Title: Learning transitions of three doctoral students in a Portuguese higher education institution facilitated by the use of ICT

Authors: Betina Da Silva Lopes; Maria João Macário; Mariana Pinto; Maria Helena Ançã; Maria João Loureiro

Addresses: Department of Education, University of Aveiro, University Campus of Santiago, 3810-193 Aveiro, Portugal ' Department of Education, University of Aveiro, University Campus of Santiago, 3810-193 Aveiro, Portugal ' Department of Education, University of Aveiro, University Campus of Santiago, 3810-193 Aveiro, Portugal ' Department of Education, University of Aveiro, University Campus of Santiago, 3810-193 Aveiro, Portugal ' Department of Education, University of Aveiro, University Campus of Santiago, 3810-193 Aveiro, Portugal

Abstract: The growing complexity of the information society and the Bologna Declaration contributed to renewed understandings of teaching, learning and research. This paper reports the learning transitions of three doctoral students with different backgrounds working together in the context of a first year module integrated in the curriculum of a Portuguese doctoral programme. This auto-ethnoraphic research aims to discuss the collaborative learning process in which the doctoral students were deeply involved throughout and beyond the semester module. A qualitative content analysis of five types of documents produced by the group was conducted. The data analysis scheme was developed considering the characteristics of an active and independent high quality researcher, although some dimensions emerged from the corpora. The outputs of this study might be relevant for the facilitation of the learning transitions of PhD students to early career researchers, thus supporting fine tunings of research training strategies implemented in doctoral programmes.

Keywords: doctoral education; life-long learning; learning transition; researcher development; research training; auto-ethnography; ICT; information and communications technology; information technology; Portugal; higher education; collaborative learning; researcher characteristics; PhD students; postgraduate students; early career researchers.

DOI: 10.1504/IJCEELL.2013.054291

International Journal of Continuing Engineering Education and Life-Long Learning, 2013 Vol.23 No.2, pp.179 - 193

Published online: 30 Dec 2013 *

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