Transdisciplinarity: towards an epistemology of what matters

This chapter explores the adoption of a transdisciplinary approach to knowledge by a doctor of professional studies research programme at Middlesex University in London. This programme is designed for senior professionals in a range of sectors who wish to bring about change, of varying degrees of magnitude, in practices and attitudes in their contexts. Its research pedagogy combines professional and academic knowledge to meet challenges posed by the temporal limitations of rapidly shifting local and global contexts. It proposes that conceptualising practice, through a transdisciplinary lens, opens up significant possibilities for both articulating and navigating the complexities inherent in any cultural ecology and the positioning of the researcher in that context. This enhances the research process’s potency to influence attitudes, focus and impact including the concept of agential knowing in identifying and attending to what matters

The Influence of professional doctorates on practice and the workplace

This paper investigates the influence that undertaking a professional doctorate has on the practice of the graduate and their workplace or organisation. There is a growing literature on how undertaking such advanced development influences the individual graduate at the personal and professional level but there is little evidence of a wider impact on practice in general or at the organisational level. This study seeks to address this issue through a qualitative study of practitioners from a range of professional arenas and sectors who have graduated from a professional doctorate within the past 10 years. Through thematic analysis of semi-structured interviews and the candidates’ project reports we explore their experience of applying their learning within their workplaces providing insight into the level and degree of influence such development can have on organisational contexts. The paper does not focus on the academic or personal impact of their experience as the intention of these particular doctoral researchers is the creation of new knowledge embedded in practice

Ageism in the third age

In the developed world, later life has brought more opportunities to contribute to society and pursue personal goals outside the role of paid work, combined with less stigma and greater recognition of the worth of older people. These values do not necessarily extend to the “oldest old” where some people in the fourth age (people 80 years old and over) continue to face increasing stigma and societal stereotypes from those in the third age (people 60–79 years old). Ageism between these two cohorts is rarely discussed in the literature. Potential ageism involves stereotypical perceptions of the oldest old and may prove detrimental to those transitioning from the third to the fourth age if a resultant resistance to maintain their engagement and independence into older age occurs. This chapter explores the subtleties of these inter-cohort ageist discourses particularly from a health and social care perspective and considers the implications for transitions of older people between the third and fourth age. It addresses the challenges and adjustments needed to ensure continuing and inclusive engagement in society, in order to support independence to grow old without the fear of discrimination

The use of work-based learning pedagogical perspectives to inform flexible practice within higher education

The renewed emphasis on developing flexible learning practices in higher education underscores the importance of understanding pedagogies for students who are based in the workplace or undertake significant work-related elements of study. This paper draws on research that explores how work-based learning (WBL) pedagogy operates in UK higher education using three main perspectives that help to conceptualise the existing range of practice: discipline-centred, learner-centred and employer-centred. Data was collected from twenty academic practitioners with expertise in WBL using qualitative interviews, documents and observations at fourteen different institutions from seven regions in England. The research findings suggest that there are both commonalities and distinctive attributes across the range of practice that influence how academics develop and orient their pedagogy. It is argued that the characteristics and discursive features of these WBL perspectives present pedagogical approaches that could be adapted to inform more flexible mainstream provision

Diagnostic Components in Harsh Radiation Environments: Possible Overlap in R&D Requirements of IC and MF Systems

The next generation of large scale fusion devices--ITER/LMJ/NIF--will require diagnostic components to operate in environments far more severe than those encountered in present facilities. This harsh environment will be induced by fluxes of neutrons, gamma rays, energetic ions, electromagnetic radiation, and in some cases debris and shrapnel, at levels several orders of magnitude higher than those experienced in today's devices. For several years the question of possible synergy between inertial and the magnetic confinement research has been pursued by members of the respective communities. A first joint workshop specifically devoted to the identification and promotion of these synergies was organized in France, at Aix-en-Provence from June 27th to 29th, 2007. The workshop was attended by about 50 invited specialists. The participants identified a number of subject areas where common overlapping interests could benefit from additional interactions and meetings: windows, optical fibers, mirrors, cables, electronic components and 14 MeV neutron sources. In this paper we summarize the findings of these working groups. We put the discussion into context by including a brief description of the environments and the physical effects that have to be handled

Transdisciplinary qualities in practice doctorates

Doctoral programmes in which candidates research their own practice can be characterised as having transdisciplinary (TD) qualities. While most of the emphasis in the literature and in policy on TD is on research in teams, we argue for an expansion of the scope in the conception and understanding of TD research to include the way it can be articulated and assessed in practice-led and practice-based doctorates. In this sense, it is worth exploring instances of doctoral programmes that potentially allow doctoral researchers to undertake projects that have TD qualities. In these doctoral projects, researchers draw from a variety of perspectives, for example from their work practices, the theorisation of those practices, experiential learning, multiple disciplinary knowledge and approaches as well as communications and networking with appropriate stakeholders. Drawing from previous scholarship of TD in other fields we analyse and evaluate the TD qualities of a particular doctoral programme. This analysis reveals a set of qualities recognised by the literature as TD and relevant to doctoral researchers: Researching collaboratively with stakeholders; Diversity of disciplinary expertise and assessment criteria; Integration of different methodologies; Situating the research in multiple contexts; Impact on the ‘situation’ through novel procedures or products; Ethics and the importance of trust; Reflection/reflexivity. The paper posits a convergence between practice doctorates and TD research and demonstrates how TD qualities help doctoral candidates to situate their research at the interface between academia and their professional work and develop projects that have creative and beneficial relevance for practice

Evaluation of the current status and knowledge contributions of professional doctorates

The article examines the status and knowledge contributions of professional doctorates (PDs) undertaken by practising professionals who in most cases are not intending to join the academic community. The purpose of these doctorates is usually to research and develop an original contribution to practice through practitioner-research. Giving greater primacy to practice knowledge has caused new developments in doctoral education. The discussion is based upon a research project and an extensive literature review. Internationally, quality assurance agencies have generally embraced more work-related and practice-oriented criteria in doctoral learning. Doctoral learning that seeks to enhance practice and develop benefit to communities and organisations in professional contexts leads to different pedagogic protocols for higher education, for example a differently ordered approach to ethical issues of research, assessment and peer review. More curriculum development and understanding of the wider knowledge contributions of doctorates is needed across higher education and professional communities