Digital shifting in doctoral supervision: different routes to the same destination

Abstract

The coronavirus pandemic activated an emergency shift to remote supervision which is now shaping longer term changes to our supervision practice. Through a narrative lens on experience, this paper shares the perspectives of two doctoral supervisors who have different relationships with remote supervision. Our means towards similar ends present interesting contrasts in practice and attitudes to online learning. Our experiences during this transition have been different, which may resonate with challenges facing other supervisors across the Higher Education sector. The informal ‘corridor conversations’ with our doctoral students are seemingly a thing of the past, so we explore the strategies we have put in place, or, re-evaluate the online opportunities which were already in place, that now form a critical lifeline to build and maintain those relationships. Through our stories, it is hoped useful lessons may be learned, with the aim of improving the supervisory experience for doctoral students.