Teaching, Facilitation, & Supervision Style | Interview with TTD Cofounder Dr Craig J Selby
How did you get into the academic life?
It was 1993. I was
still a university student.
The previous year I
had volunteered to be part of a Masters research project – five interviews
across two semesters exploring my experience of University. I was younger than
my peers, so I guess I made for an interesting case study. The researcher was
also on staff at the University, in a learning support role.
Early in 1993 I got a
telephone call from her; there was a very part time position available in the
department to work on a project for international (Asian) students. She thought
I’d be a great match for it. Apparently, I was! That was the start of a seven
year stint at Auckland University, which spanned learning support, commerce,
and environment.
Concurrently, as I
approached graduation, I really had no idea what I would do out in the ‘real
world’. The ivory tower (or concrete stairwell as I view it) was alluring;
there was a flexibility about it, a level of comfort. I enjoyed facilitating
classes. I loved creating materials. I thrived on sharing knowledge.
The rest, as they say,
is history. I was hooked, as an educator first, a researcher second.
What or who guided you in developing your ‘delivery’
style?
I had some fantastic
mentors, although they may never know it.
In terms of teaching,
it was “deep end” for me as I was literally thrown in and allowed to explore /
fend for myself. I did an internal teaching programme at work to gain some basics,
and some years later did a PG dip in tertiary teaching (it was all funded by the
university as my employer).
In terms of my style,
it is really an amalgam of the lecturers that I had, along with a few of my
colleagues. I sat, listened, observed, and considered – what did they do that
worked well for me and others, and what am I comfortable with replicating. This
became my style; the best of the best that I had access to at the time.
Interestingly enough,
it hasn’t changed much. I’m still slow, methodical, detailed-oriented, and
focussed on understanding my student’s journey as much as I am on ensuring the
right content is used. Im politically-incorrect (although, I seem to get away
with my brashness), embrace humor, encourage debate, and want students to
challenge me. I am there to challenge and develop students; not to pander to
their social needs. Yes, call me old-fashioned. But also call me effective!
An odd reflection I
hate late last year talking to a former lecturer and colleague about another
former lecturer. I used to get so frustrated by his storytelling during
lectures, trying to figure out how to contextualise that. At times, as an 18
year old, to the point of frustration! But I realised in so many ways I became
him. I use storytelling as a tool, to showcase that reality has an alignment
with ‘theory’ (term used very loosely), although I try to hone the context and
relate it in a clearer way.
What is your philosophy in guiding students,
both as a lecturer and a supervisor?
You have to explain
before you apply. Step-by-step to grow confidence and competence. I consider my
approach ‘snowball’ – incremental development at the start until the core
concepts are grasped, then increasingly greater challenges as we move through a
course.
In supervising
students, and working with graduate students, I am there to guide; but also to
be Devil’s advocate. It’s a consultative process. They have to make the first
move (even if it’s not a good one) to get that ball rolling; but moreso to take
ownership of their research journey and the end results. I work with them to
provoke – to ask questions, to open new doors to lines of inquiry, and to
challenge them to challenge themselves.
What would your research students say about
your style of supervision?
That I’m detailed; I
leave no stone unturned.
How did you end up with a focus on research
methodology, rather than your actual area in economics?
I actually started
teaching methodology early on in my career. When I had finished my Masters, I
was frustrated that there was so little opportunity within the University to
develop broad methodology skills. Given the department I worked for, I was
fortunate enough to be able to curate a one week methodology bootcamp. It was a
pretty novel idea at that time. The first time I ran it I had over 30 Masters
and PhD students join – all eager to explore research paradigms and get some
guidance on how to think through some of the broader issues that would
influence their research projects.
In the intervening
years, I taught Research Methodology alongside other courses more suited to my
experience. But it was the methods that kept me interested; not because they
really changed all that much, but because they are such an integral part of the
student journey. This extends to business too, as research is a key component
of the branding and communications (spin) game!
Fast forward to 2020; founding
The Third Degree. The more and more I looked at tertiary education regionally and
getting myself back in the ‘game’; the more I realised that it wouldn’t work as
a lecturer. I needed to do something that could / would make an impact. The
basis of The Third Degree is research methods and research communication, and
that is where I felt I could contribute most. Through my own experience, and
that of my academic connections, to create an ecosystem to help students take
control of their research and elevate their output – something that I believe
all of society will benefit from.
My own research was a
fantastic journey, but it was only ever steps in the journey to the career that
I have carved out for myself. Postgraduate research qualifications aren’t a
life sentence to a singular discipline; they are the key to the door for so
many more interesting and varied opportunities out there.
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