Facilitator: Prof Eli Bitzer is past Director of the Centre for Higher and Adult Education and Emeritus Professor of Higher Education at Stellenbosch University (SU). He has successfully supervised more than 90 Master's and PhD graduates, has examined over 50 senior studies and has published extensively in the field of postgraduate supervision, doctoral education and different aspects of assessment and quality promotion in higher education. His latest publication is as co-editor of a book with Peter Rule and Liezel Frick (2021): The global scholar - Implications for postgraduate studies and supervision. He has also participated in the National Review of the Doctorate in South Africa in 2020/21.      

 

Target Group: Both novice and experienced supervisors who want to start or improve the cohort supervision process with their students.

 

Background: At many universities the ‘apprenticeship’ model of supervision has been in use for many years, but due to resource and quality pressures, combined with trends that have emerged during the Covid-19 pandemic, new models of supervision have been promoted. Amongst these, cohort supervision is one such option.

Senior degree students who enrol within a discipline/project/department in a particular year may compose a collaborative learning cohort. One or more faculty member(s) serves as cohort coordinator and mentor to promote the guidance of students into a research culture. Cohort groups meet regularly, either in person or via electronic means, thus promoting a community of practice/research. Students present their work from time to time to cohort members, and during meetings students might discuss a range of issues related to their studies (e.g., research methodology, appropriate and useful literature, data techniques), but they can also form smaller ‘buddy’ groups within the larger cohort. Supervising through or within such a process obviously has both advantages and disadvantages. All these issues and more will be explored by this workshop.

 

Workshop Topics:

  • Why do we have to consider different supervision models and options?
  • An overview of different supervision models
  • The benefits and challenges related to different models of supervision
  • The role of a community of research in developing understanding and research skills
  • The planning and management of cohort supervision
  • Dealing with specific issues (e.g., conflict, communication, competition) in cohort supervision and lessons learnt.

 

Pre-workshop Requirements: In addition to completing the online registration form, interested participants are also required to download, complete and submit the Participant Information Sheet to Jadine.Januarie@mandela.ac.za by close of business Thursday, 10 November 2022.

 


This workshop is funded by the Department of Higher Education and Training (DHET) through the University Capacity Development Grant (UCDG)

 

Related Information

Date:
17-18 November 2022

Time:
- Day 1 09h00-15h00
- Day 2 09h00-12h30

Platform:
Online via MS Teams

Registration:
Registration for this workshop has closed.


Kindly note: The maximum capacity of this workshop is 25 participants.

 

Enquiries: Jadine Januarie