Distributed Learning PhD: increasing flexibility in PhD study

Advances in communications technology are changing the way that many of us work and learn. The School of Nursing, Midwifery and Social Work is offering PhD students the option to study online by a Distributed Learning route. Using WebCT (the University’s Virtual Learning Environment) and the latest communication technology students will have access to high quality online supervision.

The PhD will be supplemented by virtual seminars, online courses, an active online community and support resources. The DL PhD will begin this autumn and is aimed at students who are generally unable to be present on the University of Manchester campus, but have the desire, potential and time to undertake a PhD. Most of the educational resources developed for the DL PhD will also be available to the School’s on campus post-graduate students, although their supervision will normally be face to face.

The DL PhD will offer:

• An on campus intensive induction course, with introduction to supervisors and fellow students
• Training in communications technologies required for the DL PhD
• High quality supervision through a range of communication technologies that will enable students to see and hear their supervisors online as well as share documents
• Online research methods modules with interactive discussion between tutors and students
• Virtual research training seminars with work tasks and in-built question and answer sessions
• Virtual seminars that consist of filmed researchers presenting their projects and the opportunity to pose questions using a discussion board
• Project presentation skills training with feedback
• Virtual student community through on-line discussion areas, personal pages and access to on-line conferencing
• Access to electronic library resources and support

Students will in turn need to have the required computer hardware and software and demonstrate adequate support in their local environment to conduct their PhD work

Many nurses and social workers spend years in clinical practice before deciding to return for a research degree, and due to multiple commitments may need to study part-time. Even with study leave, they are not as flexible or able to be on campus and engage in all the opportunities to be part of the research environment. Mid-career professionals in other cities may be attracted to our School for its high research rating, but be unable to re-locate. Distributed learning may also be an option for international students.

We wanted to increase flexibility of study, and make it possible for students to be "virtually present" at research seminars and engage with researchers and fellow students even if not in Manchester. This was the impetus behind the idea, and we have spent the last year developing the method. We also wanted to enhance communication and the process of supervision by offering better tools for supervisors and students. All students will use some of the methods we have developed.

We have one PhD programme with two methods of study, so the quality of the programme is the same regardless of method. It's very important that we have a good match between supervisors' expertise and students' interests. Supervision is an essential component of PhD study, and we think our DL methods will facilitate this. Our students' studies are wide-ranging and encompass studies in palliative and supportive care, chronic illness management, and child and family health among others.

The DL PhD option has generated interest, but it is difficult to predict how popular it will be. As potential applicants realise that the quality of content and supervision are the same as with traditional methods, we hope that it will prove to be very popular. We are grateful to the University for its support of this development.

Further information can be found at
www.nursing.manchester.ac.uk/graduate/mphil-phd/distributed_learning

Christi Deaton, PhD, RN, FAHA
Professor of Nursing
MPhil/PhD Programme Director
School of Nursing, Midwifery and Social Work
The University of Manchester
South Manchester University Hospitals Trust
Manchester, U.K.
mcdeaton@manchester.ac.uk