Building enduring collaborations – Chris Watling reflects on his CRADLE visit
7 December 2018
At the beginning of November, Prof. Chris Watling (Centre for Education Research and Innovation, Western University) arrived for a one-month stay at CRADLE. His visit included plenty of discussions with the CRADLE team, a CRADLE Seminar Series presentation, and many opportunities for future collaboration. Before returning to Canada, Chris took the time to reflect on his time at CRADLE – from the chance to reset and refresh his research thinking to an encounter with an echidna!
Q. What did you hope to achieve from your visit to CRADLE?
I hoped to build collaborations with researchers at CRADLE, first and foremost. Feedback in medical education has been the focus of much of my own research work, and so the links to CRADLE were natural, with so many researchers here also interested in feedback. But we bring quite different perspectives to the work, which is what made the chance to visit, to engage in discussions, and to map out some ways of working together so appealing.
Q. What did you most enjoy about your time at CRADLE?
The people! Margaret, Rola, Phill, Jo, and David were so generous with their time and their ideas, and in addition are just genuinely lovely folks to hang out with. I also enjoyed a chance to do some teaching of writing – my favourite professional activity. And finally, it was marvelous to have the time to read and to think. My calendar at home is usually absolutely full, so a few weeks with a fairly clear schedule allowed me a rare chance to reset and refresh my research thinking.
Q. Have you come across any ideas or had any discussions which have challenged your thinking?
Yes, and that has been great – without regularly challenging our thinking we don’t really move forward. David and Phill’s work on feedback literacies has given me much to think about in terms of how learner agency might be better harnessed. And Rola, Margaret, and I regularly challenged each others’ thinking about culture – how we define it, how we conceptualize its role in learning, and how we might change it.
Q. How will your visit to CRADLE impact your future research directions?
I’m excited that my future work on how culture influences learning will be informed by a more sophisticated perspective on culture. I’m going home with three new study ideas sketched out, including some that will represent collaborative work with CRADLE, so I’m feeling the impact on my future research directions already!
Q. What is one thing you will take away with you from your visit?
I’ll take away a wonderful sense of having built friendships with a terrific group of thoughtful researchers. Finding people that you like to work with is a key step in developing productive research partnerships, so I think we’re on our way to what I hope will be some enduring collaborations.
Q. Best coffee spot and best dining spot you discovered in Melbourne?
I’ve never been to a city more dedicated to the coffee experience! My favourite spot was The Boatbuilders Yard – not strictly speaking a coffee shop, but a lovely place to have coffee, sit outdoors, and watch the city from the river’s edge. As for dining, I hesitate to name just one. A few standouts for me were Ombra, Chin Chin, and Delhi Streets.
One of Chris’ highlights – Wilsons Promontory National Park. Photo: CC BY:SA 3.0 Cfizart
Q. Highlight of your visit to Melbourne?
Professionally, it was the kindness and generosity of the new colleagues I met. Personally, my highlights were the three trips out of town I took on weekends – to the Grampians, Wilson’s Promontory, and the Great Ocean Road. I hiked up ancient mountains, through rainforests and gum forests, and along spectacular and nearly deserted beaches. I had some amazing up close encounters with wildlife – emus, kangaroos, wallabies, koalas, and even an echidna! And I got to trade a chilly and grey Canadian November for a sunny and bright Australian one!
