Keywords
Boot camp, pedagogy, dissertation writers
Abstract
Dissertation boot camp (DBC) programs have been adopted at many postsecondary institutions across North America over the last decade. Responding to Simpson’s (2013) call for writing centers to do more than simply share anecdotal information about the effects of their DBC programs, the authors of this mixed-methods study assess the benefits of these programs for doctoral students. The study evaluates three DBC delivery models—online, sustained, and retreat—in order to determine each model’s effect on doctoral students’ writing behaviors, confidence levels, and anxiety. By conducting a more robust statistical analysis than has been possible in other preliminary work on DBC programming, the paper corroborates Busl, Donnelly, & Capdevielle’s (2015) finding that “Writing Process” DBCs are more beneficial to doctoral students than “Just Write” DBCs. The authors ultimately find that doctoral students experience positive outcomes from all three DBC models and are likely to self-select based on the model that best suits their individual needs. The results of this study indicate that postsecondary institutions ought to consider offering a variety of DBC programming in order to meet the needs of diverse graduate-student populations.
Citation Information
Type of Source: Journal Article
Authors: Nadine Fladd, Clare Bermingham, Nicole Westlund Stewart
Year of Publication: 2019
Title: “Evaluating the Effectiveness of Dissertation Boot Camp Delivery“
Publication: WCJ, 37(2)