The Long Distance Viva
A video viva is still just a viva in the same way that an ebook is still just a book. There are fundamentals that we would expect in both cases – a conversation in a viva, text in a book...
video vivas
Video Viva Expectations
Last March I asked for examiners and PhD graduates to share their experiences of being part of a video viva. Lots of generous people shared their stories, observations and advice. A consistent detail – from the examiner perspective – was...
The Next Normal
We’ve not quite found the new form of the viva. In the UK, they’re all over video for now, but it’s too soon to say if that’s going to be normal from now on. There’s definite benefits: potentially greater choice for...
Comfortable Silence
There are many reasons for silence in the viva: A moment while a broadband router buffers in the background. Time while a page is consulted or a note made. Processing time while someone thinks through the implications of a comment....
New Expectations?
It’ll take time to figure out what vivas look like now. Old, settled norms of “vivas are about this long” or “vivas have this kind of structure” will be in flux a little. Examiners will have to tweak their approaches,...
A Trial Run
Mock vivas have always been a good idea. A space to rehearse for the viva, an opportunity to build confidence at responding to questions and gain certainty that you’re prepared for the real thing. Now, more than ever, a mock...