A presentation for the 'Quality in postgraduate research' (QPR)

Conference in Adelaide, Australia April 17 - 19, 2012

Shut up
and
Write!
Facilitating informal learning
in doctoral education
Difficulties providing writing support
Different levels of skill/confidence on entry

'Immersion' in discipline is not guaranteed

anymore

Diversity of research disciplines with new /

fluid writing practices

Resourcing...
Experiences at 2 institutions (+... ?)
1. 'Imported' by Inger at RMIT via Thesis
Whisperer blog / Twitter
2.
3. Adopted by Lindy at QUT using Facebook

4. "The Age" article + Google map established

5. UTS library runs sessions other groups

forming / dying?

6. Some virtual groups begun (via Twitter)

The original premise is simple:

"There will then be 15-30 minutes of social time to get to

know each other and possibly discuss personal writing
successes such as getting published or overcoming writing
resistance in some small way. No critiquing, exercises,
lectures, ego, competition or feeling guilty.

http://www.meetup.com/shutupandwriteSFO/
Shut up and What?!
'Meet up' (gather in a specific location at a pre
agreed time each week)
Then
Talk / drink coffee / eat for up to half an hour
Then
"Shut up and Write!" - a 25 min 'writing sprint'
Then
More talking, coffee and eating - maybe
another 'sprint'
Who comes?
Varies, but has included all of the following:

Students (from any university):

PhD
Masters (research and coursework)
Honours
Even some undergraduates
Academics (especially ECRs)
Professional staff in 'quasi academic' roles
#qutrmit
Informal learning in doctoral ed?
Some successes already with 'semi structured'
approaches, eg: writing circles
(Boud, Cohen & Sampson, 2001; Stracke, 2010; Devenish et al, 2009, Lee and
Atchinson, 2009 amongst others)

Shut up and Write! differs in key ways:

Primarily social
No 'centre' (facilitator or similar)
No set texts / lesson plans
No onus to share results of work
Paper underway includes:
Paper discusses:
Is there still 'learning'?
Yes Jim - but not as we know it

Participants report they learn:

Writing / productivity techniques
Technical 'tricks' - esp new cloud / social software
Aspects of the 'hidden curriculum' of the PhD (Ward,
forthcoming)
'Mundane' dimensions of academic practice
(conferences, committees, peer reviewing, dealing
with cantankerous colleagues etc)

+ Bonding with others in similar circumstances is helpful

What can we learn?
Traditional classroom teaching and learning bound by time,
space... and rules and regulation. By contrast Shut up and
Write! is 'performative':

Contingent on actors (including non human ones)

Different every time it is enacted therefore:
Can't predict outcomes
Can't 'quality assure' experience
Provides space for different kinds of identity
work, but:
Identity of 'professional writer' is most readily
available
People + Food + Drink + Writing

= FUN
Can I join?
Everyone is welcome at:

Shut up and Write! Brisbane

QUT | Mondays 3.00pm | Roundhouse Theatre Caf | QUT KG
QUT | Tuesdays 3.00pm | Artisans Cafe | QUT GP
QUT | Fridays 9.30am | Artisans Cafe | QUT GP

Shut up and Write! Melbourne

RMIT | Fridays 9.00am | The bench table up the back @ Pearson
and Murphy's Cafe | RMIT city campus

Follow @tweeting_tomato or join "Shut up and Write!"

Brisbane Facebook page for real time information
Questions / comments?

More information:

inger.mewburn@rmit.edu.au
(aka: @thesiswhisperer)
lindy.
osborne@qut.edu.au
(aka: @LindyOsborne)

g.caldwell@qut.edu.au
(aka: @Glenda_C_)