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Postgraduate research candidature support, support of supervisory teams, and assistance with examination and assessment requirements are some of the crucial elements in a successful postgraduate student's study experience. While there is a large body of research on Doctoral supervision, less is available on Master's level supervision and support. Benchmarking studies that gauge the quality of higher education processes and practices, are gaining momentum as a research tool, and reflective mechanism for enhancing student experiences at higher education institutions. This paper reports on a small-scale study that used a holistic benchmarking framework at a research-intensive New Zealand university, in an effort to gauge the quality of the level of postgraduate Master's research student support and supervision. Twenty-three academics and 17 students completed the survey, which assessed key performance indicators (KPIs): student support; postgraduate candidature development; student supervision; and assessment and examination support. Both students and academics were happy with orientation and induction, but students felt more information was needed regarding possible changes to research. Overall academics and students had confidence in the level of academic research guidance. Although academics felt assessment policies and procedures were explicit, students were not always in agreement. Moreover, students thought that evaluative feedback on their experience should be gathered more frequently. The findings suggest that, in broad terms, the university in question is tracking well and meeting most of the benchmarking principles and their associated KPIs. However, both academics and students highlighted areas where the University can improve practices to better support the experience of Master's research students.

Many countries have doctoral viva examinations, mostly conducted in-person until the COVID-19 pandemic. This article explores the changing processes and experiences of doctoral vivas forced online, from the perspectives of three examiners (two Uk, one NZ) and one recent candidate (UK). It sheds light on remote viva examinations exploring experiences of examination rigour, opportunities to evidence 'doctorateness' and challenges and affordances of remoteness, home location and technology. We use autoethnography, focusing on our experiences including the personal, learning and institutional dimensions. We found virtual spaces had advantages (comfort) and disadvantages (emotional difficulties), and levels of worry were often higher, especially regarding IT. Online formats still enabled examiners to rigorously assess 'doctorateness', but duty of care is needed for candidates with anxiety exacerbated by the pandemic, or technology. Our study offers insiders' insights into the remote online viva itself with recommendations for candidates, examiners and institutions.

This study aimed to evaluate and compare approaches to learning by a longitudinal cohort of undergraduate students as they progressed from their first to third years of study in anatomy and physiology. "The Approaches and Study Skills Inventory for Students" (ASSIST) was completed at the beginning and end of their first year of university study, and in their final semester. At first year, a surface learning approach predominated; however, at third year, students showed a significant increase in their use of deep and strategic learning approaches compared to first year, although surface learning approaches were retained. The extent to which third-year students took both strategic and deep approaches to learning was positively correlated with their performance on assessment. As students progress through a three-year science degree, they develop deeper and more strategic learning approaches, and assessment and teaching styles probably promote these approaches to learning.

The traditional apprenticeship model for PhD education involves supervisors mentoring students through a substantive research project and ultimately into academia. Although about half of PhD graduates enter careers beyond academia, this apprenticeship model, with a narrow focus on thesis research has continued to dominate in many countries. While there are variations in terms of coursework requirements, the main assessment continues to be on the PhD thesis, and, in most countries, an oral defense of this thesis. The aims of this working paper are firstly to critique the dominant models of PhD education by using the lens of ‘success’, and secondly to consider an alternative model of PhD education. A PhD program may be deemed successful if it leads to high employment rates, high satisfaction with types of employment, and graduates who are well equipped for being in the world – in work and in society. Through examining these indicators of success, I argue that the North American and British PhD models may be failing, and suggest an alternative model based on ‘constructive alignment’, in which the graduate outcomes are well aligned with teaching and learning methods, and the assessment regime. This alternative model is still based on an apprenticeship approach but requires PhD programs to be tailored to the individual and their desired career pathway, so that alongside and through their research, they can develop a holistic set of graduate attributes – for ‘doctorateness’, for possible careers, and for global citizenship. This model has implications not only for the learning opportunities available to PhD students, but also for how we assess PhDs. Universities may need to develop programs to better support the career planning and professional development of PhD students. A portfolio or digital badge assessment approach, whether summative or formative, would allow PhD graduates to demonstrate the depth and breadth of knowledge and skills they have acquired through doctoral study, and better equip them for their chosen career pathway.

Globally there is recognition that doctoral programmes need to offer the opportunity for career pathways beyond academia, as PhD graduates are entering a range of careers. Consequently, some doctoral programmes now provide opportunities to develop a broader skill set. However, most PhD programmes in the United Kingdom and Australasia still concentrate on disciplinary knowledge and developing research skills. Moreover, the assessment has remained narrowly focused on a written thesis and an oral examination. Here we apply the notion of 'constructive alignment' to doctoral education and find that, even in terms of preparing PhD graduates for academic and research careers, the curriculum lacks opportunities to develop and assess relevant skills. The situation is even more extreme for wider careers beyond academia. To achieve alignment, we suggest providing more structured learning opportunities and personalised professional development plans with formative portfolios. If wanting true alignment in the PhD, a portfolio would be the summative assessment, but this is likely a step too far for a conservative academy.

In this article, we sought a relation between orientation to higher education and curricular experiences, and elucidated the nature of transformative curricular experiences. Twenty-four graduates from humanities and science degrees in the year 2000 were interviewed approximately five years later to obtain their retrospective views on the purpose of higher education, as well as their undergraduate experiences of teaching and learning. Drawing on phenomenographic principles, four orientations to higher education were generated. Four participant cases are analyzed, representing each orientation to higher education. In the "gaining a qualification" orientation, graduates valued being told what to learn, as well as learning practical skills. For the "preparation for a job" orientation, graduates wanted lecturers who were good at conveying information, but they also valued project work, having some autonomy over learning and practical applications. In the "developing skills and learning how to think" orientation, graduates valued being challenged and learning in groups, but also wanted to learn professional skills. In the "growing as an individual" orientation, graduates valued being challenged, gaining different perspectives, developing critical thinking, learning about theory, interacting with lecturers, research, and study for its own sake. Some curricular experiences transformed thinking about the purpose of higher education, including learning through discussion in small groups, authentic learning tasks including inquiry-based assignments, exercises in developing critical thinking, opportunities to interact with teachers, opportunities to develop practical skills, experiencing different cultures and personal growth through lifestyle and social experiences. Our research has implications for advising students, as well as for teachers aiming to encourage a deep approach to learning.

Stress during doctoral study is common; however, its presence is of concern to students as it has a deleterious impact on well-being and performance, and to the university which has a duty of care to students and the desire to promote a supportive research environment. This article reports on the qualitative findings from an online survey that sought to identify students' experiences related to stress during the early-stage doctoral study. All newly enrolled PhD students at the University of Otago (New Zealand) received invitations to participate and respond to two questions related to stress during the early-stage doctoral study. In total, 152 survey responses were acquired from 352 first-year PhD students (response rate 43.2%). Nine main areas of concern were identified from an inductive thematic analysis of participants' responses. Key stressors were time pressure, uncertainty about doctoral processes, sense of belonging in scholarly communities, and financial pressures. Some findings are contrary to previous research with novel perceptions on the student--supervisor relationship, different financial issues, and transition stresses contrary to previous research; this may reflect the changed academic landscape of doctoral studies. Findings provide insight into potential support strategies to better support early-stage PhD students.

This article weighs in on the developing discourse on AI's role in higher education research through a structured dialogue between two diametrically opposed academics. Utilising a dialectical framework, the discourse transcends surface-level debates to grapple with ethical, methodological, and epistemological questions that are often overlooked, but are paramount to the field's integrity. Russell advocates for AI as an indispensable tool for academic research, while Rachel raises critical questions about AI's potential to undermine the very essence of academic inquiry. Through this disputation, the article reveals the complex tensions between efficiency and ethical concerns, between innovation and integrity. Rather than offer facile solutions, it exposes the intricate challenges and invites the reader to consider the broader implications for academic research practice. The article serves as a catalyst for a more rigorous, nuanced dialogue, aiming to shift the discourse from the technological to the ethical and epistemological. It is an imperative read for anyone committed to understanding the transformational potential and pitfalls of AI in higher education research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With increasing focus on the outcomes of doctoral education, especially regarding employability, we aimed to explore how PhD graduates from humanities and social sciences (HASS), and science disciplines perceived the development of a holistic set of graduate attributes during their doctoral study and the application of these attributes in the workplace. We analysed 136 survey responses and interviews with 21 PhD graduates from one NZ and two US universities. We found that overall, PhD graduates are satisfied with their development as researchers, but had concerns regarding the development of some transferrable skills and attributes. Graduates from the three universities perceived the application of attributes in the workplace similarly. Comparisons of graduate attribute application to their development revealed the following areas requiring better support: teamwork, communication, project management, entrepreneurship, and networking. While development of affective attributes related to global citizenship was lower than expected, graduates perceived these were not always required in the workplace. Universities should consider how their doctoral training programmes can promote a more holistic development of desirable skills and attributes. We provide a possible categorisation to evaluate attainment of desirable attributes for PhD graduates, to ensure researchers and institutions are targeting key attributes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We explored the relationships between social contexts and factors that promoted and inhibited curriculum change at two universities. Thirty interviews were analysed using a general inductive approach to identify factors and forces in three social contexts (lecturer, departmental, and institutional). Curriculum change was characterised by six forces: ownership, resources, identity, leadership, students, and quality assurance, each composed of factors that differed in their direction (enabling or inhibiting) and/or intensity (strong or weak). Academic developers should find the approach and lessons learned useful for planning interventions and identifying where they may encounter resistance or enablers in the process of change.

To determine the logistics, benefits, and challenges of developing and implementing an international undergraduate research network, the authors analyzed the Matariki Undergraduate Research Network (MURN). MURN attempted to connect undergraduate students from four countries across two years, with 21 and 23 students respectively. Using mixed methods, the authors explored faculty and student experiences of MURN. Although MURN worked well at the local level, it had limited success at a global level. Teaching across time zones and academic-year differences posed the biggest challenges. Students and faculty reported a range of benefits typical of engagement with undergraduate research but noted weak international connections. A credit-bearing program with partners in similar time zones and academic-year systems, as well as a requirement for collaborative projects across institutions, are recommended.

This exploratory study determined PhD completions at a research-intensive university in New Zealand and considered factors affecting PhD completions. Completion data were calculated for PhD cohorts at the University of Otago from 2000 to 2012 (n = 2770) and survival models determined whether gender, enrolment status, age at admission, citizenship, scholarship status and academic field influenced completion. The impact of the doctoral programme and the research environment was also considered. Across all cohorts, 83% submitted their thesis for examination (17% withdrawal). The median submission time was 3.4 years for full-timers, with a median completion time (to award of degree) of 4.1 years. Survival modelling showed that completion can be enhanced by having mainly full-time candidates, but also allowing periods of part-time enrolment near submission, recruiting a large international cohort, and providing three year scholarships. Health science candidates had the highest submission percentages, while commerce candidates submitted in the fastest times. There were only minor or negligible effects of gender and age at admission. Other factors contributing to high submission rates included recruiting quality candidates, close monitoring during candidature, provision of research training, a vibrant research culture, a personal performance coach, high-quality supervision and funding incentives for candidates who submit in under four years.

Plagiarism is a concept that is difficult to define. Although most higher education institutions have policies aimed at minimising and addressing student plagiarism, little research has examined the ways in which plagiarism is discursively constructed in university policy documents, or the connections and disconnections between institutional and student understandings of plagiarism in higher education. This article reports on a study that explored students' understandings of plagiarism in relation to institutional plagiarism discourses at a New Zealand university. The qualitative study involved interviews with 21 undergraduate students, and analysis of University plagiarism policy documents. The University policy documents revealed moral and regulatory discourses. In the interviews, students predominantly drew on ethico-legal discourses, which reflected the discourses in the policy documents. However, the students also drew on (un)fairness discourses, confusion discourses, and, to a lesser extent, learning discourses. Notably, learning discourses were absent in the University policy. Our findings revealed tensions between the ways plagiarism was framed in institutional policy documents, and students' understandings of plagiarism and academic writing. We suggest that, in order to support students' acquisition of academic writing skills, plagiarism should be framed in relation to "learning to write," rather than as a moral issue.

This article uses findings from a project on engagement with graduate outcomes across higher education institutions in New Zealand to produce a toolkit for implementing graduate attributes in geography curricula. Key facets include strong leadership; academic developers to facilitate conversations about graduate attributes and teaching towards them; ownership of the process by the teachers; the development of a contextualized set of graduate attributes for the geography degree; curriculum mapping to promote alignment between graduate attributes, learning outcomes and assessment tasks; incorporating high-impact educational experiences and signature pedagogies to foster graduate attributes; the use of evaluative data to inform continual enhancements; and allowing at least five years for curriculum renewal to occur.

In this article we explore how examiners assess a thesis that includes published work. An online survey was used to gather data on approaches to assessing publication-based theses (PBTs). The respondents were 62 supervisors who had experience examining PBTs across a range of disciplines at a research-intensive university in New Zealand. Nearly half of the respondents had examined 'hybrid' theses with papers inserted as chapters, 41% had examined theses with publications appended and 14% had examined PhDs by publication (i.e. papers alone). Twenty-nine per cent of examiners used their own extended set of criteria to assess PBTs, 48% found them easier to assess but 26% wanted more guidance. Our analysis also indicated that 86% of the examiners were highly influenced by publications in top-ranked journals and international peer-reviewed journals. Among the concerns of the examiners was the intellectual input of the candidate in any multi-authored publication, as well as the coherence of the thesis. We recommend the need for clearer guidelines for doctoral candidates, supervisors and examiners managing PBTs.

We investigated students' perceptions of graduate attributes in a multi-level (second and third year) geography course. A case study with mixed methodology was employed, with data collected through focus groups and a survey. We found that undergraduate geography students can identify the skills, knowledge and attributes that are developed through a multi-level course programme, and that these broadly align with the stated graduate attributes of the discipline. Moreover, there was evidence of progressive development of graduate attributes between second and third year students. The results suggest that peer-to-peer learning can play an important role within this multi-level learning environment.

Our study explored undergraduates' experiences of the research culture at a research-intensive university in southern New Zealand. In 2009, 1281 students responded to a survey that probed aspects of the research culture. Data were analysed through descriptive statistics and an inductive analysis of comments. Survey results for final-year students compared very favourably to students at UK and Canadian research-intensive universities and, indeed, our students reported higher ratings for some measures. It was clear there was increased awareness and experience of research in more advanced years of study. Overall, undergraduates reported mainly positive experiences of the research culture, such as increased understanding of the topic, greater motivation and inspiration, as well as learning research skills and practical applications of theory. Although encouraged by the results, there is much room for improvement. First-year students have lower levels of awareness of the research culture and few opportunities to engage in research. Current initiatives are underway to raise the profile of undergraduate research and it is hoped that surveys in future years will demonstrate an improvement in student realisation of the research culture within which they study.

This article, based on narrative inquiry, explores how academics with/out formal leadership positions experience and understand themselves as leaders in their everyday working contexts. A single case of a fixed-term academic was chosen to illustrate how different analytical lenses -- "plot analysis" and "discourse analysis" -- can unpack the complexities of experience associated with non-positional leadership, a topic scarcely represented in studies of leadership in higher education. Two interdependent plots -- the heroic plot and the victimised plot -- were found to recur throughout the participant's narrative. These plots signified the conflictual dynamics and the unique subjectivity in which this person made sense of himself as a leader. The analytical lens was then shifted to pay greater attention to the ways in which broader networks of discourses were at play within this participant's narrative. Using discourse analysis, the discourses of autonomy and masculinity, among others, were present in constituting the unique subject positions the participant took up. The article concludes with a summary of methodological contributions this study offers to the field of leadership in higher education. (Contains 5 notes.)

Geography graduates face an uncertain future. To help students think and practice as a geographer, we must teach disciplinary knowledge--particularly threshold concepts--as well as skills and attributes. We must role model and articulate our geographical reasoning using signature pedagogies and promote high-impact and signature learning experiences. Through such experiences, students will be empowered to cope with "being" in an uncertain world. Geography has a history of innovation in pedagogy and a concern for a holistic education, so our discipline is well placed to rise to the challenge of securing a future for our graduates.

New Zealand is unique in the global tertiary education environment because there is a legislative requirement that teaching and research are closely interdependent and that most teaching in universities and all degree-granting institutions should be done by people who are active in advancing knowledge. Moreover, the Tertiary Education Strategy calls for "a research culture within which undergraduates learn to take a research-based approach to their lifelong educational Canament." Thus there is a strong imperative for research and inquiry to be part of the undergraduate curriculum. In 2006 the authors were part of a research team that gained a substantial external grant from the government to document and analyze the use of inquiry-guided learning (IGL) in undergraduate education in New Zealand. This article draws on that research by first providing some background on the research project and highlighting some key findings and then considering different approaches to including IGL in an undergraduate curriculum. In the first case--the appetizer, the authors discuss how inquiry can be included in a large first-year sociology class, and in the second case--the entree--they examine how inquiry is embedded throughout an ecology degree program. The intent is to present theoretical concepts from the research and to offer practical advice for faculty seeking to include inquiry within an undergraduate curriculum. (Contains 2 tables and 3 figures.)

Inquiry-based learning (IBL) is promoted as a teaching approach that can enhance student learning outcomes. IBL can be categorised according to scale (e.g. tasks, course/module/paper, degree), mode (structured, guided, open) and framing (information or discovery-oriented). Our research used a survey instrument to determine how student perceptions of learning processes and intended learning outcomes (ILOs) varied in response to courses with different modes and framing of IBL. The survey was completed by 940 students in 15 IBL courses across a range of disciplines and levels. All types of IBL courses were well rated by students for encouraging learning processes and ILOs congruent with a well-designed inquiry experience. Regarding modes of IBL, there was a clear hierarchy from open (most highly rated) to guided and then structured inquiry. For the framing of IBL, courses using discovery-oriented IBL were more highly rated than information-oriented IBL. Overall, the most highly rated course design was open, discovery-oriented IBL, but other types of IBL remained important in terms of developing research and inquiry skills. To determine whether all types of IBL courses are promoting enhanced ILOs compared to more traditionally taught courses, a comparative study should be undertaken. (Contains 2 tables and 6 figures.)

This study involved a meta-analysis of 10 cases of inquiry-based learning (IBL) in undergraduate education to determine the factors which both enable and constrain its use. The enabling factors were found to include: teacher attributes--being student-centred, reflective but rebellious; course design attributes--questions stimulating learning, collaborative learning, progressive development of inquiry skills, required student preparation and constructive alignment; department and institutional attributes--IBL being more accepted if permeating a whole programme, the pivotal role of supportive senior management and assistance by staff developers. The major constraints were gaining philosophical buy-in to inquiry approaches; supporting transition to inquiry; developing self-reflection skills; and coping with varied assessment products. Departmental and institutional challenges included timetables and room allocation and the difficulty of recruiting teachers in a research intensive environment. Some strategies are suggested to help overcome these barriers. (Contains 3 tables and 1 note.)

This study aimed to use a learning inventory (the Approaches and Study Skills Inventory for Students, ASSIST) to measure the impact of a curriculum change on students' approaches to learning in two large courses in a health sciences first year programme. The two new Human Body Systems (HUBS) courses were designed to encourage students to take a deep approach to learning. ASSIST was completed by 599 students enrolled in a biology class in 2006 that was part of the old curriculum, and by 705 students at the beginning and end of the new HUBS courses in 2007. Changes in students' approaches to learning over time were examined. The ASSIST scores for both HUBS courses reflected the dominance of a surface approach, followed by a strategic and then a deep approach. However, by the end of the year, students were taking a deep and strategic approach to their studies to a greater extent, and a surface approach to a lesser extent. Moreover, students enrolled in the new course adopted a deep approach to their studies to a significantly greater degree than those studying the old curriculum. Despite the predominance of a surface approach, the results suggest that it is possible to bring about small but significant positive changes in students' learning behaviour in a very large class through curriculum change. The proportion of students preferring a surface approach, and results showing that high performance on the final exam was significantly correlated with a surface approach, probably reflected contextual factors, including assessment, and is the focus of ongoing curriculum development.

Inquiry-based learning has been promoted as a student-centred approach that can strengthen the links between teaching and research. This article examines the potential of inquiry-based learning to strengthen the teaching-research nexus by analysing three case studies: a "structured inquiry" third-year endocrinology medicine module, a "guided inquiry" second-year political communications course and an "open inquiry" third-year ecology course. The relation between teaching and research differed significantly amongst these three cases and led to a reconceptualisation of inquiry-based learning. A model was then developed to link the focus of learning (using Levy's framing of information or discovery-oriented inquiry) with the level of independence and the potential strength of the teaching-research nexus. The findings show that, if teachers are aiming for strong links between teaching and research, they should adopt an open, discovery-oriented inquiry-based learning approach. However, more structured and guided forms of inquiry can be useful to progressively develop particular inquiry skills. (Contains 3 tables and 4 figures.)

This case study explores student perceptions and experiences of advising at a New Zealand university. It considers the implications arising from the students' responses and also investigates the influence of students' demographic characteristics on perceptions of advice. Both first- (n = 191) and final- (n = 171) year cohorts of students were surveyed to determine why they chose particular courses, what advice they received and how aware they were of various support services. Although students were happy overall with the advice received, many had little or no expectations of the type of advice they should be receiving. The main sources of advice were the University enrolment pack, family and University School's Liaison Officers. Academic advisers were less well used as a source of advice, even during later years of study. Advisers need to be educated about particular advising issues related to first-generation students, part-time students and international students. Many students had a career path in mind so it is important to provide holistic developmental academic advice that includes future career options. (Contains 3 tables, 3 figures and 1 note.)