HDR Skills Week: 22-26 May 2023
HDR Skills week returned in 2023 with something for all HDR candidates. With a variety of online and in-person learning opportunities, there were sessions to help HDR candidates do everything from developing digital skills through to research knowledge and interpersonal competencies. This year's program even had two in-person networking afternoon teas which provided the opportunity to build your network.
Program Overview
| MONDAY 22 MAY | TUESDAY 23 MAY | WEDNESDAY 24 MAY | THURSDAY 25 MAY | FRIDAY 26 MAY |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Introduction to Machine Learning in R9 AM - 1 PM (Nathan and online) | Using iLab to Access Research Facilities10 - 10:30 AM (online) Planning the Impact of Your Research11 - 11:30 AM (online) | Introduction to Programming in Python9 AM - 1 PM (Gold Coast and online) | Improving Intercultural Communication Skills9 - 10 AM (online) | |
Plan Your Project With Excel12 - 2 PM (online) | Scoping out Research with Surveys12 - 1:30 PM (online) | Managing Your Supervisor12 - 2 PM (online) | ||
Healthy and Assertive Communication2 - 3 PM (Nathan) Building Connections Over Afternoon Tea3 - 4 PM (Nathan) | Obsidian: Knowledge Management for Researchers3 - 4 PM (Nathan) | Healthy and Assertive Communication2 - 3 PM (Gold Coast) Building Connections Over Afternoon Tea3 - 4 PM (Gold Coast) | Obsidian: Knowledge Management for Researchers3 - 4 PM (Gold Coast) |
Session Descriptions
Introduction to Machine Learning in R
RESCHEDULED DATE: Thursday 22 June, 9 AM – 1 PM, Nathan and online
Facilitator: Isaac Jennings, eResearch Analyst
This workshop will explore linear regression and k-Nearest Neighbours classification as two foundational supervised machine learning techniques. The workshop will ground attendees in a common modelling process, before exploring key machine learning pre-processing techniques. Followed by practical implementation of linear regression and k-Nearest Neighbour algorithms. Attending this workshop will enable you to:
- Understand key differences between supervised and unsupervised learning, and their respective use cases.
- Understand and apply key stages of the modelling process using R such as data splitting, sampling, hyperparameters and model packages such as caret.
- Interpret model evaluation metrics.
- Understand the linear regression algorithm.
- Define a linear regression problem and apply regression techniques to predict quantitative data using a test dataset.
- Understand the k-Nearest Neighbour algorithm.
- Define a k-Nearest Neighbour problem and apply classification techniques to predict qualitative outputs using a test data set.
- Apply hyperparameter tuning techniques to identify an optimal k value for k-Nearest Neighbour problems.
It is recommended that attendees have an intermediate understanding of programming in R within RStudio. No prior knowledge of machine learning is required.
Please bring your laptop to the workshop if you attend in-person so you can follow along with the facilitator.
Note: This workshop was originally scheduled to take place during HDR Skills Week.
Healthy and Assertive Communication
Monday 22 May, 2 – 3 PM, Nathan
Wednesday 24 May, 2 – 3 PM, Gold Coast
Facilitator: Jaimee Bishop, Counsellor, Student Health, Counselling & Wellbeing
This workshop will cover how to be an assertive and healthy communicator. We will discuss passive, assertive and aggressive communication and how to stay calm during stress and conflict. We will also cover how to set boundaries and say no to protect your time and energy for the things that matter most. You will learn:
- How to communicate effectively
- How to set boundaries
- How to regulate stress
Using iLab to access research facilities across Griffith
Tuesday 23 May, 10 – 10:30 AM (online)
Facilitator: Dorlene Bradshaw, Research Infrastructure Coordinator, Office for Research
This session will provide a quick overview of iLab, Griffith’s research facility management platform. During this session, students will gain an understanding of iLab and how it is used at a number of research facilities across Griffith. The session will go over basic iLab terminology, what information is needed to register and how to register. It will cover:
- What is iLab?
- What facilities require an iLab registration before use?
- What information do I need to register for iLab?
- How do I register for iLab?
Planning the impact of your research
Tuesday 23 May, 11 – 11:30 AM (online)
Facilitator: Louise Barnsbee, Research Impact Coordinator, Office for Research
Research Impact is a growing part of research agendas worldwide, and is the key pillar of Griffith's current Research and Innovation Plan. This is increasingly the means through which Universities demonstrate the importance of research to key funders. But what is research impact? What resources are available at Griffith to support impact? This session will cover key information including:
- Understanding research impact.
- The Research Impact Hub (available on request to students).
- Records of Impact software.
- The relevance of research impact to career development.
Plan Your Project With Excel
Tuesday 23 May, 12 – 2 PM (online)
Facilitator: Julie Somers, Digital Capability Adviser, Library
Microsoft Excel is very handy for analysing and presenting data, but it has many other uses as well. In this session you’ll reacquaint yourself with Excel terminology and use some of Excel’s inbuilt functionality to produce a Project Timeline with a variety of views.
On completion of this session, you should be able to:
- Populate and format data ranges
- Do a basic sort
- Create and autofill Formulas
- Make, move and resize a standard Excel bar chart
- Add a second data series to a chart
- Transform a bar chart into a Gantt chart
- Save a chart as an image
- Copy and rename worksheets
Obsidian: Knowledge management for researchers
Tuesday 23 May, 3 – 4 PM, Nathan
Thursday 25 May, 3 – 4 PM, Gold Coast
Facilitator: Yuri Banens, Digital Capability Advisor, Library
Obsidian is a free, highly extensible, multi-platform personal knowledge management (PKM) application built on a folder of text-based Markdown files. It has several features that make it useful to researchers and writers. This workshop aims to get researchers started with Obsidian and to explore some of the ways it can improve their academic workflow.
By the end of the session participants should be able to:
- Install and navigate an Obsidian vault
- Edit pages using basic Markdown
- Add tags and YAML frontmatter to pages
- Create internal and external links
- Explore and activate core plugins
- Install community themes and plugins
- Create and use page templates
Introduction to Programming in Python
Wednesday 24 May, 9 AM – 1 PM, Gold Coast and online
Facilitator: Isaac Jennings, eResearch Analyst
This workshop will explore introductory programming concepts in the popular programming language Python. Bring your laptop and follow along as we walk through getting started in Python 3, variables, data types and conversion, built-in functions, useful libraries, loops, and visualisation. You will learn how to:
- Use a common Python integrated development environment program.
- Assign variables and manipulate using built in functions.
- Load common Python libraries to perform data analysis and visualisation.
- Implement for loops and other conditional statements such as if / else for reproducibility.
- Define functions for reproducibility.
- Visualise insights from data processed using Python.
This workshop is suitable for HDR candidates with little or no previous programming experience, at any stage of the candidature journey.
Please bring your laptop to the workshop if you attend in-person so you can follow along with the facilitator.
Improving intercultural communication skills
Thursday 25 May, 9 – 10 AM (online)
Facilitator: John Smith, Assistant Director of Studies, University Programs, Griffith International
This webinar on intercultural communication skills will enhance participants' cultural awareness and build confidence in navigating cross-cultural exchanges. Through interactive activities and discussions, you will gain valuable insights into various cultural dimensions and frameworks, including Hofstede's Cultural Dimension model, to better understand and appreciate diverse perspectives. Participants will walk away with practical tools and strategies to effectively communicate, collaborate, and foster stronger relationships across cultural boundaries.
Scoping out research with surveys: from conception, to data, to analysis: Griffith training options
Thursday 25 May, 12 – 1:30 PM (online)
Facilitator: Associate Professor Samantha Low-Choy, Senior Statistician, Office of the Pro-Vice Chancellor, Arts, Education and Law Group
Ever wondered what is involved in conducting research with surveys? Here we describe a lifecycle for developing surveys. We start with the conception of the idea, and how that evolves into a concrete strategy for deciding what data to collect and the methods for analysing it. Along the way, we note what training options are available at Griffith, depending on the lifepath you choose for your survey, and how early decisions may have substantial impacts on your results.
This webinar has been presented at ResBaz and at conferences. It aims to:
- Better prepare HDRs at Griffith for undertaking surveys.
- Raise awareness of what surveys could involve.
- Clarify relevance of Griffith training delivered via RED or other sources.
- Highlight impact of early decisions on the quality of data and subsequent analysis.
Any researcher seeking to scope out their survey-based research may find this session useful.
This session is specifically designed to be inclusive of HDR candidates with little background in surveys or research.
Managing Your Supervisor
Friday 26 May, 12 – 2 PM
Facilitator: Hugh Kearns, Thinkwell
The relationship you have with your supervisor will have a huge bearing on your HDR experience. New candidates tend to assume that it is the supervisor’s responsibility to manage the relationship and can tend to be a bit passive. However, it is your PhD and you need to be active in the supervisory relationship. Supervisors are usually overworked, under a lot of pressure and like all of us, are not perfect. As an HDR candidate you need to have some strategies to work effectively with your supervisor.
In this workshop you will learn:
- How to deal with different supervisory styles
- Differing expectations
- How to use meetings to help you make progress
- Asking for and dealing with feedback
- Dealing with difficult situations
Building Your Connections Over Afternoon Tea
Monday 22 May, 3 – 4 PM, Nathan
Wednesday 24 May, 3 – 4 PM, Gold Coast
Having an expanded network of connections can benefit you in many ways throughout your candidature and beyond – from helping to identify research opportunities to fostering a sense of community at Griffith. Join us over afternoon tea for an informal networking session with other HDR candidates. You will have the opportunity to build your social network with HDR candidates from various disciplines.
Bite-sized Resources
Short on time (or motivation)? Be inspired by this collection of short, easy-to-digest articles and resources:
Looking for something more in-depth? Try a MOOC
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