Set ground rules at the start
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Set ground rules at the start
+Ground rules for you
+Ground rules for you
- Meet regularly
- Public praise, private criticism @@ -55,8 +56,8 @@
Ground rules for the student
+Ground rules for the student
- Organise, run meetings, write minutes
- Criticise supervisor privately first @@ -67,14 +68,14 @@
- Understand and avoid plagiarism
- Learn the tools
- Backup your work -
- Yes - you can buy stuff +
- Yes—you can buy stuff
- Be part of the team
Here is the ground rules document that I use
+Here is the ground rules document that I use
@@ -82,13 +83,13 @@Meetings
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Meetings
+How to run a meeting (advice for student)
+How to run a meeting (advice for student)
- Send documents in advance
- Don't expect technical feedback on something just presented in the meeting @@ -99,8 +100,8 @@
Possible agenda
+Possible agenda
- Review previous minutes, including plan
- What you actually did @@ -110,10 +111,10 @@
Why the supervisor needs an agenda
+Why the supervisor needs an agenda
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Project management
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Project management
+Use a gantt chart, right?
+Use a gantt chart, right?
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Wrong!
+Wrong!
- To produce a nice looking gantt chart, you'll need hours with project management software (or a spreadsheet)
- Everyone uses different software anyway @@ -154,8 +155,8 @@
Alternative – use Scrum
+Alternative – use Scrum
- Scrum is designed about a product backlog or list of features
- A backlog is not about doing things on time but more about rate of progress @@ -166,8 +167,8 @@
Example backlog
+Example backlog
Can also add a difficulty estimate (story points)
+Can also add a difficulty estimate (story points)
Burn chart
+Burn chart
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Also consider word count trackers
+Also consider word count trackers
- e.g., https://wordgoal.app https://www.pacemaker.press
- For an overview https://writersatelier.com/where-else-to-track-chart-your-daily-word-count-free-spreadsheet/ @@ -268,13 +269,13 @@
Match your approach to the student
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Match your approach to the student
+Give flexibility to stronger students
+Give flexibility to stronger students
- They get to choose the topic more
- Meet when they have a result @@ -284,8 +285,8 @@
Give discipline to weaker ones
+Give discipline to weaker ones
- 10am latest starting time
- Always review with them the previous minutes to pick up what they are avoiding @@ -293,7 +294,7 @@
- Give them a topic that you know will work and produce a viable thesis
- Keep in mind:
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- you are not punishing for poor performance - just adjusting your style to their needs +
- you are not punishing for poor performance—just adjusting your style to their needs
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Engender self-respect and ownership
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diff --git a/2024-03-supervision/2024-03-supervision.org b/2024-03-supervision/2024-03-supervision.org
index 0164e44..9b4ec99 100644
--- a/2024-03-supervision/2024-03-supervision.org
+++ b/2024-03-supervision/2024-03-supervision.org
@@ -31,7 +31,7 @@
+ Understand and avoid plagiarism
+ Learn the tools
+ Backup your work
-+ Yes - you can buy stuff
++ Yes---you can buy stuff
+ Be part of the team
** Here is the ground rules document that I use
@@ -217,7 +217,7 @@ plt.savefig("burn.png")
- Bring them back to the agenda when they go off on a tangent
- Give them a topic that you know will work and produce a viable thesis
- Keep in mind:
- - you are not punishing for poor performance - just adjusting your style to their needs
+ - you are not punishing for poor performance---just adjusting your style to their needs
* Engender self-respect and ownership
** Good students care about every aspect of the quality of their work
@@ -230,13 +230,40 @@ plt.savefig("burn.png")
** How do we get there?
+ Have high standards and diligently point out issues
-+ Make sure it is not just about the supervisor - enable other feedback too
++ Make sure it is not just about the supervisor---enable other feedback too
+ journal / conference reviewers
+ wider community (e.g., stackoverflow, open source developers)
+ personal reward systems (e.g., chocolate 😋)
+ Show them great examples
+ Also see /Writing for Computer Science/ (Zobel)
+* Viva preparation
+** Student must own the material
+- It's better for the student to own the material early on
+- "My supervisor told me to do it" 🫣
+- Ownership can mean less control---but that's ok!
+** Prepare a presentation that is the right length
+- The material needs to fit in about 10 minutes
+- It should be clear, crisp, and correct
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+** Usually 2 mocks
+- Allows a chance for revision if the presentation has errors
+- Well prepared students seem to do better in the viva
+** Sample questions
+- There are plenty of samples on the Internet
+- Consider these key ones:
+ + Can you explain the graph in Figure X?
+ + What is the most important chapter and why?
+ + Where is the answer to research question X and is the question comprehensively answered?
+** Examiner selection
+- I always encourage the student to propose possible examiners
+ - But I don't allow them to take control of the process
+- When examiners are selected, the student should make sure their work is covered
+
+** During the examination
+- I always take copious notes during the examination (hand written)
+- I reassure the student that I will do this too
+- They need to have a copy of their thesis to hand---must be the same version as the examiners.
* Final words
#+ATTR_REVEAL: :frag (appear)
+ It's not about the supervisor ...
@@ -244,4 +271,7 @@ plt.savefig("burn.png")
+ If you are asking "what do I get out of it?", you are doing it wrong
+ Best success measure: how did they grow in your care?
-* Questions?
+* Further reading
+
++ Zobel /Writing for Computer Science/
++ [[https://thesiswhisperer.com/][The Thesis Whisperer]]
Engender self-respect and ownership
+Good students care about every aspect of the quality of their work
+Good students care about every aspect of the quality of their work
- Software should have unit-tests
- Experiments should be reproducible @@ -318,11 +319,11 @@
How do we get there?
+How do we get there?
- Have high standards and diligently point out issues -
- Make sure it is not just about the supervisor - enable other feedback too +
- Make sure it is not just about the supervisor—enable other feedback too
- journal / conference reviewers
- wider community (e.g., stackoverflow, open source developers) @@ -337,8 +338,77 @@
Final words
+Viva preparation
+
+
+Student must own the material
+-
+
- It's better for the student to own the material early on +
- "My supervisor told me to do it" 🫣 +
- Ownership can mean less control—but that's ok! + +
Prepare a presentation that is the right length
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+
- The material needs to fit in about 10 minutes +
- It should be clear, crisp, and correct + +
Usually 2 mocks
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+
- Allows a chance for revision if the presentation has errors +
- Well prepared students seem to do better in the viva + +
Sample questions
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- There are plenty of samples on the Internet +
- Consider these key ones:
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- Can you explain the graph in Figure X? +
- What is the most important chapter and why? +
- Where is the answer to research question X and is the question comprehensively answered? + +
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Examiner selection
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- I always encourage the student to propose possible examiners
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- But I don't allow them to take control of the process + +
+ - When examiners are selected, the student should make sure their work is covered + +
During the examination
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- I always take copious notes during the examination (hand written) +
- I reassure the student that I will do this too +
- They need to have a copy of their thesis to hand—must be the same version as the examiners. + +
Final words
- It's not about the supervisor …
-
@@ -353,8 +423,13 @@
Questions?
+Further reading
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+
- Zobel Writing for Computer Science +
- The Thesis Whisperer + +