Embracing Authenticity and Vulnerability in Online PhD Studies : The Self and a Community

Lee, Kyungmee (2022) Embracing Authenticity and Vulnerability in Online PhD Studies : The Self and a Community. In: Online Postgraduate Education in a Postdigital World : Beyond Technology. Postdigital Science and Education . Springer, Cham, pp. 63-83. ISBN 9783030776725

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Abstract

There are a growing number of online PhD programmes across the globe. Many online doctoral students are working professionals with multiple social responsibilities. Although they often choose to study online due to the flexibility and accessibility it offers, these part-time distance students can suffer from a lack of social interactions and a subsequent sense of isolation and loneliness during their study. To address these issues, some online tutors in these programmes have strived to build a learning community among distance students by encouraging learner-to-learner interactions. However, it can be hugely challenging to develop a genuine sense of community among this group of students, especially when they make a continuous effort to present the best possible version of themselves to each other. This chapter presents an online tutor’s autoethnography on her teaching experiences in a research methodology module in an online PhD programme. The author’s honest and critical reflection on her pedagogical practice provides an invaluable insight into the complexity of online teaching and learning at postgraduate level. The story vividly captures important moments of how a group of online doctoral students overcame their initial sense of insecurity and uncertainty and successfully grew into a genuine community that embraced mutual vulnerability. The chapter concludes by stressing its contextual specificity, which readers must approach holistically and critically.