Results from surveys to trainees participating into enriched sessions with practitioners

BACKGROUND:

The presented data was obtained during the implementation of the European project, DISCOVERY LEARNING. DISCOVERY LEARNING aims at experimenting towards a participatory, empowered and evolutionary work-based learning in PhD programmes for effectively training transferable skills related to Open Science and Innovation, achieving replicable and sustainable results over time. The ultimate goal was to establish a set of knowledge performance indicators (KPIs) about what works in doctoral education for training a set of transferable skills. If you want to get more information on the project, please click here: https://discoverylearning.eu/

At the level of pedagogical model, the chosen paradigm was the so-called Personalized Learning, which adjusts not only to the characteristics and needs of each student (adapting the pace and methodology), but also takes into account their particular preferences and interests (so that the student influences and actively participates in the definition of its objectives and in the selection of contents, as well as in the ways of demonstrating learning) (Looi et al., 2009).

Within this double focus into transferable skills (related to open science and innovation) and the implementation of personalized learning mechanisms, the main experimental areas during the project were the following:

1. Involving practitioners
2. Making use of gamification
3. Implementing real work-based learning

On the basis of the above and as the result of a joint reflection process amongst partners, DISCOVERY LEARNING has formulated the following hypothesis:

-If specific / punctual enriched activities by practitioners are inserted within the training programme, then:

• The level of engagement and performance improves significantly
•  Institutions can train more students in transferable skills related to open science and innovation.

In order to test and verify the above hypothesis, it has been decided to carry out a series of experimentation protocols (online and off-line trainings on a number of science & technology trends related to transferable skills) with early-stage researchers that can measure their applicability and reproducibility of our hypothesis over time. If you want to know more about the project results, please click here: https://discoverylearning.eu/results/traininglearning-options/dl-resources

METHODS:

We have designed an ad-hoc survey to gather relevant information from the participants of these experimentation protocols. These surveys will happen before and after the trainings.

The following section show the surveys being used presently within the project to ask trainees around the aforementioned hypothesis. This survey has been refined in relation to the lessons learnt during stage 1 of the project’ experimentation strategy. For launching them, a professional software that allows optimising the design and User Experience, as well as managing the data gathered, was being used (https://app.surveyanyplace.com/)

•  STATISTICAL INFORMATION GATHERED (general information):

-Title: Surveys to trainees participating into enriched sessions with practitioners

-Method: Survey questions will incorporate Likert scale questions, multiple choice and free text answers.

-General information: Gender (optional), country, age range, discipline, internet connectivity and type and ownership of the device being used, language, institution.

-Information about the training in which the person is to participate / has participated:

Title and date. Unless desired different by the participant, the survey is anonymous.

-Period of surveying: 22.10.2021-19.03.2022

-Responsible person: Eva García Muntión (RTDI)

Terms of use: These data are provided "as is", without any warranties of any kind. The data are provided under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International license.

Funding: This project has received funding from the Research and Innovation framework Horizon 2020 of the European Union under grant agreement nº 101006452.