Information for Post Graduate Research Students

What is ‘Grand Challenges’?
What are the 21st century dilemmas?
Who will lead the dilemmas?
Are there any benefits in participating?
What would you expect to do?
How much time will the Grand Challenges take up for facilitators?
How will the Grand Challenges programme be introduced?
What do students do after the ‘taster’ sessions?
Who is responsible for the logistics?
What are the key dates?
Who should you contact?

What is ‘Grand Challenges’?

The Grand Challenges programme is designed to provide all first year students with an exciting educational and social experience at the end of the academic year. They will be asked to produce solutions and ideas to tackle some of the key dilemmas of the 21st Century.

The programme will also feature cultural, social and sporting elements including a festival on campus during the middle weekend to really engage with our first year students.

We are looking for PGR students to participate in the programme as inquiry group facilitators.

What are the 21st century dilemmas?

The dilemmas will involve students in innovative learning experiences working in cross-disciplinary groups to address some of the most significant issues facing society in the 21st century. They will investigate one of twelve interdisciplinary cultural, social, economic and/or environmental challenges. Each Dilemma will include about 10 inquiry groups around a sub-dilemma or research question. The outputs of those inquiry groups will vary. Some ideas are: writing a policy paper, video, debate, awareness campaign, myth buster sheets, social media, play.

Who will lead the dilemmas?

Senior academics with a research interest in the dilemmas posed will take the lead. These Academic Champions will invite an external champion to work with them and together they will launch the dilemmas. They will lead a wider group of academics and inquiry group facilitators, mainly PGR students, and jointly this team will be responsible for the overall success of the dilemma.

Are there any benefits in participating?

The 21st Century Dilemmas offer you an opportunity to work alongside top University researchers in an interdisciplinary context to support undergraduate students. You will be provided with training in how best to motivate and support small groups and the whole experience will develop your skills as an HE teacher. Post graduate students will be able to claim an allowance for the time spent working on the programme. You will also benefit from working with renowned external experts.

What would you expect to do?

You would work with Academics to develop ideas for the inquiry groups and put together resources for students. You would meet your group of about twenty students in the Spring term and then work closely with the group throughout the eleven day summer period.

We would expect you to attend a half day training session in the autumn term and be available during the Grand Challenges programme, 3-13 June 2013.

How much time will the Grand Challenges take up for facilitators?

We are allocating about six days for each facilitator. This includes a half day training, some preparation time, working online with your group and meeting up informally in the Spring term. During the eleven day June event you will meet the group and academics on a regular basis.

How will the Grand Challenges programme be introduced?

Students will be introduced to Grand Challenges through a marketing campaign that will run from around the time of A level results in mid-August, throughout Freshers’ Week and the first half of term one. This campaign will culminate in Opportunities Week (week 6) when there will be ‘taster’ events for each of the dilemmas led by a high profile external champion and Exeter academics. These will be available online after the event. You would be able to attend these events and will meet the academics responsible for the dilemma.

At about the same time you will be invited to attend an induction session where you will be introduced to your role, the others you will be working with and a range of approaches you might adopt when working with your group.

What do students do after the ‘taster’ sessions?

In November students will select their preferred dilemma(s) and will be allocated to small groups. About 200 students will work on each dilemma. They will divide into about 10 inquiry groups each containing about 20 students. At this stage you will meet with your group members, help them to get know each other and to understand what will be expected of them. It will be important to make sure they stay in touch in the period between November and June.

In June groups will work on a task which will focus on an output which will be communicated to a given audience. You will support these groups and help them achieve their goals working closely as a team with academics.

Who is responsible for the logistics?

The Grand Challenges project team will be coordinating the selection process for the facilitators. The team will also be managing the logistics for running the programme in June.

What are the key dates?

Who should you contact?

Education Advisers:

Sue Burkill
Sue.Burkill@exeter.ac.uk

Harriet Sjerps-Jones
H.Sjerps-Jones@exeter.ac.uk

Jenny Moore (Cornwall)
J.M.Moore@exeter.ac.uk