Research Skills Toolkit: Becoming a Researcher (International)

Becoming a Researcher is a core programme within Epigeum’s Research Skills Toolkit, designed to support postgraduate and early-career researchers as they navigate the practical, ethical, and personal realities of research. The course introduces key research skills while also addressing the pressures, uncertainties, and responsibilities that come with academic research.

About the project

The programme is used internationally and is often embedded into doctoral training and researcher development programmes. As such, it needed to be rigorous, supportive, and realistic about the research environment learners are entering. This project focused on a substantial refresh of the Becoming a Researcher course, with the aim of making it more engaging, more inclusive, and more relevant to contemporary research practice.

Date:

16 Sept 2024

Client:

Epigeum, SAGE Publications

Project details

A major area of development was the integration of artificial intelligence. New content was added to explore how AI tools are increasingly used in research, alongside the ethical considerations, limitations, and uncertainties associated with their use. Rather than presenting AI as purely positive or negative, the course was redesigned to encourage critical reflection and responsible practice.

The update also placed much greater emphasis on postgraduate mental health, wellbeing, and burnout. New content was introduced to acknowledge the emotional and psychological demands of research, normalise help-seeking, and signpost supportive strategies and resources. This was complemented by the inclusion of new material on neurodiversity, ensuring that the course better reflected the diverse ways researchers think, work, and experience academia.

From a learning design perspective, one of the most significant changes was a comprehensive reduction in overall word count. Long blocks of text and passive note-taking activities were systematically removed and replaced with meaningful interactivity, structured reflection, and knowledge checks. This shift aimed to make the learning experience more active, accessible, and respectful of learners’ time and cognitive load.

The programme’s video interviews were also refreshed, with updated contributions from experts to reflect current research culture and challenges.

My contribution

As the learning designer, I was responsible for:

Pedagogical redesign
Rethinking the learning approach to prioritise active engagement, clarity, and cognitive accessibility, including a significant reduction in text-heavy content.
Interactivity and assessment design
Removing passive note-taking activities and replacing them with purposeful interactions and knowledge checks that supported understanding and retention.
Artificial intelligence content development
Leading the inclusion of new material on AI in research, with a strong focus on ethical considerations and responsible use.
Wellbeing and inclusion
Introducing expanded content on postgraduate mental health, burnout, and neurodiversity, ensuring these topics were handled sensitively and embedded meaningfully within the course.
Content and editorial oversight
Reviewing, editing, and restructuring existing material to improve flow, tone, and accessibility.
Multimedia refresh
Updating video interviews with subject experts to ensure relevance, diversity of perspective, and alignment with the revised learning objectives.