Our goal with this course is to foster more inclusive, equitable, and productive research environments, while equipping and empowering you, a graduate or postgraduate researcher (highly qualified personnel, or HQP), with lifelong learning and professional skills. We know that many issues plague research environments, including steep learning curves where many professional and learning skills are rarely taught, and that many equity-deserving groups disproportionately face barriers to success. Our team is working to address some of those issues, in a collaborative approach that maximizes equity.
This course is self-directed and is designed to help you learn transferable skills through five modules: strategic learning (e.g., metacognition), project management, mentorship, academic resilience, and navigating difficult conversations. Whether you are new to research or have been at it for a while, we hope these modules will help you gain valuable skills that you can take with you throughout your career and personal life.
While you are going through the modules, you may find yourself at times feeling uncomfortable. That discomfort is also an important part of learning. Perhaps you are learning something new and you need to re-read, or re-listen to something; perhaps you are learning about a behaviour or action that might be perceived as harmful to others, and you’re aware that you’ve engaged in this behaviour in the past. Or maybe you’re uncomfortable because you feel you should already know some of this information. Either way, discomfort is normal and part of growing, learning and unlearning!
Critically, it’s important to recognize the difference between feeling uncomfortable and unsafe. Comfort and safety are aligned on the same continuum: discomfort may be analogous to feeling a little cold, whereas unsafe is equivalent to experiencing hypothermia. We are hoping to create a safe – but at times, perhaps uncomfortable! – space as you navigate through the modules. It’s also okay to take a break or step away as you need to.
If you are experiencing significant discomfort with engaging with some of this material, keep in mind that mental health resources are available; see the Resources section for more information.
In the following sections, we will guide you through some core ideas that will re-emerge throughout the course. Next, we will invite you to work through the modules in the order that you choose. For some activities in the modules, you will be able to participate directly via quizzes or discussion forums on Brightspace. For other activities, you can complete them in your personal (and private) workbook.
Let’s begin with a discussion of values and goals.