At the end of this course the student
- Is able to monitor his/her own performance with regard to the skills relevant to PSTS, to reflect on this performance and feedback received, and to make good use of and/or initiate appropriate learning activities to improve performance where necessary
- Is able to take responsibility for one's own learning and personal development by contextualizing PSTS skills and their contribution to research.
Subjects, theories, models:
Students work on their PSTS Skills Portfolio in parallel to the PSTS coursework., At the start of year 1, each student gets access to a personal electronic learning environment, enabling the student to take stock of and reflect on the development of the skills all PSTS graduates should acquire in the program. The purpose and use of the portfolio system is explained at an initial kick-off meeting. Subsequently, during the first year and first semester of the second year of the programme, the student will be invited for five portfolio meetings with a mentor (four meetings in year 1 and one in year 2). In advance of each meeting, the student has to upload evidence of specific skills, as well as feedback received on his/her performance in the portfolio. During the meetings, the mentor and the student will reflect on the student's development, take stock of what has been achieved, and diagnose where and how the student needs to work on specific skills, resulting in new and/or revised personalized learning objectives for the next period.
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Teaching methods:
Portfolio assignments with guide reflection and analysis of own work and mentor meetings for providing guidance. Both have a monitoring function; learning activities are largely student driven. In addition to assessing skills as sufficient/insufficient in courses, which is mandatory to discuss, the student is expected to take the lead in setting the agenda for the meetings. The agenda may include discussing which skills learning objectives the student should prioritize (in view of diagnosed weaknesses, or of preferred career ambitions), which activities within and outside PSTS could help a student to achieve his/her learning objectives, and how to develop specific skills beyond a level of mere sufficiency. Students are encouraged to be ambitious in this regard.
Examination and assessment:
Participation in (and preparation for) the mentor meetings is obligatory for all students. Participation in eight or more research colloquia is obligatory, too. The mentor will assess a student's performance mainly in a formative way. At the end of the first quartile of the 2nd year the mentor assesses (with pass/fail) whether the student has developed sufficient "reflective capacity pertaining to one's own work, selecting or altering course, and the ability to translate learning trajectories into the development of more general knowledge and methods" (as stated in PSTS Final Qualification S9). If needed, students will have a 2nd opportunity for assessment before the end of the 1st semester of the second year.
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