A script for change: Using theatre to facilitate difficult conversations about graduate supervision

un script transformateur :Utiliser le théâtre pour faciliter les conversations difficiles sur la supervision des étudiants aux cycles supérieurs

Authors

  • Susan Cox University of British Columbia
  • Matthew Smithdeal
  • Michael Lee University of British Columbia

Keywords:

Graduate supervision, Pedagogy, well-being, diversity and inclusivity, open educational resource, video

Abstract

Graduate supervision profoundly impacts graduate student, faculty, and staff wellbeing. Tensions within supervisory relationships are further complicated by equity and inclusion related barriers facing marginalized communities within academia. To address this situation, we created Rock the Boat, an open access educational resource that uses Research-based Theatre to provoke dialogue about supervisory relationships. Rock the Boat includes four professionally acted scenes plus a facilitator’s guide and supplementary resources. Our online piloting process supports the effectiveness of Rock the Boat in generating dialogue and enhancing perspective-taking, empathy, and reflective practice among participants. This paper offers a narrative review of the process of creating Rock the Boat, detailing many decisions made during the transition from live theatre workshops to film and online discussion.

Author Biographies

Susan Cox, University of British Columbia

is Chair in Biomedical Ethics and Director of the W. Maurice Young Centre for Applied Ethics in the School of Population and Public Health, University of British Columbia

Matthew Smithdeal

is a PhD candidate in the Department of Philosophy at the University of British Columbia.

Michael Lee, University of British Columbia

is a Professor of Teaching and the Associate Head of Educational Affairs at the Department of Occupational Science and Occupational Therapy, University of British Columbia.

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Published

2025-05-31

How to Cite

Cox, S., Smithdeal, M., & Lee, M. (2025). A script for change: Using theatre to facilitate difficult conversations about graduate supervision: un script transformateur :Utiliser le théâtre pour faciliter les conversations difficiles sur la supervision des étudiants aux cycles supérieurs. McGill Journal of Education / Revue Des Sciences De l’éducation De McGill, 59(1), 111–130. Retrieved from https://mje.mcgill.ca/article/view/10277