Proceedings of The 5th International Conference on New Trends in Teaching and Education
Year: 2022
DOI:
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So what? The benefits of integrating performance management techniques into dissertation supervision practices
Jan Green,Carrie Foster
ABSTRACT:
Academic supervision of students during the dissertation is recalled with a range of diverse experiences. In undertaking a deep dive into the notion of supervision it is evident that the process is complex and warrants investigation. The purpose being to establish where changes may be beneficial. Undertaken using a single case design method, with changing interventions as the process progresses, revealed opportunities for adaption to enhance engagement. Drawing on aspects of performance management provided a more tangible foundation from which to support student progress and skew the balance away from the supervisor to the student This integrates a more personal and interactive approach where the student is encouraged to identify specific aspects of their study and pose relevant questions as their work progresses. The notion of supervision is also discussed and alternative titles for the role are proposed which more accurately reflect the nature of dissertation supervision in an era of reduced formality within the workplace. A model which indicates several overlaps between performance management and academic supervision, enlivened through storytelling, is designed as an introductory advancement in practice where there is scope for further research to add greater insight into this somewhat neglected area of undergraduate and masters level dissertation support.
keywords: Single Case Design, Academic Supervision, Performance Management, Feedback.