1. Supporting Taught Programmes – Dissertations & Projects
Dr Marita Grimwood

2. In their shoes…
Thinking back to your own experiences as UG or PGT project students, what were the benefits and motivations for you?

3. What motivates students?
Relevance and realism
Career orientation
Ownership, choice and responsibility
Assessment and feedback
Peer pressure and team working
Presenting work to others
An interested and enthusiastic teacher

4. Case study
Read the case study and, as a small group, tease out the issues in project supervision raised by it.
Using your thoughts, prepare a poster with bullet points showing:
What students have a right to expect of supervision
Ways in which you could contribute to this

5. Giving Feedback Consider environment and timing
Express standards clearly
Communicate your views about progress clearly in relation to standards
Using examples is helpful
Providing written and verbal feedback helps
Be encouraging but honest
Check understanding and views

6. Supervisor’s Roles
Director
Facilitator
Advisor
Teacher
Guide
Critic ?

7. Roles Brown, Smallwood & Bragan-Turner, 1996
Freedom-giver
Encourages and supports students in making decisions
Critical friend
Gives encouragement and advice, shows interest
Friend
Extends concern to non-academic aspects
Manager
Develops plans, checks & records progress

8. Further support
The Staff Development Unit runs further workshops on supervision. If you are a researcher with more substantial supervisory responsibilities and would like to know more, please contact