Supporting part-time students in doctoral programs: a technology-based situated learning model

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Shaoan Zhang ◽  
Mark Carroll ◽  
Chengcheng Li ◽  
Emily Lin
Keyword(s):  
Doctoral Students ◽  
Situated Learning ◽  
Program Design ◽  
Doctoral Programs ◽  
Doctoral Program ◽  
Virtual Community ◽  
Learning Model ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Virtual Community Of Practice ◽  
Part Time

Purpose This paper aims to expand the theory of situated learning with the application of technology and provides a technology-based situated learning model with suggestions for doctoral program design. Design/methodology/approach A literature review of the relevant topics was conducted. Themes emerged by the systematic review of the relevant studies and theoretical framework. Findings Studies reveal that part-time doctoral students often feel unsupported, dissatisfied and disconnected with their program. Many of these issues may be mitigated by faculty and peer mentoring, and various forms of asynchronous communication through a situated learning framework with interactive communication technologies. Research limitations/implications Research of doctoral education should pay more attention to part-time doctoral students and investigate the quality of their programs given their individual needs, and how their progression and completion can be achieved through the innovative approaches proposed in this study. Practical implications Program designers may use a technology-based situated learning approach in program design to fulfill part-time doctoral students’ needs toward enhancing mentorship, students’ academic self-efficacy and career preparation. Further support is offered through a virtual community of practice. Social implications This paper draws researchers’ attention to program design and part-time doctoral students’ retention and completion of a doctoral program. Originality/value This study provides an innovative synergetic model that helps administrators and program designers to design doctoral programs and motivates researchers to conduct research regarding part-time doctoral students.

Developing researching professionals in an EdD program

2014 ◽  
Vol 4 (2) ◽  
pp. 137-160 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ray R. Buss ◽  
Ron Zambo ◽  
Debby Zambo ◽  
Tiffany R. Williams
Keyword(s):  
Doctoral Students ◽  
Doctoral Programs ◽  
Doctoral Program ◽  
Identity Status ◽  
Social Implications ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Identity Statuses ◽  
Education Doctorate ◽  
Leader Identity ◽  
Entering Students

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to examine how entering students and graduating students from an education doctorate (EdD) program viewed themselves as learners, leaders, and action researchers. Further, the paper examines differences in the identity trajectories between the two groups. Finally, the paper suggested a new identity status – scholarly and influential practitioners (SaIP) emerged from melding the three identity statuses. Design/methodology/approach – The paper employed a mixed method design. Findings – Results indicated students new to the program held strong identities as learners and leaders, but not as action researchers; whereas graduates held stronger views of each type of identity, especially as researchers. Program features such as cycles of action research (CAR), and leader-scholar communities were instrumental in influencing graduates’ identities as researching professionals. Research limitations/implications – SaIP emerge when doctoral programs enhance the learner and leader identity statuses of doctoral students while at the same time fostering the construction of a researching professional identity status. Practical implications – Development of researching professionals can be accomplished by fostering a researcher ethos during their participation in a doctoral program. For working professionals, this can be accomplished by requiring and supporting ongoing CAR in a doctoral program. Social implications – With respect to social implications, researching professionals, especially those in education offer substantial promise of achieving the educational reforms the school so desperately need. Originality/value – This research examines how one institution has attempted to develop researching professionals during their preparation in an EdD program, which is based on Carnegie Project for the Education Doctorate (CPED) working principles and design features.

Recruiting business PhDs: US minority motives and concerns

2014 ◽  
Vol 33 (1) ◽  
pp. 2-41 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jeanie M. Forray ◽  
Janelle E. Goodnight
Keyword(s):  
Decision Making ◽  
Doctoral Students ◽  
Support Groups ◽  
Doctoral Programs ◽  
Doctoral Program ◽  
Small Sample ◽  
Minority Faculty ◽  
Sources Of Information ◽  
Master's Students ◽  
Content Type

Purpose – While institutional efforts have shown modest results, AACSB statistics suggest that current practices are insufficient to increase more substantively the representation of minorities among doctorally qualified business school faculty. The purpose of this paper is to explore antecedents to the faculty representation issue – that is, the motives, concerns, and resources of US minority individuals with respect to business doctoral program entry – as a basis for improving minority faculty representation outcomes. Design/methodology/approach – A small sample of doctoral program directors were interviewed to ascertain their perspective on recruitment, design and delivery of PhD programs in business and from which a survey instrument was developed. A sample of 292 US minority respondents surveyed indicated their top reasons for and concerns about pursuing a doctorate, program selection and rejection criteria, sources of information and financing, and, for those in the decision-making stage, reasons for waiting to apply to a program. The paper compares responses of those who graduated from or are currently enrolled in a doctoral program in business with those who decided not to enroll. The paper also explores factors most salient to individuals currently contemplating enrolling but who have not yet decided to do so. Findings – Results suggest that mentorship of promising undergraduate and master's students by business faculty and current doctoral students is critical to US minority enrollments in doctoral programs; however, a school's physical location, required time and energy, and financial considerations also play a role in the decision-making process. The role of international students in diversity efforts by doctoral programs is also salient. Originality/value – Previous studies in multiple disciplines note the under-representation of US minority faculty in academe. In business education, suggestions for overcoming this gap have focussed on recruitment, mentoring, and/or networks and support groups but little is known about antecedents to entry (motives, concerns, and resources of US minority individuals) with respect to business doctoral programs.

scholarly journals Doctoral Program Design Based on Technology-Based Situated Learning and Mentoring: A Comparison of Part-Time and Full-Time Doctoral Students

10.28945/4598 ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 15 ◽  
pp. 393-414
Author(s):  
Shaoan Zhang ◽  
Chengcheng Li ◽  
Mark Carroll ◽  
P. G. Schrader
Keyword(s):  
Doctoral Students ◽  
Situated Learning ◽  
Doctoral Program ◽  
Individual Development ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Full Time ◽  
Program Support ◽  
Essential Components ◽  
Part Time Students ◽  
Part Time

Aim/Purpose: Most programs are designed with full-time doctoral students’ characteristics and needs in mind; few programs consider the unique needs of part-time doctoral students, including time restrictions, experiences during the program, identity development, and different professional aspirations. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the potential differences between part-time and full-time doctoral students in their scholarly development, and how technology may serve as a communication and organization tool for individual and program support. Background: Built on the application of communities of practice, information and communication technology, and situated learning theory, this study sought to evaluate the potential differences among full-time and part-time doctoral students associated with their scholarly development in a traditional doctoral program at a large research-intensive university. Methodology: This study used independent samples t-test to evaluate the potential differences between part-time and full-time doctoral students in their scholarly development. Data were collected from 98 doctoral students via a survey. This study also employed two hypothetical cases that described the issues and solutions related to the program pursuant to scholarly development, which further illustrated the quantitative results and provided more meaningful discussions and suggestions. Contribution: This study provided insights into part-time doctoral students’ scholarly development and provided suggestions for designing doctoral programs and differentiated mentoring for both full-time and part-time doctoral students. Further, additional multifaceted mentoring approaches including peer mentoring and e-mentoring were evaluated. Findings: Significant differences were found in four aspects of doctoral students’ scholarly development: the opportunities to do research related to grants with faculty, support for scholarly work in addition to advisor’s support, involvement in the teaching/supervision activities, and goals for scholarly development. Recommendations for Practitioners: Program designers, faculty, and especially mentors should appreciate the differences between part-time and full-time doctoral students. Potential program redesigns should include judicious applications of technology as essential components to address limited accessibility and opportunities for part-time students. An Individual Development Plan (IDP) should be used to mentor doctoral students to enhance the effectiveness of mentoring regarding academic goals, actions, and related roles and responsibilities. Recommendation for Researchers: Future research can further evaluate and develop the instrument to better measure more domains of doctoral students’ scholarly development. Additionally, qualitative methods may be used to further provide the emic description of the process of part-time students’ engagement with the program, mentors, and peers. Impact on Society: With consideration of the unique needs of part-time students and the application of technology-based learning community, opportunities are provided for mentors and doctoral students to engage in scholarship and develop a sense of belonging to their doctoral program. Future Research: Future research can examine the differences between male and female doctoral students, different race groups, and disciplines.

Reading routines: strategies of recall in graduate education

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Gary Alan Fine ◽  
Hannah Wohl ◽  
Simone Ispa-Landa
Keyword(s):  
Social Sciences ◽  
Graduate Students ◽  
Doctoral Students ◽  
Graduate Program ◽  
Graduate Training ◽  
Qualitative Interviews ◽  
Doctoral Program ◽  
Note Taking ◽  
Content Type ◽  
The Social

Purpose This study aims to explore how graduate students in the social sciences develop reading and note-taking routines. Design/methodology/approach Using a professional socialization framework drawing on grounded theory, this study draws on a snowball sample of 36 graduate students in the social sciences at US universities. Qualitative interviews were conducted to learn about graduate students’ reading and note-taking techniques. Findings This study uncovered how doctoral students experienced the shift from undergraduate to graduate training. Graduate school requires students to adopt new modes of reading and note-taking. However, students lacked explicit mentorship in these skills. Once they realized that the goal was to enter an academic conversation to produce knowledge, they developed new reading and note-taking routines by soliciting and implementing suggestions from advanced doctoral students and faculty mentors. Research limitations/implications The specific requirements of the individual graduate program shape students’ goals for reading and note-taking. Further examination of the relationship between graduate students’ reading and note-taking and institutional requirements is warranted with a larger sample of universities, including non-American institutions. Practical implications Graduate students benefit from explicit mentoring in reading and note-taking skills from doctoral faculty and advanced graduate students. Originality/value This study uncovers the perspectives of graduate students in the social sciences as they transition from undergraduate coursework in a doctoral program of study. This empirical, interview-based research highlights the centrality of reading and note-taking in doctoral studies.

The factors behind working in virtual community

2019 ◽  
Vol 12 (2) ◽  
pp. 246-267 ◽  
Author(s):  
Anitha Acharya
Keyword(s):  
Virtual Teams ◽  
Virtual Community ◽  
Cost Savings ◽  
Working Hours ◽  
Substantial Cost ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Part Time ◽  
Research Findings ◽  
Hourly Basis ◽  
Practical Implications

Purpose In this paper, the prior research on virtual teams was reviewed to assess the state of the literature. The purpose of this paper is to determine why individuals prefer working in virtual teams (also termed liquid workers and part-time workers). Previous researchers have focussed on the benefits that organizations receive if they hire liquid workers, but to date, no research has been conducted to determine the perspective of these liquid workers. The various definitions of virtual teams are discussed and an integrative definition is proposed that suggests all teams may be defined in terms of their extent of virtualness. Design/methodology approach A systematic review of the literature on virtual teams was conducted. The data were collected from 12 informants. A thematic analysis was used to analyse the data. Findings Six main themes were identified, namely, pliability, opportunities, increased earnings, vigour, family and transportation. Research limitations/implications This study was conducted in a three-metropolitan city in India and warrants being extended to rural and international settings to gain additional insights and confirmation of the research findings. Practical implications It is suggested that organizations who recruit liquid workers will be in a position for substantial cost savings; this is because organizations usually make payment of liquid workers’ wages on an hourly basis. This will help the organizations to schedule the number of working hours depending on their needs. Originality/value The current study is novel as there is a paucity of research in identifying the factors behind working in the virtual community in India. This study presents the first research of its kind to the best knowledge of the author, and the findings will be valuable for companies who are looking for cost savings.

A complementary examination of author characteristics of finance journals

2016 ◽  
Vol 42 (4) ◽  
pp. 365-375 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kam C. Chan ◽  
Annie Wong ◽  
Hannah Wong
Keyword(s):  
Doctoral Programs ◽  
Doctoral Program ◽  
Journal Editor ◽  
Valuable Insight ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Journal Rankings ◽  
Final Sample ◽  
Accredited Schools ◽  
Important Publication ◽  
Acceptance Rates

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to provide a complementary analysis of finance journals that are often being overlooked in prior studies. Specifically, the authors examine the Australian Business Dean Council’s (ABDC’s) C-ranked journals in terms of their authors’ affiliations with US colleges, US colleges with Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB) accreditations, and US colleges with AACSB doctoral program accreditations. Design/methodology/approach – A list of C-ranked journals is downloaded from the ABDC’s website. Full-text articles of these journals are downloaded from library databases for the five-year period of 2009-2013. Author affiliations are collected from the corresponding articles. Journal histories, journal editor locations, Cabell’s journal rankings, and acceptance rates are collected from the ABDC’s database, Cabell’s Directory, journal websites, and library databases. The final sample consists of 28 finance journals. Findings – The authors find that these journals have a substantial number and percentage of authors from US colleges. Among the US authors, about 92 percent of them are from AACSB accredited schools and most of them are from AACSB accredited schools with doctoral programs. The findings support the notion that these journals are important publication outlets for US researchers. The authors also find that journals with longer histories and US-based editors have a higher percentage of US authors. In addition, journals with better Cabell’s journal rankings and higher rejection rates have higher percentage of US authors from AACSB accredited schools with doctoral programs. Originality/value – C-ranked journals are often neglected in prior studies on journal characteristics because they are less well-known and less likely to be cited. However, these journals constitute as many as half of all finance journals in the ABDC database and can be important publication outlets for finance researchers. This study contributes to the literature by examining the author characteristics of these journals, namely, the proportions of authors who come from US colleges and authors who come from AACSB accredited US programs. Such an analysis will provide valuable insight into the value of these journals.

Summer Mentoring Experiences for Students in Online Doctoral Programs

2021 ◽  
pp. 109-131
Author(s):  
Julie Smit ◽  
Elizabeth Jones ◽  
Michael Ladick ◽  
Mellinee Lesley
Keyword(s):  
Doctoral Students ◽  
Academic Writing ◽  
Sense Of Belonging ◽  
Doctoral Programs ◽  
Sense Of Self ◽  
Doctoral Program ◽  
University Faculty ◽  
Student Centered ◽  
Self Worth ◽  
Online Doctoral Programs

University faculty created the Llano Estacado Writers' Alliance (LEWA) in response to improving the quality and rigor of online doctoral programs. The goal for LEWA was to promote meaningful academic writing and transform doctoral students' identities as agentic academic writers. After LEWA's inception, the authors incorporated the perspectives of their alumni and advanced doctoral students to help address students' needs. This chapter documents the four-year journey of forming LEWA and developing new approaches to mentoring online doctoral students. Specifically, the authors recount the evolution from the faculty-led, week-long summer intensives that addressed students' anxieties and uncertainties about the doctoral program to the writing intensives that were more student centered, responsive, and primarily focused on the mores of academic writing. Results demonstrated the benefits of professor-led and peer-led networks in developing students' sense of belonging, sense of accountability to their peers, and a sense of self-worth as capable academic writers.

Social work doctoral education: Are doctoral students being prepared to teach?

2016 ◽  
Vol 17 (1) ◽  
pp. 91-114 ◽  
Author(s):  
Brandy R Maynard ◽  
Elizabeth M Labuzienski ◽  
Kristina S Lind ◽  
Andrew H Berglund ◽  
David L Albright
Keyword(s):  
Social Work ◽  
Doctoral Students ◽  
Doctoral Education ◽  
Doctoral Programs ◽  
Doctoral Program ◽  
The United States ◽  
Social Work Practice ◽  
Assessment Methods ◽  
Course Content ◽  
Social Work Practitioners

Summary Longstanding tensions exist around the purpose of social work doctoral programs, particularly around the extent to which doctoral program should prepare their students to teach. Indeed, social work programs in the United States have been criticized for failing to prepare graduates for teaching; however, it has been a number of years since doctoral curricula have been reviewed. The purpose of this study was to examine the extent to which US social work doctoral programs are training their students to teach by assessing the extent to which pedagogical training is explicitly integrated into doctoral curricula and examining the scope and content of required doctoral courses on teaching. Content analysis of social work doctoral program curricula ( n = 72) and teaching and learning related course syllabi ( n = 24) was conducted by two coders. Syllabi were coded and analyzed to produce a profile of course objectives, readings, teaching strategies, assessment methods, and course content. Findings Of the 72 PhD programs, 90% included a goal related to the preparation of their students for teaching; however, only 37 (51%) required a course on teaching. Course content, teaching, and assessment methods were found to vary across courses. Applications Training the next generation of social work practitioners to engage in effective social work practice is critical to the profession; however, the preparation of doctoral students to provide quality education to future social work practitioners seems to be largely neglected. Implications for doctoral education are discussed.

scholarly journals Knowledge sharing by entrepreneurs in a virtual community of practice (VCoP)

2019 ◽  
Vol 32 (2) ◽  
pp. 405-429 ◽  
Author(s):  
Khalid Hafeez ◽  
Fathalla M. Alghatas ◽  
Pantea Foroudi ◽  
Bang Nguyen ◽  
Suraksha Gupta
Keyword(s):  
Knowledge Sharing ◽  
Community Of Practice ◽  
Virtual Community ◽  
Online Discourse ◽  
Community Members ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Message Length ◽  
Virtual Community Of Practice ◽  
Effective Interventions ◽  
Start Up

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to examine how entrepreneurs engage in a virtual community of practice (VCoP) to share knowledge. Intensity of engagement is taken as a proxy to measure the strength of knowledge sharing.Design/methodology/approachThe archival data spanning over a three-year period from “Start-up-Nation©” (a VCoP purposefully setup for entrepreneurs) are used for analysis. A set of indices are introduced to measure participants’ intensity of engagement in terms of message length, message frequency and reciprocity in the knowledge sharing process. Content analysis is employed to test a sample of “highly engaged”, “moderately engaged”, “low engaged” and “not engaged” discussion topics as part of the online discourse.FindingsThe authors find that entrepreneurs normally use short (fewer than 100 words) or medium (fewer than 250 words) message size to contribute to the discussions. In addition, the authors find that senior members and discussion moderators play important roles in igniting the “reciprocity” behaviour in stimulating the interest of the community with the topic discussion. The authors also find that highly engaged topics usually lead to further discussion threads.Originality/valueThis is the first study of its kind to explore how entrepreneurs engage in a VCoP to share their knowledge and experiences. The set of measurement indices tested here provide a tool for the owner, designer and moderator of the VCoP to measure the utility of their website in terms of its members’ participation. In addition, the set of textual and subjective interventions identified here enables the moderator (administrator) of a VCoP to design effective interventions to facilitate online discourse and augments the knowledge sharing process amongst its community members.

The Training of Doctoral Students of Psychology in the United States

2003 ◽  
Vol 8 (1) ◽  
pp. 48-53 ◽  
Author(s):  
David H. Silvera ◽  
Bruno Laeng ◽  
Tove I. Dahl
Keyword(s):  
United States ◽  
Doctoral Students ◽  
Doctoral Programs ◽  
Doctoral Program ◽  
Psychology Students ◽  
The United States ◽  
Training System ◽  
Working Environment ◽  
Doctoral Training ◽  
Close Supervision

This article describes both formal and informal aspects of doctoral training of psychology students in the United States. We first describe admission procedures and the financial support of doctoral students and then discuss the various milestones in a typical doctoral program. There follows an overview of what is expected of doctoral students and a description of the working environment (e.g., faculty and fellow students) in doctoral programs. Finally, we provide a brief analysis of the doctoral training system in the United States. One question of particular importance is whether the close supervision associated with many doctoral programs prepares the student adequately for supervising researchers and developing a research program of his/her own after graduation.

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