Some research milestones become even more meaningful when shared with the people who have been part of the journey. That is exactly how I felt at the PhD pre-submission seminar of my co-researcher, Shinas F., who personally invited me to be part of the day.
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A PhD Pre-Submission Seminar Worth Celebrating
I was delighted to attend, and I felt honoured by the invitation. A pre-submission seminar is the stage at which a scholar presents the completed research to a panel of experts before the thesis is submitted. It is a moment to share findings, listen to suggestions and refine the work.
It was wonderful that most of us, his fellow research scholars from Govt College of Teacher Education, Trivandrum, could attend in person at the Department of Education, Kariavattom campus. Such occasions are more than academic milestones. They are opportunities to learn from one another, exchange ideas and share in the progress of fellow researchers.
For those new to research, a PhD pre-submission seminar is a public presentation of the study before the final thesis is submitted. The scholar explains the research problem, the method followed and the main findings, and then answers questions from the panel and the audience. The suggestions that come out of it often make the final thesis clearer and stronger, which is why every scholar is expected to go through it.
Machine Learning Meets the Classroom
His research focused on the Effectiveness of Machine Learning-Based Instruction, an interesting area at the intersection of technology and education. Machine learning offers exciting possibilities for teaching and learning, and a study like his asks the question that matters most: does it truly help students learn, or is it merely new?
UNESCO notes that artificial intelligence could help address major challenges in education, as long as its use is guided by inclusion and equity. Careful research on how such methods work in real classrooms is what makes that possible.
The Panel Behind the Seminar
The seminar was guided by his research supervisor, Prof. (Dr.) Issac Paul, currently the Principal of Govt. Brennen College of Teacher Education, Kannur. The external expert was Prof. (Dr.) A. Minikutty, Professor and Head (Retd.), School of Pedagogical Sciences, Mahatma Gandhi University.
A supervisor guides a scholar through years of work, and an external expert brings a fresh pair of eyes to it. Together they make a pre-submission seminar both a test and a gift.
3 Inspiring Lessons From a Fellow Scholar
- Milestones mean more when they are shared. A PhD pre-submission seminar is richer when friends and fellow scholars are in the room.
- Every pre-submission holds countless hours. Reading, reflection, research and perseverance all lie behind the day, and reaching this stage is an achievement worth celebrating.
- Scholars learn best from one another. We exchange ideas, and we pick up new ways of seeing our own work.
I have written before about another friend’s seminar in A Mother Doing a PhD: What I Learned at a Pre-Submission Seminar. My own study is still taking shape, and each seminar I attend shows me a little more of the road ahead.
Returning to research in my 50s has taught me that this road is easier when we do not walk it alone. Sitting in the audience at a PhD pre-submission seminar, I am reminded that every scholar, whatever the age or the stage, is working towards the same day. If you are a woman wondering whether it is too late to begin again, let this be your gentle nudge: step out of your comfort zone and find your people.
Wishing Shinas F. the very best for the remaining stages of his doctoral journey. May he move smoothly towards his Open Defence and the successful completion of his PhD!
If you are on a research journey yourself, whose milestone could you show up for this month? Tell me in the comments.