PGR at a Distance: Lessons from an EdD
Nora L Howley is a 2020 graduate of the University of Glasgow EdD program. Her consulting firm, Lerdau LLC, supports non-profits working in education and health.
It is “back-to-school” season and for many students of all ages, this means starting the year far away from the instructors and classmates. Teachers once seen in person are now merely squares in a Zoom meeting and course material is not handed out in person but accessed via a Learning Management System. These changes are hugely disruptive whether students are 5, 15, 25 or older. There may be a sense of loss or mourning for the educational experience you thought you were going to have.
Although I live just outside Washington, DC, I am proud to say that I graduated this year from UofG’s EdD programme; I did this via five years of remote participation (with six weekend in-person study meetings over the first three years). Success required that my classmates and I become adept in Moodle, Skype, and remote access to the library’s resources. Even those of us who lived just down the road in Glasgow’s West End were remote learners.
So, drawing on that experience, here are my tips for getting the most out of your distance learning, whether you are in Scotland or several time zones away.
You do you. Your situation and experience are going to be different from your classmates’. I quickly realized that I had to find my own way of interacting with the faculty and the institution. Only you can work at building the connections with the faculty that you need to be successful.
Support each other. Just because your situations and experiences are different, does not mean that you should go it alone. Instead, use the tools available (official and unofficial) to build relationships for support.
Rely on the university faculty and staff for reliable information. Your support system is critical, but someone at the same stage of the program as you is not the best source of information on the requirements for your work or how to navigate a payment problem.
Learn the platforms and call the tech support office when you need to. This is not the time to be tech-phobic, but it’s also not the time to decide you don’t need help. Even calling from across the pond, I was able to get tech support.
Download copies of key documents such as course requirements and syllabi. This may sound basic, but if you are not going into class on a regular basis, it is easy to lose track of what is due when, not to mention those days when Moodle is down or your internet isn’t working.
Find a calendar/scheduling system that works for you. Many students rely on in-person meetings to keep them on top of assignments. Whether it’s a fancy planner, a bullet journal, or colour-coded entries on your phone, find a way to keep track. And if one system does not work, don’t hesitate to try another one.
Create a process for shutting out the distractions. Early in the programme, I learned about “Pomodoro Method” for creating focused writing time. And while I didn’t go out and buy a new kitchen timer, the principle worked really well and I still use it to juggle multipe projects in my business.
Thinking about how you are going to manage readings and other material. Some of the particulars of this may field specific, but I suspect you will soon be downloading readings at a terrifying pace. If you decide to use a reference management system, consider how it is backed up. I had a few scary hours the day I discovered that Sente, which I loved using, had shut down, and it appeared that access to many of the articles that underpinned my dissertation was gone. (I had back-ups of most and was able to get the rest again).
Make time to have fun and relax. Working for a postgraduate degree can feel overwhelming and stressful. You are doing something new and different. Don’t lose sight of the things that give you pleasure. Whether it is long (masked) walks, a craft, games, baking, or something else, be sure to find some time for them.
Whatever your field of study, this will be a challenging year to be a post graduate student. Wishing you all the best and remember: “Si se puede” (We can do it).
