The General Research and Transferable Skills Module
The General Research and Transferable Skills Module is provided as four full days of workshops, the first two in the autumn term and two in the spring term. This is a required course on the programme which enables student to think through how they can use and develop existing knowledge and skills in different contexts and apply them to a variety of problems. The workshops cover: The Development of Portfolios; Writing a Thesis/Dissertation; Ethical and Legal Issues; Exploitation of Research and Intellectual Property Rights; Writing for a General Audience; Use of Media; Oral Presentations; Research Management Dissertations Online and Team Working Skills. Guidance is provided on the development of a Portfolio to demonstrate the development of selected skills. The whole module is designed to integrate with sessions in the whole Research Methods Programme and to provide a basis for extension during supervision sessions. The module is worth 10 credits and is assessed by the supervisor. The individual Portfolio, which should demonstrate learning development and outcomes, is the assessed material.
In addition to the Transferable Skills Course there is provision made at the University level for introductory sessions on Bibliographic and Computing Skills for research students. These are provided at the start Dissertations Online of the academic year by Library and ITS staff and supplemented by on-line courses, advanced training workshops throughout the year, and detailed worksheets and guides. These address the use of techniques for (i) identifying and retrieving library and electronic resources, and (ii) keeping track of and citing relevant literature. They provide also training in the use of spreadsheets (e.g. Excel), databases (e.g. Access), word-processing, and presentation (e.g. Powerpoint) software, statistical software (e.g. SPSS, SAS) and other specialised software for data collection and analysis (e.g.NUDIST ). Training on Teaching Skills, takes place at the start of the academic year through workshops on Professional Teaching Dissertations Online Responsibilities for Postgraduates, Small Group Teaching and Marking, and Laboratory Demonstrating, and is extended by workshops on teaching software (e.g. Blackboard) that are available throughout the academic year and supplied by the Centre for Staff Training and Development. Introductions to Personal and Career Development skills are provided by on-line courses on Career Management and Graduate Skills, supplied by the University Careers Services. These are supplemented by a workshop during Year 2 (PhD), modelled on the Joint Research Council Graduate School Programme, that provides a wide variety of career management skills. They are extended through subsequent attendance at specific workshops on, for example, Career Dissertations Online Planning and Networking, and monitored and evaluated during internal (departmental) review sessions.
The General Research and Transferable Skills Programme 2003/4
Day 1 - Monday November 24 2003
Room: AG1 L08, Agriculture Building, Earley Gate
Date & Time Title Presenter/s
9:30 - 11:00 Introduction to Module and How to Develop a Portfolio Pam Denicolo
11:00 - 11:30 BREAK
11:30 - 13:00 Research Management Lucinda Becker
13:00 - 14:00 LUNCH
14:00 - 15:30 Thesis/Dissertation writing Pam Denicolo
Day 2 - Friday December 5 2003
Room: AG1 L08, Agriculture Building, Earley Gate
Date & Time Title Presenter/s
9:30 - 11:00 Ethical and Legal Issues in Research pp Chris Skidmore
11:00 - 11:30 BREAK
11:30 - 13:00 Writing for a General Audience Lucinda Becker
13:00 - 14:00 LUNCH
14:00 - 15:30 Exploitation of Research and Intellectual Dissertations Online Property Rights Jennifer Moynihan and Sue O’Hare
Day 3 - Monday January 19 2004
Room: AG1 L08, Agriculture Building, Earley Gate
Date & Time Title Presenter/s
9:30 - 10:30 Communication: Use of Media in Research pp Jim Dunwell
10:30 - 11:00 BREAK
11:00 - 13:00 Organising Effective Teams Lucinda Becker
13:00 - 14:00 LUNCH
14:00 - 15:30 Communication Skills Lucinda Becker
Day 4 - Friday March 5 2004
Room: AG1 L08, Agriculture Building, Earley Gate
Date & Time Title Presenter/s
9:30 - 10:30 Assessment of the Thesis Pam Denicolo
10:30 - 11:00 BREAK
11:00 - 13:00 Oral Presentations (2 rooms - also using AG1 L06) Angela Taylor and Judy Turner
13:00 - 14:00 LUNCH
14:00 - 15:30 Trouble-shooting and Queries re Portfolio Development and Overview of Course and Evaluation Pam Denicolo
Day 1 - 24 Monday Dissertations Online November 2003
Autumn Term
Mon 24 Nov 2003
Room: AG1 L08
Title
Presenter/s
9:30 - 11:00 Introduction to Module
This part of the session will introduce the programme and will answer the questions: What are Research/Transferable Skills? How can identifying and developing them contribute to your current and future studies and work?
How to develop a portfolio
This part of the session will introduce you to a method of identifying skills for development and documenting that development so that you can present evidence for it. Pam Denicolo
11:00 - 11:30 BREAK
11:30 - 13:00 Research Management
The seminar will be based on students' experiences and will aim to validate their existing techniques whilst suggesting Dissertations Online new ideas and strategies. There will be handout material; questions and discussion will be encouraged. The topics include:
Liaising with your supervisor; the size of your project; Seminars, speakers and conferences; Multi-disciplinary opportunities; Using the internet; Creative searching; Time management; What if things go wrong?; Distributing drafts of your work; The final hurdles; Publishing; Looking to the future. Lucinda Becker
13:00 - 14:00 LUNCH
14:00 - 15:30 Thesis/Dissertation Writing
The general requirements of a University of Reading thesis/dissertation will be provided while a discussion of the variations possible in style and structure will allow for individuality of discipline and writer. This will include an indication of what examiners Dissertations Online look for and how you can ensure that they find it! Pam Denicolo
Day 2 - Friday 5 December 2003
Autumn Term
Fri 5 Dec 2003
Room: AG1 L08
Title
Presenter/s
9:30 - 11:00 Ethical and Legal Issues in Research
This session will aim to give an introduction to the knowledge, skills and understanding students will need to respect other people, both researchers and participants, that are involved in their research. The session will be grounded in research ethics and will deal with issues such as privacy and confidentiality; data protection; informed consent; the role and processes of ethical review; good research practice and safety. Chris Skidmore
11:00 - 11:30 BREAK
11:30 - Dissertations Online 13:00 Writing for a General Audience
The seminar will be based on students' experiences and will aim to validate their existing techniques whilst suggesting new ideas and strategies. There will be handout material; questions and discussion will be encouraged. Topics included:
Style: How to get it right; What is your goal?; Knowing your reader; Persuading your reader; Making your work accessible; Size and structure; Textual choices; Fitting into a wider context; Checking precedents; Adapting your existing work. Lucinda Becker
13:00-14:00 LUNCH
14:00 - 15:30 Exploitation of Research and Intellectual Property Rights
This session will provide a brief introduction to intellectual property rights. We will explore some potential benefits and pitfalls of Dissertations Online patents, trade marks and copyright. We will also introduce the Business Development Team Jennifer Moynihan &
Sue O'Hare
Day 3 - Monday 19 January 2004
Spring Term
Mon 19 Jan 2004 Room: AG1 L08
Title
Presenter/s
9:30 - 10:30 Communication: Use of Media in Research
"Crops with improved nutritional properties" or "Frankenfood"? Education or entertainment? My experiences with a range of broadcast and written media will be used to illustrate the real benefits and potential pitfalls of communicating with the "outside" world. The discussion will include advice on how to prepare press releases and how to deal with radio and TV interviews. Preparation is everything. Jim Dunwell
10:30 - 11:00 BREAK
11:00 Dissertations Online - 13:00 Organising Effective Teams
This workshop and the one after the break will be based upon the scenario of teams organising a one-day conference, the aim of which is to gain funding for a major project. Team building will be carried out within this framework.
This session will include: assessing your talents and your personality type; the needs of any team; time management; team dynamics; Focus-perspective-clarity-decision Lucinda Becker
13:00 - 14:00 LUNCH
14:00 - 15:30 Communication for Effective Teams
This session will include: accessible communication; speaking versus writing; the benefits and dangers of email; networking; the hidden agenda; the art of negotiation; the final product; looking to the future. Lucinda Becker
Day Dissertations Online 4 - Friday 5 March 2004
Spring Term
Fri 5 Mar 2004
Room: AG1 L08
Title
Presenter/s
9:30 - 10:30 Assessment of the Thesis
This session provides an opportunity to raise further questions about the purpose, structure and function of your final written work and about how it will be assessed by the examiners. Pam Denicolo
10:30 - 11:00 BREAK
11:00 - 13:00
(2 rooms - meet in Agric 1L08 but also using Agric 1L06) Oral Presentations
This seminar aims to give students an understanding of the fundamental requirements involved in giving oral research presentations and to provide an opportunity to practice some of the skills. Students will be encouraged to discuss: the reasons Dissertations Online for giving such presentations, different for a, the selection of content, structure, visual aids, timing and delivery, the value of rehearsal and how to prepare for and deal with questions. Angela Taylor
Judy Turner
13:00 - 14:00 LUNCH
14:00 - 15:30 Trouble-shooting and Queries re Portfolio and Development and Overview of Course and Evaluation
This final part of the programme will allow you to explore how you might provide evidence in a portfolio of the development of particular research/transferable skills. Also the contents of the programme will be considered as a whole, helping you to identify areas that you could fruitfully develop and how. Pam Denicolo
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