Teaching the dissertation – is there a recipe?

Christine Harlen &

Mette WiggenPOLIS

University of LeedsLTC8

What are the guidelines? What is a dissertation?

The student experience

Staff experience

Yes we can !

Keeping Students on Course

Ilkerenderr, ‘Kathmandu , Nepal,Himalayas,Everest, http://www.flickr.com, Attribution 2.0 Generic (CC BY 2.0)

Need to Avoid Getting Meaner as Things Get Leaner

Photographer: Matt Dinnery, Fund Our Future: Stop the Cuts – National Demonstration, http://www.flickr.com, Creative Commons Licence

Inspire Good Behaviour: Stress that it is the Norm

Picture: Jsmith, Study, Flickr.com, Generic Non-Derivative Creative Commons License 2.0

Keeping Students on Track

• Have things laid out clearly from end of yr 2.• Look at successful models• Consult students.• Remove truly problematic staff from

dissertation.• Revamp may take years.

Improve Guidance to Students and Staff

• Consolidated skills training.• Clarified roles.• Matched staff to student topics.• Including study abroad students in the loop.

Technology Can Improve Tracking and Help Prevent ‘Lost’ Students

• On-line submission (VLE Test, Survey Gizmo)• Allocation using excel.• N: drive.• Mail-merged info.• Improved monitoring.

Warning Signs: Who Gets Lost

• No topic at start • Redoing.• Low year 2 average.

Technology Does Not Completely Solve the Numbers Problem

Onward and Upward