e-Learning PhD scholarships

The University of Plymouth is about to announce 40 funded PhD scholarships. These will be available to well-qualified and highly motivated candidates in strategic priority research areas, one of which is pedagogic (HE) research (including teaching and learning in higher education; technology assisted learning; sustainability education). A list of proposed studentships and supervisors is provided here. It is not a final or definitive list and successful candidates may be able to negotiate the precise topic area and direction of the research. Here are details of two of the e-learning PhD scholarships that have been proposed and with which I will be directly involved:

Digital Identities in Online Learning
This project aims to explore the impact of new technologies on learning in higher education, through investigating the student experience of creating and maintaining ‘digital identities’ in the online environment. Questions might include ‘Do students’ digital identities influence their interaction in online environments?’ and ‘To what extent are students able to switch between social and learning activities which involve different digital identities?’ ‘In what ways and to what extent does the representation of self in virtual worlds influence the perceptions of others?’

Web 2.0 Tools in Higher Education
This research aims to explore the potential for web 2.0 interactive technologies to be harnessed for effective teaching and learning in higher education (HE). Methods will include an online survey to identify the extent of web 2.0 use by lecturers in higher education in the UK. The ‘interview plus’ approach – as used in previous JISC projects exploring the student experience of online learning - will be utilised to enable students to discuss their experiences of using web 2.0 technologies for social and learning purposes.

**PLEASE NOTE THAT THE PHD SCHOLARSHIP APPLICATION DEADLINE IS NOW CLOSED**

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