The Design and Evaluation of Online Faculty Development for Effective Graduate Supervision

This design-based research focuses on improving the quality of graduate education using a Massive Open Online Course (MOOC). The Quality Graduate Supervision MOOC brings interdisciplinary faculty and expert supervisors together online for conversations about best supervision practices, building research relationships with students, supporting academic writing, mentoring for diverse careers and balancing excellence with wellness. Through ongoing design and evaluation of interdisciplinary online learning communities for academic faculty, this research directly impacts graduate supervision practices, and generates original knowledge and theoretical insights about graduate supervisor development in interdisciplinary environments. Our research contributes to creating the essential mentorship and learning conditions for graduate students’ academic success, such as timely completion of program, knowledge mobilization and grant writing, and diverse career preparation, with a focus on their supervisors’ learning and development.