How To Write A Doctoral Program In Africa

Transcription

1 Building the IAU-ACUP Portal on Doctoral Studies in Sub-Saharan Africa Addis Ababa Seminar July 2012 I. Manresa / P. Rebaque / L. Villarejo Community Initiatives Office of Learning Technologies Universitat Oberta de Catalunya

2 0 0. Index 1. Session & portal goals 2. Methodology 3. Users Study Outcomes (some) 4. Prototype feedback 5. Ideas around the portal's name

3 1 1. Goal of the session To get feedback on needs, expectations, contents and possible uses of the portal through a brief presentation of the work done.

4 1 1. Goal of the portal To encourage the exchange of ideas and information related to doctoral progrs. and its overall management in order to provide relevant inspiration.

5 1

6 2 2. Methodology - User Centered Design Goal: To conceptualize and design the portal's functionalities through the acquisition of user needs, experiences and difficulties. Tools: Context provided by research studies from IAU Users study - Phone interviews with 6 potential users (professors, heads of department, doctoral program coordinators, Vice Rectors) and a IAU representative. - Personas: descriptions of archetypal users that depict the key characteristics, goals and behaviour of target users, as observed during the research process. - Scenarios: stories that describe how the ideal user experience should be (both emotionally and functionally). Feedback from users (online surveys and in person feedback)

7 3 3. Users study outcomes (some) The portal should essentially allow: To access to relevant PhD education documents that can inspire the design or improvement of strategic, management and academic policies. To know (and make known) information about the university in terms of what is done, by whom and how. To provide information about tools for online collaboration work and to share online information and documents, rather than considering the portal as a place of using online tools Potential user profiles and country-specific needs are quite diverse. Barriers have not been found in communicating with others, but in finding with whom they should communicate.

8 4 3. Users Study - Persona 1 Erick Having examples and guidelines on how to enhance the quality of doctoral programs from other institutions can be useful to define strategies for the creation of new doctoral programs at my university. Age Occupation 49 Vice-Rector for Research at the University of Senegal Use of technology Goal Regularly uses a computer and the Internet. Frequently uses , but not social networks, chats or forums To define strategies to create different doctoral programs based on ICT in 2016 Needs Guidelines of doctoral programs deployment related to ICT at other universities Recommendations on the implementation of doctoral programs in Applied Sciences Documents on the influence of ICT in African universities Strategies to improve relations with international institutions

9 5 3. Users study outcomes - Scenario: Define strategies to create different doctoral programs (1/4) Erick is Vice-Rector for Research at the University of Senegal. Given that this university offers a degree in Computer Science, and there is growing evidence that ICTs are an engine of social and economic change, he has the mission to develop the strategies needed to start several doctoral programs focused on ICT by IAU has told him that there is a portal that provides useful information for what he wants, so he decides to visit it and investigate what kind of information is provided there.

10 6 3. Users study outcomes - Scenario: Define strategies to create different doctoral programs (2/4) Erick accesses the portal and finds a section with technical documentation about doctoral studies, such as creating and managing doctoral programs, funding, how to enhance supervision of doctoral students. Looking through the documentation available in this section, Erick finds a document on "Successful Implementation experiences of doctoral programs in Applied Science in Cameroon. He also finds a document drawn up by the University of Kenya on the impact of ICT in society and universities. He decides to download both documents so as to read them later.

11 7 3. Users study outcomes - Scenario: Define strategies to create different doctoral programs (3/4) In another section Erick finds documents on how to enhance the relationships with European universities, and as well a section with information on different international associations and some of them on ICT. Eric thinks that this kind of information can be useful to develop doctoral programs in ICT bearing in mind the strengthening of current relationships with international institutions With all the documentation he has found, Erick believes he can go ahead rapidly in the formulation of strategies for the future doctoral programs in ICT..

12 8 3. Users study outcomes - Scenario: Define strategies to create different doctoral programs (4/4) And since he has found documents related to the management and development of doctoral programs from other African universities within the portal, he decides to upload a document on this issue drawn up by his University in order that other institutions can access it. Finally, Erick also locates a section on how to improve the supervision of PhD students, so he decides to download it and send it to the various departmental heads and hence be distributed to supervisors.

13 9 4. Prototype feedback We would like to get feedback about: Information you find useful. Information you find useless. Information you find difficult to compile/maintain. Information you miss. Information, if any, you are not willing to share. Let's have a look at the prototype

14 10 5. Ideas around the portal's name Concepts to build up on: Reflection / Innovation / Knowledge / Sharing / Networking / Inspiration (muse) / PhD / Sub- Saharan Africa... Some ideas: Evoking images: Adzap (baobab) / Kulu (Turtle) IDEA (Innovative Doctoral Education in ss Africa) Literals: AFRIDOC / e-doctoral / PhD ss Africa...

15 Feedback needed on: - Information in the portal (needs, expectations...) - Portal's name Thanks lvillarejo@uoc.edu I. Manresa / P. Rebaque / L. Villarejo Community Initiatives Office of Learning Technologies Universitat Oberta de Catalunya

16 2 Sharing Initiatives on Doctoral Studies

17 13 6. Persona 2 Michael In order to create a new doctoral program, time, technical information and contacts are critical. I wish I had examples and information from other universities. Age Occupation Use of technology Goal 41 Doctoral program coordinator in applied psychology at the University of Cameroon Teacher in the subject of basic psychology Regularly uses a computer and the Internet. Frequently uses , but not social networks, chats or forums To create a new doctoral program in the neuropsychology of sleep. Needs What institutions are doing doctoral programs on the neuropsychology of sleep or similar? What are these doctoral programs like (courses, subjects, itineraries, etc.) How to create, manage and coordinate a program of this type What kinds of experts/teachers are needed? What kinds of research results have been achieved? What kinds of resources or materials are needed? To contact an expert on this topic to get some advice

18 Recently, the IAU reported to him that there is a new Portal that provides information on doctoral programs from other sub-saharan Africa universities, so he decides to visit this Portal to see if it could be useful for his purpose. UNIVERSITAT OBERTA DE Scenario: Create a new doctoral program (1/4) Michael is the doctoral program coordinator in applied psychology at the University of Cameroon, and the Vice-Rector for Research entrusted him to create a new doctoral program in neuropsychology of sleep to commence in Michael has already experience in the creation of new doctoral studies, as he led the organization and creation of the applied psychology doctoral program, which he also coordinates. However, the new doctoral program in the neuropsychology of sleep will have its impact on the neuropsychology field, which he currently does not have much experience and knowledge, so he needs to search for information on similar doctoral programs to find out how to start.

19 15 6. Scenario: Create a new doctoral program (2/4) Michael accesses to the Portal, and sees a section to find information on doctoral studies carried out in other universities. He searches the neuropsychology of sleep, and finds that there is a doctoral program in the neuroscience of sleep offered by the University of Nigeria. He accesses to this doctorate and finds information about subjects and itineraries, as well as the kind of research conducted, thesis and projects developed in this field, and laboratories that the University of Nigeria has. He considers that this kind of information is useful because in this way he gets the idea of how to organize the neurological itinerary that the future program doctoral will have, and also the kind of laboratory and instruments that are needed.

20 16 6. Scenario: Create a new doctoral program (3/4) He also sees a section on profiles of teachers, managers and collaborators working on this doctoral program, as well as their contact information. Michael notes down the address of the coordinator to write to him later. For what he has seen so far, Michael believes that all the information he has found is extremely useful, and also very easy to find. He thinks that the Portal will save him a lot of time in searching information, specially if he compares it with the time and effort he had to invest in searching information he needed to create the doctoral program that he currently coordinates.

21 17 6. Scenario: Create a new doctoral program (4/4) He goes back to the homepage, and sees a section on e-tools. He accesses and finds information on tools to share documents and work collaboratively in an online way, which will be very useful for managing and sharing the documentation that will be generated for the creation of the doctorate. Finally, he finds a board at the homepage, in which it is announced that the University of Madagascar needs an expert in health psychology to supervise doctoral students of Primary Health Care in Africa. Michael thinks in his colleague Andrew for this position.