An Exploratory Experiment to Create a New Masters Programme through the Engagement and Participation of current PhD Research Scholars
Year: 2010
Editor: Boks W; Ion, W; McMahon, C and Parkinson B
Author: Baxter, Seaton; Bruce, Fraser
Section: CURRICULUM DEVELOPOMENT AND REVISION
Page(s): 66-71
Abstract
This paper reports on a small experiment into the involvement of a group of PhD research students in the design of a Masters course in the field of ecological design. A total of 15 participants were
involved in 2 groups. A small naive group (4/5) acted as a control and were compared with a larger group (10) of PhD researchers familiar with the field (ecological design) under consideration. The
experimental process involved the selection of possible curricular topics from a large prescribed list (100) by the allocation of a limited (200) number of units of investment in blocks of 5, 10, or 20 units. The experimental protocol compared the participants selections as individuals (15), pairs (7) and groups (2) in 3 course designs, only one of which is represented here – MSc Natural Design. The paper presents data on the ranked selection by individuals, pairs and groups and compares rank orders. It highlights the top ranked topics, compares them and briefly discusses their application in a future standard modular course design entitled Natural Design. This is a work in progress.
Keywords: Experiment, masters programme, ecological design, PhD scholars, co-creation