work, but no staff checks it and it doesn’t get stored in Turnitin’s database. This means students can use the Practice Turnitin Assignment to test their summarising and paraphrasing skills, see where they might be going wrong, and fix their work before they submit it. In this way, I am encouraging students to check the academic integrity of their work as part of their assignment writing process.

Using mistakes as teachable moments

Let’s be real, though. Even with all my hard work, my colleagues and I will still spot cases of plagiarism every semester. Most of the time, it’s not because students are trying to purposely cheat. More often than not they just don’t understand how to apply the rules (e.g., they just don’t know how to reference properly). Sure, this does necessitate penalties, like failing the assignment, but I also see this as a chance for a teachable moment.

That’s why I’ve set up a process where, when a student slips up and it’s clear they didn’t mean to, their lecturer can send them my way. I sit down with them and we go over how they can improve their academic integrity practices in the future. After our discussion, I give them a special hurdle task that is all about taking a piece of text and rewriting it in their own words, in just one paragraph. This way, they get to apply the skills we talked about, demonstrating that they’re ready to apply improved academic integrity skills in their future assignments. If this sounds like something you would like to use yourself, you can download the task below.

Questions to ponder

Have you ever had a moment of realisation about your own academic integrity practices? How did this awareness influence your approach to academic work, and what steps did you take to enhance your understanding and application of academic integrity principles?

In your opinion, what is the right balance between using technology to prevent cheating and educating students about academic integrity?

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Benefits of doctoral writing groups

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Dr Lynette Pretorius

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Dr Lynette Pretorius is an award-winning educator and researcher specialising in doctoral education, academic identity, student wellbeing, AI literacy, research skills, and research methodologies.

For many years now, I have been working to improve the experiences of PhD students. One practice I’ve found particularly useful is incorporating collaborative and peer-based learning through doctoral writing groups. My work with writing groups started way back in 2013 and, over more than a decade, I have further refined my approach. I currently facilitate four such groups on a fortnightly basis. Writing groups embody some of the most important aspects of learning: working together to co-construct personal knowledge through experience, constantly reflecting on one’s own understanding to improve professional practice, and building rich experiences that inspire learning and foster an environment of empowerment.

My approach to teaching in these groups is unique: doctoral writing groups are not common and, even in
settings where they are available, they are usually run in a very different manner. My doctoral writing groups are set up as a peer-based environment where small groups of students receive feedback on their academic writing from the facilitator and their fellow students. There are three sections of each writing group meeting:

  • Collegial chat: Meetings start with a friendly discussion time where participants can share their doctoral journeys over the past two weeks.
  • Reflection: Ten minutes of discussion where students who shared their written work in the previous meeting reflect on how they have incorporated the feedback they received.
  • Feedback and discussion: The rest of the meeting is focused on students sharing their written work and receiving feedback on areas for improvement in a peer-learning environment.

My writing groups have been set up in this way to create a space for authentic learning about actual writing, where peers support peers. Participants discuss suggestions for improvement as a group, fostering an environment where all participants learn from the feedback provided. As such, in many ways, the learning in a doctoral writing group is a continuous process of reading, discussion, personal reflection, and peer-based learning. In this way, the writing group becomes a site of academic social practice.

I also wanted to create a collegial space in which any question would be valid at any stage of the process. To achieve these goals, modelling of the academic writing process was particularly important. During meetings, I will regularly share draft documents I am currently writing, explaining to the writing group what I aim to achieve with that text. I will then also model how I would provide feedback to myself, highlighting errors in logic, poor phrasing, lack of evidence, or other academic language and literacy issues. Through this modelling, students gain an authentic insight into how academic writing is actually done. This helps to normalise the concept of writing as a process and helps them to learn how to critique others’ (and their own) work.

Collegiality is the cornerstone of the success of this type of group. Feedback discussions and personal reflections would not be effective if the students do not feel safe and part of the learning community. It is important to create a safe space to allow for the collegial critique of each other’s written work. I do this by establishing expectations from the beginning. Each participant is provided with the writing group’s code of conduct. If you want to create a code of conduct for your writing group, you can use the one below.

Ensuring a safe space

In order to ensure that all participants are treated with respect, we should behave in a manner that affirms the worth, dignity, and significance of all participants.

  • As part of the writing group, you are supposed to critique other’s work, but this should never be done in a way that disrespects the other person. Do not use language that devalues another person or the significance of their research. All participants in the writing group have the same right to be there and should be treated in a way that affirms their worth and significance.
  • Be respectful with the words you use when you talk to or about others. Listen to others and take note of others’ reactions to your tone of voice and manner.
  • Never use derogatory language, put downs, racist or sexist language, even sarcastically or as a joke.
  • Show respect for other cultures, traditions, or religions. Remember that everyone does not necessarily think the way you do. Avoid statements that reflect ignorance or bias about other cultures, traditions, or religions.
  • Have a zero tolerance for discrimination. If you believe someone is behaving in a discriminatory way, you should feel comfortable to raise the issue in the group or by talking to Lynette afterwards. We do not condone any discriminatory behaviour in the writing group setting.

Respectfully critique someone else’s work

  • When giving feedback to another participant, start by highlighting what you thought was done well in the text you read.
  • Focus on areas for improvement in academic style and language. This can include suggestions for improvement in referencing, style, voice, organisation of ideas, as well as any area of English language.
  • If you are knowledgeable about the topic that the other person wrote about in their text, you can also provide them with suggestions for improvement in content. This can include suggestions for further readings, as well as theories or concepts that can be added to strengthen the arguments in the text.

Want to learn more about the benefits of academic writing groups? My research has demonstrated that writing groups are spaces for academic pastoral care which foster academic identity and sense of belonging. You can learn more by watching the research presentation or reading the paper below. Why not start a writing group today?

Questions to ponder

Have you ever participated in a doctoral writing group or a similar peer-based learning environment? Share your experiences regarding how this setup impacted your learning, writing skills, and academic identity. Did you encounter any challenges in giving or receiving feedback, and how did you overcome them?

In your opinion, what are the key elements of effective feedback in an academic setting? How can such feedback contribute not only to the improvement of academic writing but also to the development of a sense of belonging and academic identity among doctoral students?

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Embracing flexibility in assessment to enhance higher-order thinking

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Dr Lynette Pretorius

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Dr Lynette Pretorius is an award-winning educator and researcher specialising in doctoral education, academic identity, student wellbeing, AI literacy, research skills, and research methodologies.

Innovations in assessment task design are essential if we as educators are to encourage our students to see assessment as a learning process, rather than just a means towards a grade. In a recent study I did with some of my colleagues from accounting, we developed a flexible assessment regime designed to bolster students’ higher-order thinking skills, particularly critical thinking, reflection, and self-directed learning. We did this by giving students the option to choose how to complete their assessment during the semester, kind of like a “choose your own adventure” assessment regime.

In the paper we wrote, we describe how we developed optional critical thinking tasks for a core second-year undergraduate accounting unit. Our assessment regime gave students autonomy to choose whether to invest time and effort into optional tasks. In this way, students were allowed to take control of their learning trajectory throughout the semester. Their choice affected the way the assessments were weighted in the unit, as shown below. It is important to note that we wanted to ensure that students were not deterred from choosing to attempt the optional tasks because of any perceived risks. As such, students’ final overall grades depended either on just the two compulsory tasks or on all four assessments, whichever was higher.

Choice 1 (completion of all four tasks)Choice 2 (completion of only the two compulsory tasks)
Answering teacher-developed pre-lecture quiz questions10%Not applicable
Students developing their own critical thinking questions for the tutorial sessions15%Not applicable
Compulsory coursework tasks15%20%
Compulsory exam60%80%
Flexible assessment regime

The design of the optional assessment tasks encouraged students to reflect on their learning needs, question their existing knowledge, and identify gaps in their understanding. In this way, we hoped to promote a deeper level of engagement with the content and foster a more active learning experience. The critical thinking questions were used in tutorials in a peer-learning environment, allowing students to work together in groups to find answers to the questions they had generated. This helped to foster shared learning.

A large proportion of the cohort in our study chose to complete the optional tasks, with two-thirds of the cohort thinking that a flexible assessment regime was a “very good” or “good” idea by the end of the semester. Students who completed the optional tasks had a 12% higher grade than those who chose to only complete the compulsory tasks. Qualitative data from the students also highlighted that students realised they had improved their higher-order thinking, particularly their critical thinking ability and their reflection skills.

It was interesting to see that several students complained that it would be better if the teacher just gave them the answers to the questions, instead of encouraging students to discover the answers for themselves. In particular, they thought that critical thinking was not necessary in accounting. Students also thought that the flexible assessment regime did not affect the grades they ultimately received, despite the clear quantitative difference in grades mentioned earlier. This indicates that students may not have yet made the connection that improved higher-order thinking such as critical thinking helped them in other tasks such as the final exam. It also highlights that students could not necessarily make the connection that critical thinking can enhance the applicability of their content knowledge in accounting. For accounting students, higher-order thinking such as critical thinking is important for several reasons, including:

  • It helps students solve accounting problems by enabling them to analyse problems, identify causes, and come up with effective solutions. The discipline content taught in the unit we adapted, for example, includes cost-volume-profit analysis, necessitating critical thinking and problem-solving skills.
  • It encourages informed decision-making. Effective graduates from this unit would need higher-order thinking to be able to make thoughtful and reasoned management decisions related to cost behaviours and projections.
  • It fosters students’ capacity to adapt and innovate in constantly evolving contexts. Using higher-order thinking allows students to learn how to critically think about a situation, assess their knowledge, and creatively apply their skills in an environment where variables related to things such as costs, cost behaviours, and cost allocations are constantly changing.

Our study, therefore, highlights that it is important for educators to explain the relevance of the higher-order thinking skills they are fostering in their classrooms to the disciplinary field more broadly.

In summary, the flexible assessment regime in our study was carefully crafted to not only assess students’ understanding but also to actively engage them in the process of learning. By requiring students to generate questions and seek answers collaboratively, these tasks were instrumental in promoting self-reflection, problem-solving, and critical thinking, which are key components of higher-order thinking​​. Other educators may choose to use a similar strategy and encourage their students to choose their own assessment adventure, thereby fostering deeper learning and student engagement.

Questions to ponder

How can flexible assessment be adapted to different disciplinary fields?

In what ways can educators ensure that flexible assessment regimes are equitable and inclusive for all students, regardless of their backgrounds?

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Developing students’ critical thinking and clinical reasoning through problem-based assessment

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Dr Lynette Pretorius

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Dr Lynette Pretorius is an award-winning educator and researcher specialising in doctoral education, academic identity, student wellbeing, AI literacy, research skills, and research methodologies.

In clinical education, the challenge is to not just impart content knowledge, but also help students develop critical real-world clinical skills. This is particularly true when it comes to critical thinking and clinical reasoning skills. In a paper I recently wrote with colleagues from a midwifery unit, we demonstrate how constructive alignment of a course’s graduate attributes and a unit’s learning experiences and assessment tasks can help students develop clinical reasoning skills.

Critical thinking and clinical reasoning are foundational skills in midwifery for several reasons:

  • Complex decision-making: Midwifery involves making decisions in complex, often unpredictable situations. Critical thinking and clinical reasoning enable midwives to assess and interpret patient data, consider various options, and make informed decisions that ensure the best outcomes for their patients.
  • Adapting to diverse scenarios: Every childbirth is unique, and midwives encounter a wide range of scenarios. Critical thinking and clinical reasoning equip them with the ability to adapt their knowledge to different contexts and provide tailored care based on individual needs and circumstances.
  • Safety and quality of care: Good critical thinking and clinical reasoning are key to patient safety and the quality of care. It allows midwives to identify and respond to potential complications promptly and effectively, which is vital in a field where situations can change rapidly and have critical consequences.
  • Holistic patient care: Midwifery is not just about the physical aspects of childbirth; it encompasses the emotional, psychological, and social well-being of the patient and their family. Critical thinking and clinical reasoning help midwives to consider all these aspects in their care, leading to more comprehensive and personalised support.
  • Lifelong learning and professional development: Midwifery, like all healthcare professions, is constantly evolving. Critical thinking and clinical reasoning are essential for midwives to engage in continuous learning, keep up with the latest evidence and practices, and refine their skills over time.
  • Collaborative practice: Midwifery often involves working in teams with other healthcare professionals. Critical thinking and clinical reasoning are important for effective communication and collaboration, ensuring that all team members are aligned in their approach to patient care.

Consequently, midwifery educators need to develop curricula which balance academic content with skills development. This is also true for assessment tasks. Traditionally, assessment tasks in midwifery have revolved around essay questions, which often fail to test students’ clinical reasoning and decision-making skills. Recognising this gap, we embarked on a curriculum redesign journey, aiming to make our assessment task more clinically relevant using problem-based learning.

We wanted to make our assignment more problem-based, as there is ample evidence that real-world scenarios can make students’ education more clinically relevant. We believe real-world scenarios are useful for several reasons:

  • Bridging theory and practice: Assessments that mirror real-world scenarios enable students to apply theoretical knowledge in practical contexts. This helps to bridge the gap between what they learn in the classroom and what they will encounter in their professional lives, making their education more relevant and effective.
  • Developing critical thinking: Real-world-focused assessments often require critical thinking, problem-solving, decision-making, and other key skills that are essential in professional settings. By incorporating these elements into assessments, educators ensure that students are not just learning information, but are also developing the skills they need to use that information effectively.
  • Encouraging active learning: Real-world assessments often involve active, experiential learning, which is typically more engaging and effective than passive learning methods. This can lead to a deeper understanding of the subject matter and a more enjoyable learning experience for students.
  • Fostering lifelong learning: In the rapidly changing modern world, the ability to learn and adapt is crucial. Real-world assessments encourage students to be self-directed learners who can seek out information, analyse problems, and find solutions independently.
  • Preparing for professional challenges: The workplace presents challenges that are often complex and unpredictable. Assessments that simulate real-world situations prepare students for these challenges, equipping them with the experience and confidence to handle similar situations in their future careers.

To achieve our goals, we needed to constructively align our assessment tasks, learning outcomes, and learning activities. This helped us ensure that the outcomes we hoped to achieve with our unit were effectively developed in our classroom activities and that our assessment tasks actually assessed the skills we taught. To help us constructively align our assessment task to the learning outcomes of the unit, we utilised the Research Skills Development (RSD) framework.

We changed the previous essay-based assessment task into a scenario-based question, requiring students to apply clinical reasoning to a specific case, as shown below.

Lola is a G1P0, EDC 16/4/2012, singleton pregnancy, positive blood group, currently taking pregnancy multivitamins, she has attended the routine schedule of antenatal care with no adverse issues identified. Lola presents to your maternity unit at 10:30hrs with a history of irregular contractions since 02:30hrs, with contractions now becoming regular at four minutely intervals. Lola’s membranes ruptured at 01:00hrs with clear liquor draining. On admission the abdominal palpation reveals a baby presenting in a right occipito-posterior position (ROP), with the fetal head 3/5ths above the pelvic brim. A vaginal examination is performed, with the cervix found to be posterior, 1-2cms long, 2cms dilated, station -2, and membranes are confirmed ruptured. Critically discuss the care required for the laboring woman with the fetus presenting in an occipito-posterior position, including possible outcomes this woman may expect.

This case was designed to test a broad range of competencies, including critical thinking and clinical reasoning in complex clinical situations. These students had not previously had a similar assignment in their course. By consulting the RSD framework, we decided to target the assessment at Level IV, encouraging students to research and analyse the scenario themselves, but with some structured guidance. As a result, an assignment preparation session was also conducted to examine the scenario-based question in a peer learning environment. Consequently, interactive group discussions were used to analyse the assessment task and decide how to best approach the assignment. The three discussion prompts used in the class are listed below:

“What are the key symptoms or features in this case?”

“What do the key symptoms mean?”

“How will I care for Lola?”

Students were encouraged to work in groups to decide on appropriate answers to these questions, and they were then asked to present their ideas to the class. Discussion between the groups was used to
foster the investigation of different opinions and ideas.

The implementation of this new assessment approach was met with positive feedback from both students and staff. The scenario-based question was appreciated for its clinical relevance, and the structured guidance helped students focus on critical aspects of midwifery care. This suggests that students were more concerned with understanding the implications of the case for clinical practice than simply answering the question, reflecting a deeper level of engagement and critical thinking​​.

The study also provided insights into the feedback process following the assessment. Students received extensive, focused feedback from the academics who marked the assignments. Several students also engaged with the optional opportunity to meet with the lecturers after receiving the feedback, seeking verbal insights into their performance. Students highlighted that the feedback they received was useful in helping them know how to improve in the future. Staff found that the feedback they provided on assignments indicated that the new approach led to a deeper engagement with the content and a better understanding of clinical reasoning.

A marking rubric was developed to accurately assess the research skills developed as part of this process. This marking rubric is freely available and can be used by other educators as needed. It can be found here (pages 386-387).

By shifting from traditional essay-based tasks to scenario-based questions aligned with the RSD framework and constructive alignment theory, we succeeded in enhancing student engagement, critical thinking, and clinical reasoning skills. Students benefit from an educational approach that prepares them for real-world challenges, fostering skills that are directly applicable to their future professional practice. This study also offers a framework for integrating educational theories into the design of practical assessment tasks and rubrics, which can be useful for other educators.

Questions to ponder

What are some of the key factors in assessment design that can encourage deeper learning and critical thinking in students?

In what ways could this approach to curriculum design impact the quality of healthcare provided by future graduates in clinical settings?

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Trauma, anxiety, depression, solitude: The impact of COVID-19 on academic identity

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Dr Lynette Pretorius

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Dr Lynette Pretorius is an award-winning educator and researcher specialising in doctoral education, academic identity, student wellbeing, AI literacy, research skills, and research methodologies.

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Dr Basil Cahusac de Caux

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Dr Basil Cahusac de Caux is an Assistant Professor with a specialisation in the sociology of higher education, postgraduate research, and the sociology of language.

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Dr Luke Macaulay


Dr Luke Macaulay is a research fellow, researching the education and employment experiences of people from refugee and asylum seeking backgrounds.


Credit: Text and images have been republished from an article in the Monash Lens, https://lens.monash.edu/@education/2023/04/28/1385557/trauma-anxiety-depression-solitude-the-impact-of-covid-19-on-academic-indentity

COVID-19 brought about unprecedented changes to society, causing widespread disruption to many aspects of our lives.

The pandemic has impacted people from all walks of life, but particularly hard-hit have been academics, early-career researchers (ECRs), and PhD students. They’ve had to face a range of challenges, from adapting to new ways of working, to dealing with the closure of research facilities and universities.

Here, we explore the ways in which the pandemic has affected this group.

Much is drawn directly from insights in our book Research and Teaching in a Pandemic World, published in January. We used a research methodology where academics, ECRs, and PhD students could tell their personal stories of their pandemic experiences.

Some were filled with trauma, grief, and loss. Other times, the stories highlighted moments of resilience and growth.

This shows the pandemic affected each person differently, and that we should value and respect these diverse experiences as we move into the next stage of the pandemic (and hopefully a future post-pandemic world).

A focus on academic identity

Our research focused on the challenges of academic identity, an integral part of their lives. It’s developed through teaching and researching, and it is shaped by the values and beliefs of the academic community.

For many individuals, academic identity is a fundamental part of who they are. It defines their sense of purpose, and provides them with a sense of belonging within an academic community.

The pandemic had a profound impact on academic identity. The closure of research facilities and universities significantly hindered their ability to conduct their research. This led to delays in research projects, which can be particularly challenging for ECRs and PhD students who rely on their research to progress in their careers.

To further complicate matters, many are employed on fixed-term contracts, meaning their employment is dependent on their ability to secure research funding. However, with the closure of facilities, many funding opportunities dried up.

This has had a particularly negative impact on ECRs and PhD students, who are often in a more precarious position than their more established tenured colleagues.

Many had to adapt to new ways of working, such as remote teaching and learning, which led to a sense of disconnection from colleagues, students, and the broader academic community.

As a result, academics, ECRs, and PhD students struggled to develop their academic identities in the conventional way (that is, through face-to-face interaction, networking, and collaboration).

Instead, they had to discover and develop their academic identities amid chronic uncertainty and restrictions on mobility. This involved resorting to new techniques and strategies, typically immersing themselves in individual research projects, writing, and meaning-making.

A small wooden mannequin sitting on an open book with head in hands

Solitude singled out

Solitude was the main theme that coloured the stories of academic identity development during the pandemic.

Perhaps the most demonstrable impact of the pandemic has been its toll on mental health.

Mental health is an important part of believing you can contribute in your chosen field, so challenges to mental health can have a significant impact on the academic identity development.

Our previous research has already highlighted a mental health crisis in academia, particularly for those early in their research journey. This was markedly exacerbated by the pandemic.

The isolation and uncertainty led to increased levels of anxiety and depression. There were increasingly common stories of individuals progressively becoming mentally ill, with anxiety, depression, and difficulties dealing with trauma. As a result, the ensuing frustration and anxiety drove many to question whether an academic career was the wisest route to take.

That said, the pandemic also spurred some ECRs to develop cognitive hardiness. This means we now have a group of budding academics who have cultivated greater levels of resilience. One hopes their perseverance will not only shape their future research activities, but that this key trait will also be absorbed through association by their new “post-pandemic” colleagues.

The marginalisation of individuals

The COVID-19 pandemic has not only impacted academics, ECRs, and PhD students as a whole, but it’s also contributed to the marginalisation of certain individuals within academia.

We’ve previously shown that challenges to academic identity development can lead to feelings of marginalisation. The stories we were told in this book showed the pandemic has amplified already existing inequalities in academia, with individuals from marginalised groups – including women, people of colour, and those with disabilities – facing disproportionate challenges.

Coupled with broader societal issues such as gender-based discrimination, systemic racism, and war, those from marginalised groups struggled even more to have their voices heard.

There’s now a growing imperative to address such issues in ways that make all academics valued for the work that they do. We need to aim for equity and justice in our communities of practice.

Several of the stories shared with us told of the particular challenges academic parents faced. Those with children, and especially those who were academic mothers, talked about how they had more caregiving responsibilities.

The closure of schools and daycare centres meant many parents had to balance working from home with caring for their children. This made it difficult for parents in academia to maintain their productivity and meet their work obligations, leading to additional stress and anxiety.

It also made it difficult for them to progress their careers, leading to further marginalisation within academia.

A young female scientist sitting alone among scientific equipment

The upside for parents

In some aspects, however, pandemic-related restrictions were also a boon for parents, who were able to involve themselves more in their children’s education and daily activities. The blurred boundaries between work and home resulted in a chaotic but occasionally meaningful realignment of priorities for parents working from home.

Overall, the COVID-19 pandemic has had a profound impact on academics, ECRs, and PhD students. The closure of facilities, the move to remote teaching and learning, and the impact on mental health and job prospects have all combined to create a challenging environment.

It’s important we recognise the challenges faced by this group during this difficult time, and provide them with the continued support they need to carry out their important work. Society depends on it.

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How the pandemic shaped academic identity: Stories of resilience and struggle

Credit: Text has been republished from an article in Monash News 
https://www.monash.edu/news/articles/how-the-pandemic-shaped-academic-identity-stories-of-resilience-and-struggle

A new book shares the stories of PhD students, early-career researchers, and established academics during the COVID-19 pandemic to shed light on the struggles faced by those in the industry.

The COVID-19 pandemic impacted every aspect of our lives, and academia was no exception. A new book titled Research and Teaching in a Pandemic World offers an insight into the personal stories of those within academia who were impacted by the pandemic.

The book provides an archive of firsthand accounts of people’s pandemic experiences, highlighting moments of resilience and personal growth, as well as trauma, grief, and loss.

Edited by a group of researchers from Monash University, Deakin University and the American University of the Middle East, the book focuses on how the pandemic affected individuals’ ability to build their academic identity.

By allowing each author to narrate their own stories, the editors were able to identify how each individual’s pandemic experience affected their own academic identity.

Through the stories of the chapter authors, the book reveals four key themes:

  • The pandemic exacerbated already existing inequalities in academia, with many authors feeling marginalised and undervalued.
  • Parenthood complicated matters for those in academia, as they struggled to balance home and work life, which often negatively affected their future career prospects.
  • The pandemic profoundly impacted the mental health and wellbeing of those in academia, leading many authors to question their academic career aspirations, although there were also stories of resilience and coping strategies.
  • Solitude was a recurring theme throughout the book. Connecting virtually to their research supervisors, their workplaces, or their students made PhD students, early-career researchers, and more established academics feel disconnected from academia.

“The sudden disruption to or disappearance of everyday activities left academics feeling helpless. We understand now, more than ever, how crucial human contact is in an increasingly interconnected world,”

said Dr Cahusac de Caux, Assistant Professor of Sociology at the American University of the Middle East.
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Dr Basil Cahusac de Caux

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Dr Basil Cahusac de Caux is an Assistant Professor with a specialisation in the sociology of higher education, postgraduate research, and the sociology of language.

“Research and Teaching in a Pandemic World provides space for individuals to
explore their own experiences and what they have learnt through the process. It is a collection of stories which presents windows into the worlds of the authors and highlights the idiosyncratic impact of the pandemic on those in academia,”

said Dr Lynette Pretorius, an Academic Language Development Adviser at Monash University.
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Dr Lynette Pretorius

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Dr Lynette Pretorius is an award-winning educator and researcher specialising in doctoral education, academic identity, student wellbeing, AI literacy, research skills, and research methodologies.

“Throughout the pandemic, its magnitude has, at times, felt overwhelming to comprehend. Reports on daily case numbers, job losses, extended lockdowns, and even worse, deaths, were common everyday information. Yet, it is important to take stock and remember that behind each of these figures is a person with their own unique story. Our goal with this book was to give some of these stories a voice within our own professional network, which is academia,”

said Dr Luke Macaulay, Research Fellow at Deakin University’s Centre for Refugee Employment, Advocacy, Training, and Education (CREATE).
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Dr Luke Macaulay


Dr Luke Macaulay is a research fellow, researching the education and employment experiences of people from refugee and asylum seeking backgrounds.

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Combining research and storytelling: Using personal experiences as research data

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Dr Lynette Pretorius

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Dr Lynette Pretorius is an award-winning educator and researcher specialising in doctoral education, academic identity, student wellbeing, AI literacy, research skills, and research methodologies.

I find it quite amusing that I would be writing this blog post to advocate for a research methodology as emotional and subjective as autoethnography. For over a decade, I was trained to conduct scientific research where objective answers were sought to solve problems. My research focused on examining a gene activated in athletes’ hearts to see if it could be a potential treatment for patients with heart failure. In this scientific lab-based environment, I had to ensure objectivity in my research so that I could help find a cure for heart failure. After completing my PhD, however, I ventured into humanities and social sciences and found that the research approach I had previously used would not work. In my new research space, I was interested in understanding people’s experiences, which meant embracing subjectivity.

Through my journey into qualitative research, I discovered the value of stories. As I have recently noted, I now believe that stories matter and that individual experiences should be valued. I also now advocate for researchers to allow individuals to tell their own stories, as they are the experts in their own experiences.

Researching personal experiences is becoming increasingly important as individuals’ stories are recognised as important sources of knowledge. Personal experiences can provide unique insights into social, cultural, and historical contexts and highlight the complexities of human experience. By researching personal experiences, we can uncover previously ignored or marginalised perspectives, challenge dominant narratives, and gain a deeper understanding of individual and collective identities. By valuing personal experiences as sources of knowledge, we can build more inclusive and diverse understandings of the world around us.

As I started researching personal experiences, I discovered a qualitative research method called autoethnography and soon realised its power. I now regularly recommend autoethnography to researchers. In particular, I often recommend it to PhD students to help them establish their research motivation and positionality in their thesis and more effectively engage in reflexivity during their research project. A well-written autoethnography can also be published, which helps these early career researchers by giving them the opportunity to build their publication record.

The rest of this blog post will explore autoethnography as a methodology. The information in this blog comes from my recently published book chapter, “A Harmony of Voices”. This book chapter was the methodology for our book Research and Teaching in a Pandemic World, where we used a form of autoethnography to allow PhD students, early career researchers, and more established researchers to tell the stories of their experiences during the COVID-19 pandemic. Using this methodology helped us show that the pandemic significantly affected the academic identity development of students and staff in higher education.

There are five main reasons why I think autoethnography is such a powerful qualitative research methodology.

1. Autoethnography requires researchers to purposely explore personal experiences to understand a particular culture or society. For example, I was recently able to use autoethnography to delve into a doctoral student’s journey as she discovered she was mentally unwell and link this with my experiences as a doctoral educator. By valuing the student’s knowledge of her mental illness and my understanding of the doctoral education system as a cultural insider, I was able to show how the culture of academia can contribute to the academic mental health crisis. Consequently, using autoethnography helped me demonstrate how educators can create more welcoming environments that help foster doctoral students’ wellbeing.

2. Autoethnography allows researchers to use personal experiences as data sources, narrating evocative stories and interpreting their significance. Researchers are also participants in their own studies, thereby valuing insider knowledge. The stories which are told often explore transformative experiences for the researcher, frequently taking the form of epiphanies that significantly influenced the author’s worldview. I believe that this allows researchers to provide more meaningful insights into complex phenomena compared with more traditional objective research methods. For example, I recently used Zoom to have a conversation with myself as I reflected on my past experiences (see Figure 1). During this reflexive Zoom conversation, I was able to delve into my personal experiences throughout my PhD, analyse my emotions and thoughts during that period, reflect on them presently, and determine how my previous experiences have impacted my current teaching philosophy and practice.

Figure 1. Screen capture of me having a conversation with myself on Zoom to collect data about my past experiences and how these influenced my current teaching philosophy and practice.

3. Autoethnography allows the researcher to use writing as a form of therapy for themselves and society more broadly. Researchers can give others hope and insight by engaging in this form of therapeutic writing. This can be seen, for example, in our book Wellbeing in Doctoral Education. In this book, several individuals used autoethnography to tell their stories of mental illness during their doctoral journey. Through their explorations of their own journeys, they were able to provide strategies for future students to maintain their wellbeing during their PhD.

4. Autoethnography empowers researchers as it allows them to embrace emotionality and uncertainty and highlight topics that may be considered hidden or taboo. Autoethnography allows researchers to connect with their own emotions and experiences and, in doing so, find their voice. It allows them to challenge the dominant narratives that often dominate research and to tell their own stories in their own words. It also allows them to connect with their research participants more authentically and meaningfully. By sharing their own experiences, they can create a space for others to share theirs, fostering a more equitable and inclusive research process. In this way, autoethnographers can advocate for social change to address perceived societal wrongs.

5. Autoethnography is a more accessible type of research for those outside of academia because it is written from personal experience in easy-to-understand language. The autoethnographer also does not merely narrate an experience for their audience. Instead, they try to engage the audience in the conversation so that the audience can understand experiences which may be different from their own.

Autoethnography, however, is not without its challenges. Some researchers critique it as a methodology because it is not scientific enough, while others say it is not artistic enough. I believe, however, that these critiques fail to see the value of combining both science and art when exploring complex phenomena. Autoethnography has allowed me to combine my scientific understanding of the research process with the ability to tell stories – both my own stories and those of my participants. In this way, I now see research writing as a way of communicating my findings to better understand myself and change the society in which I reside.

In conclusion, autoethnography has become an increasingly popular research methodology, particularly within the humanities and social sciences. Its emphasis on personal experiences, reflexivity, and storytelling allows for a deeper exploration of complex experiences and societies. While it may be a departure from more traditional scientific research methods, autoethnography allows researchers to learn about broader cultural and societal issues by exploring their personal experiences. As a researcher who was initially trained in a scientific environment, I can attest to the value of this approach, particularly when seeking to understand individuals’ experiences. Ultimately, by embracing the methodology of autoethnography, researchers can gain a deeper appreciation for the lived experiences of the individuals they are studying, leading to more nuanced and insightful research findings.

Acknowledgements
I want to thank Dr Jennifer Cutri for introducing me to autoethnography as a research methodology.

Questions to ponder

How do you think the inclusion of personal stories and experiences can enhance the validity and depth of research in fields traditionally dominated by objective methodologies? Can you think of any specific areas or topics where this approach would be particularly beneficial?

In your opinion, what are the potential benefits and drawbacks of blurring the lines between scientific research and personal storytelling? How can researchers balance the need for scientific rigour with the richness that personal narratives bring to understanding complex phenomena?

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I found my PhD journey extremely stressful and mentally exhausting

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Dr Lynette Pretorius

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Dr Lynette Pretorius is an award-winning educator and researcher specialising in doctoral education, academic identity, student wellbeing, AI literacy, research skills, and research methodologies.

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Dr Luke Macaulay


Dr Luke Macaulay is a research fellow, researching the education and employment experiences of people from refugee and asylum seeking backgrounds.

Credit: Main text republished from EduResearch Matters, https://www.aare.edu.au/blog/?p=8916

The secret lives of doctoral students and how academics can help Every year, thousands of students enrol into doctoral programs across Australia and around the world. New PhD students enter an environment characterised by the persistent pursuit for knowledge – there is always something more to learn. They also hear advice about academia from all and sundry. When we spoke to students in 2021, one final year PhD student noted,

“There are so many different aspects to learn about and it’s difficult to know what you don’t know. This leaves you always wondering whether you are missing something. There are also many different perspectives offered by others – everyone’s experience is so different that it’s hard to work out what advice applies to you and what does not.” Given that each person’s experience in a PhD program is unique, how does a PhD student come to know what their identity as a researcher is?

When someone asks you to describe yourself, on which area of your life do you focus? Perhaps you highlight your job or education, listing your interests and achievements. Maybe you highlight your religion and/or ethnicity, highlighting how these shape your approach to life. You may explore your family and personal life, showcasing the impact these areas have on your life satisfaction. The stories we tell ourselves and others about who we are, who we are not, and who we ‘should’ be in our context, can be defined as our identity.

Identity is multifaceted and continuously shaped through our experiences. It is also significantly influenced by the context in which we find ourselves – the implicit practices within our context tell us what is expected of us. As researchers, we are particularly interested in the concept of academic identity – the stories people tell themselves and others about who they are or are not within the context of academia. A PhD student’s academic identity is, therefore, largely shaped through the narratives and practices they experience within academia as they conduct their research.

An area of special interest for us is the doctoral education environment in higher education institutions. As higher education researchers, we experience the daily influence of academia on our own sense of who we are. We have seen PhD students try to navigate the often implicit knowledges and practices of academia during their studies. These implicit knowledges and practices are rarely taught and can cause an environment of exclusiveness – a space where some are privileged while others are marginalised. We were interested in exploring how PhD students’ experiences influence their perception of their place within the context of academia.

We believe that, to understand the experiences of PhD students as they navigate this complex environment, you have to highlight their voices. By listening to their stories, we believe we can better understand their journeys and, consequently, design improved educational experiences. We have used this approach in the past, which allowed us to explore the personal journeys of several doctoral students as they reflected on their own studies. The autobiographical narratives that the PhD students wrote highlighted that the PhD significantly influenced their wellbeing, sense of identity, and intercultural competence. For example, one student noted:

“I understand the PhD as an office-like job; however, your job has a lack of clarity regarding how you are supposed to achieve your goals. You get to decide what you need to do each day, but your plans change all the time as your research results take your study in a new direction. This of course means that you have a great deal of flexibility, but it also means there is a lot of uncertainty during your PhD journey. Personally, this meant that I found my PhD journey extremely stressful and mentally exhausting.”

To explore PhD students’ academic identity development, we conducted a large-scale research project exploring the experiences and lived realities of 29 PhD students at an Australian university. We used a creative approach that was designed to highlight the voices of the students through narratives and poems, allowing us to explore academic identity development from their points of view. The first findings from this project was recently published in The Journal of Higher Education and has since received significant attention from the academic community. An open access post-print version of this article is available here.

To start our research, we wanted to know why students committed the time and energy to pursue a PhD degree. We found our participants pursued a PhD as a stepping stone for future career success, to learn more about themselves or a particular academic topic, and to solve a problem in their local context. The students believed that the PhD was an all-consuming endeavour, something that should only be attempted by someone if they could fully dedicate themselves to the pursuit.

Further exploration of our participants’ experiences helped us to discover that PhD students experience significant pressure to build their personal brand. They felt that there was considerable tension between developing disciplinary knowledge and building professional skills (also sometimes termed “soft skills” or “transferable skills”). Yet they also felt that both these forms of personal knowledge were essential for later career success. Importantly, our study showed that several of our participants felt marginalised in their ability to develop these different forms of personal knowledge. They felt that their agency to take control of their own learning was hindered by various institutions that influenced the context of academia including the universities themselves, government agencies, and scholarship funding agencies. As a result, several students felt disempowered during their educational journey which adversely affected their academic identity. As noted by one participant,

“This has been taxing intellectually but VERY taxing on my sense of self and my sense of self worth as a scholar.”

The tension students experience highlights that the links between disciplinary knowledge and professional skills are not made clear to students. We believe that professional skills actually increase the applicability of disciplinary knowledge. For example, if PhD students do not have the ability to communicate their research to a wider audience, it is likely that their disciplinary knowledge will linger in relative obscurity. We also believe that the act of doing disciplinary research teaches a range of professional skills as a consequence. For example, conducting literature research to identify a research project for study necessitates the use of a variety of analytical skills. It is, therefore, our responsibility as educators to help PhD students reflect on the knowledge and skills they already possess. This reflective approach can help students develop an understanding of the variety of skills they have already developed during their studies, giving them the agency to seek targeted professional development approaches for future career success. Importantly, our research should act as a clarion call for those in academia. We implore educators to value different forms of knowledge and skills. This approach will help the scholars and problem-solvers of the future develop a strong sense of who they are and where they fit within their respective fields.

Questions to ponder

How do the varying experiences and advice received by PhD students impact their development of an academic identity? Do you think this diversity of perspectives is more beneficial or detrimental to their journey?

Considering the importance of balancing disciplinary knowledge with professional skills, how can PhD programs be structured to better integrate these two aspects?

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