{"id":6640,"date":"2020-04-29T16:08:09","date_gmt":"2020-04-29T13:08:09","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/aole2017test.aalto-legroup.seravo.fi\/?p=6640"},"modified":"2020-04-29T16:55:56","modified_gmt":"2020-04-29T13:55:56","slug":"ma-thesis-journey-project","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/onlinelearning.aalto.fi\/aol\/blog\/6640-ma-thesis-journey-project","title":{"rendered":"MA Thesis Journey Project"},"content":{"rendered":"

In this guest post, the team of the project MA Thesis Journey reflect on their own journey with this project so far. MA Thesis Journey is part of one of our Aalto Online Learning pilots.
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Motivation of the students
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The Master\u2019s thesis is experienced by students as the culmination of their studies. Worth 30 of the 120 ECTS credits needed to graduate, it\u2019s a major part of their degree workload and grade point average. Aalto\u2019s Department of Design has five programs in design with an annual cohort averaging 135 students, including an intake of 70 students. A further 45-60 students are continuing directly from Bachelor\u2019s studies, and additional students on exchange or through our Tongji University cooperation.<\/p>\n

Students from these varied backgrounds pursue Master\u2019s theses with an array of methods, in wide-ranging subjects, and with different types and amounts of guidance. This diversity can make it difficult to scope the thesis topic, plan the workload, navigate the process and know when to stop.<\/p>\n

For many, the Master\u2019s thesis is their first or biggest individual and academic endeavor, and especially when employment opportunities beckon, it can be challenging to stay on the course.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

At the same time, on-time graduation of students is prioritized as a \u2018key performance indicator\u2019 under the renewed policy of Finland\u2019s Ministry of Education and Culture. The volume and the timeliness of student completion thus directly affect governmental funding granted to the university. In the Department of Design, we have identified the master\u2019s thesis as one of the main challenges to on-time graduation.<\/p>\n

Objective of the project<\/h3>\n

Our aim in the project \u2018MA Thesis Journey\u2019 is to improve the educational framework and student experience of Master\u2019s thesis work. This departmental project is part of a larger, coordinated effort within the School of Arts, Design and Architecture, including a revised \u2018MA Thesis Guide\u2019. At the same time, organizational changes within university Learning Services entail how to integrate pedagogical experts and program coordinators.<\/p>\n

The project builds on previous pilots, best practices and tools benchmarked from departmental \u2018joint studies\u2019, from within the department\u2019s five Master\u2019s programs and from other departments across the university. Having identified existing and potential online elements (e.g. information and teaching materials for students, synchronized and networked tools for staff), we initiated an Aalto Online Learning project within the larger project.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
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Figure 1. MA thesis duration historically (2019 and 2018) within the Department of Design (programs include: CoID Collaborative and Industrial Design; CS – Creative Sustainability; FaCT – Fashion, Clothing and Textile Design; IDBM International Design Business Management; CoDE – Contemporary Design, and; PSD Product and Spatial Design). While there are many variables likely affecting such statistics (e.g. the introduction of tuition fees for non-EU\/EEA students and the PSD program closure), profound challenges revealed in these charts and our Program Review generally motivated the launch of the \u2018MA Thesis Journey\u2019 project. (click to enlarge graphs)<\/em><\/p>\n

\u2018MA Thesis Journey\u2019 so far<\/h3>\n

Phase 2 is now underway. Phase 1 included several work-packages reviewing the current situation: including thesis-related courses; supervisor, advisor and examiner roles and policies; presentation and finalization procedures, and; a support framework for thesis work in terms of three distinct stages (see Figure 2). Phase 2 analyzes and operationalizes findings and benchmarks in terms of policies, guidelines, terminologies, procedures and tools for students, faculty and administrators. Milestones include a \u2018Thesis Kickoff\u2019 in May within the \u2018Design Research\u2019 course for first-year Master\u2019s students and launch of the online \u2018Thesis Portal\u2019 in August as second-years start to make their thesis plans.<\/p>\n

The project has involved diverse stakeholders in various expert and collaboration roles. Work-packages include departmental faculty and Learning Services experts. Program heads, coordinators and delegates participate in key activities, including a \u2018Learning Caf\u00e9\u2019 (see Figure 3), faculty discussions take place in department meetings, and the Head of Department is engaged throughout. Through questionnaires and the departmental student associations, student learnings and ideas are also included.<\/p>\n

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\nFigure 2. Development schedule of different work-packages. (click to enlarge)
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\nFigure 3. Learning Caf\u00e9, 20 January 2020. Photo: Namkyu Chun.<\/em><\/p>\n

Key outcomes<\/h3>\n

As a result, outcomes of the project will include:<\/p>\n