The HDR Development Team in the Office of Graduate Research has responded to HDR students’ need to have a way to connect with their peers across disciplines and share ideas. Furthermore, students have expressed a wish for an opportunity to present their research and receive feedback from their peers.
HDR Connect is a new Microsoft Office Team for all Flinders HDR students. It is a collaborative, peer learning space where everyone is encouraged to share and comment. This is a joint initiative between the Office of Graduate Research and International Student Services, where students can come together to meet, share information, provide feedback and organise events.
The HDR Connect sessions occur fortnightly on a Monday 1-2pm, and each time, a HDR student presents their research, and leads a discussion on the topic. This is a great opportunity for students to develop their presentation skills in a safe and supported environment. This whole of university peer learning environment enables for cross-college collaboration by sharing ideas and the research conducted throughout the university. The sessions expose students to a range of different research methods and tools, and an opportunity to provide and receive feedback on their work or progress.
A number of students have already presented their amazing research in the Seminars, and each one has taken something valuable from the experience. The recordings of these are available on the HDR Connect Team and are embedded into the program below.
This is a genuine supportive environment which takes some of the sting out of public speaking. It is online which is the main way I participate – you can eat your lunch as you listen. Consolidating your ideas through presentation can accelerate your work. A brilliant thing to do with your precious time. (Maive Collett, CHASS)
There are a number of ways you can get involved in the HDR Connect Seminars.
Present your research or listen to someone’s presentation
You can take part by presenting your own research and receiving feedback from your peers, or by listening to your peer’s research and providing feedback. The seminars will help you to:
- Develop your presentation skills
- Get new perspectives on your own research
- Learn how to address questions about your research in a supportive environment
- Hear about other research happening around the university
- Learn to ask questions about other’s research – even when you may not fully understand the concepts
- Be exposed to new research methods and ways of conducting research
- Be exposed to new methods of analysing and interpreting research
- Learn about what has worked for others
Lead a discussion
We would like to extend these seminars to include not just research presentations, but general discussion on specific topics. If you would like to lead a discussion on a topic, please book in a presentation time via the REST FLO site and suggest a topic. This can be anything from a particular theory, a research method, a discipline or research topic. This is a great opportunity to lead discussion with your peers on an area that is of interest to you, and get their feedback – perhaps you would like to test a research or analysis method, or would like to hear how others have done it? Or perhaps you have been asked to apply a particular theory to your research and not sure where to start? This is a great opportunity to ask and learn from each other.
Suggest a discussion topic
Alternately, if you would like to hear from an expert in a particular field, or from a representative of the university, please let us know and we can make it happen. Feel free to suggest a specific topic or person, and we will follow up and schedule something in. For any questions, please get in touch with our Development team at HDR.Development@flinders.edu.au.
