5.5 How to Communicate/Solve a Problem?
Completion requirements
Supervision should be a beneficiary process for students. However, sometimes you need to overcome obstacles during the process, such as different expectations, lack of information, problems with time management etc.
To prevent pitfalls and solve problems you need to communicate effectively with your supervisor. Test your skills along with your colleagues in role plays!
Plan of action:
- Find out who you will work with (please see below)
- Get in touch with your colleague (send an email - see students profiles)
- Arrange a meeting where you can work together (in person or online - via Zoom, Skype, Google meet)
- Choose 2 situations bellow (one each student) and use a role play to train your communication and problem solving skills. The student who chose the topic will pretend to be a student and the other a supervisor in the first situation.
- Then you switch roles in the second situation.
- Give feedback to your colleague, what argument, behavior was relevant? Do you have any comments or advise?
To complete the activity you will need to post a new discussion topic (at least 100 words). You can enhance it with short video of the role play!
Please share your experience (in pairs):
- What situations did you choose? Why?
- How did you cope with role playing?
- What have you learnt about your communication style?
Problems/obstacles in supervision process:
- Supervisor is never reachable.
- Supervisor’s requirements are exaggerated and you are not able to meet them.
- Supervisor’s comments on your work are not specific, you don’t know how to continue with your essay.
- The supervisor promised to send you materials crucial for your work but he/she didn't do it and also didn't reply to your emails.
- You have new commitments in your life which are influencing your academic progress (thesis progress). You need to change your work schedule.
- You need more guidance than you are receiving, your needs are different from the supervisors’ approach.
- You need to change the topic of your theses since you found out you were not able to conduct the research survey your thesis was based on.
- You were not able to meet last two deadlines, you have problems with time management.
- You would like to join your supervisor's research team (you saw an open position for a research assistant) but he/she didn't offer it to you.
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