I can hardly believe that all my courses in the doctorate are now complete. I finished my last course in December (qualitative research) and have taken the past couple of weeks off to mentally rest. I now have to work on my proposal and get it into viable shape for a defense.
The course portion of the program was the 'easy' part because there were firm deadlines to follow and a group of peers to keep you motivated. Now I have to motivate myself a lot more. I am trying to set a series of self-imposed deadlines so that I know I am continuing to make progress. Having said that, I was getting impatient towards the end of the last course in the fall because over the years I have done lots of course work and research but not participated in an actual reserach project from start to finish. That is the exciting thing about this new stage of the program.
In the fall I started a new job and that partially explains the lack of regular contact with the blog as a means to capture my thougths. The new position is one that I am really enjoying and it does tie into my research interests BUT it is hard to separate the time from one task to the next. I find I have become a bit lazy and want to have my evenings to myself - not to be working on the doctorate. I imagine that is the problem that all of us doing a fulltime program and working fulltime face.
As an aside, I am going to miss all my peers in the program. Some of us will try to stay in touch but it is inevitable that without the regular contact through courses and face to face interactions many of us will loose touch. I guess that is another sad aspect of the end of courses. It would be good if there was a reason for all of us to get together in Calgary one more time but that is not reasonable with everyone's work taking such different turns.
Anyway, I have set a deadline of Jan 17 to send my supervisor an draft proposal that builds on the work from 700 and on the work from 701.01. We'll see at that point where I have to round out the work.
Gerona
Monday, January 10, 2011
Tuesday, October 5, 2010
Qualitative research
So here I am now completing my final course in the doctoral program. I am so glad I left this one until the last -- only because it is really bringing the past year and a half into focus. This time last year I had just started the doctoral seminar course and was being exposed to a whole new lexicon. That course gave me such a wonderful opportunity to explore worldviews and paradigms and as I muddled my way through I found that the middle ground that works for me. Pragmatism! Thankfully my supervisor shares this perspective and has built his academic world around it.
Now that I am doing this qualitative course I see how the program has been scaffolded. First I had to know the paradigm language, learn more about the specific discipline, and then be exposed to the methods. Some peers chose to do the 700 seminar and the methods courses in parallel but I don't think I would have had the same mind-enriching experience had I gone that route. I am very happy that I chose to do the courses in the order in which my dissertation will be written...paradigm, problem, methods.
On a concluding note, the first formal assignment for this course is an autobiographical reflection. Of all the papers and presentations in the program this is the one I have struggled with the most. The struggle continues...so an update next week on how I have addressed the paper.
G.
Now that I am doing this qualitative course I see how the program has been scaffolded. First I had to know the paradigm language, learn more about the specific discipline, and then be exposed to the methods. Some peers chose to do the 700 seminar and the methods courses in parallel but I don't think I would have had the same mind-enriching experience had I gone that route. I am very happy that I chose to do the courses in the order in which my dissertation will be written...paradigm, problem, methods.
On a concluding note, the first formal assignment for this course is an autobiographical reflection. Of all the papers and presentations in the program this is the one I have struggled with the most. The struggle continues...so an update next week on how I have addressed the paper.
G.
Tuesday, July 20, 2010
Year 2 - day ?
It has been about a week since the last post. This is the second of two weeks here in Calgary--the second and final of my two week residencies. Today I spoke to the first year students. I was so honored to have been asked to speak. Of course, immediately after agreeing to speak I thought "aghaaa...what do I have to impart?" Last year the people who spoke to me had such life changing experiences occur (cancer, deaths in the family, etc.) that I felt inadequate to address the possibilities of the depth of their experience. As humble as I feel, I hope my 'tips and tricks' will help the first year students adapt to their new environment. A large part of what we are doing as graduate students involve the idea of being mentors and co-creators of knowledge so I hope the first year students this year embrace the idea of collaboration and sharing knowledge as well as supporting each other.
And now I am off to work on my individual papers.
On a completely 'un-academic' level...no, I won't go there now...but stay tuned.
G.
And now I am off to work on my individual papers.
On a completely 'un-academic' level...no, I won't go there now...but stay tuned.
G.
Tuesday, July 13, 2010
Year 2 - Day 2...accessibility
Today we had a field trip to the Computer Science area. There are endless possibilities for content using the development structures discussed today. At the end of today I will focus on two ‘access’ issues in two very different geographic and economic contexts.
First, these kinds of virtual world/media rich projects are incredibly expensive to create. There is a valid argument to be made that in Canada at a publicly funded university or where grants come from the federal government via a funding agency all the materials produced should be openly available and shared. As a tax payer, yes, I want that access for students and professionals! What I wonder is what is in it for the producers in an academic context? Is it like MIT where you get bragging rights for developing the materials and build your resume that way as a student or faculty member?
Aside from the expense to create, what about the implicit expense passed on to students. Sure it is fair to say that this might replace expensive texts and that one of the key responsibilities of educators is to prepare students by ensuring they graduate able to interact with sophisticated technology they may be using in the workplace. My problem is when developers force students to buy a specific device. Surely we can start to get some convergence going with regards to interoperability. I don’t have a problem being told I need a laptop for my program (in fact I take that for granted). What I have a MAJOR problem with is being forced to purchase from a specific company regardless of the name of the company. How is it that publicly funded schools can mandate that you must have an iPad? Why would educators want to be Apple salespeople? (We could just as easily substitute Dell or whatever company here.)
Secondly, still on accessibility, as I have been telling many of you I had the absolute honour to have delivered a workshop in Zambia at the eLearning Africa Conference. Here were all these bright young people who just were thrilled that they could work uninterrupted on a computer for a couple of hours. The connectivity was unreliable, the computers ranging in age and loaded with open source products because the university could not afford licenses…The lab director made do with what he had and under the circumstances did an excellent job. Even if we shared all the educational resources we saw today freely with the world, where does the bandwidth heavy Second Life fit for educators in Africa? Where do the device-specific applications fit in a region where an iPhone goes on the black market for 1,800 dollars because there is no business case for Apple to invest in Africa and only the very rich can even contemplate owning such a status symbol?
I wish I had answers to the questions above! For now it is just a confused mix of endless wonderful possibilities punctuated by indignation and outrage.
G.
First, these kinds of virtual world/media rich projects are incredibly expensive to create. There is a valid argument to be made that in Canada at a publicly funded university or where grants come from the federal government via a funding agency all the materials produced should be openly available and shared. As a tax payer, yes, I want that access for students and professionals! What I wonder is what is in it for the producers in an academic context? Is it like MIT where you get bragging rights for developing the materials and build your resume that way as a student or faculty member?
Aside from the expense to create, what about the implicit expense passed on to students. Sure it is fair to say that this might replace expensive texts and that one of the key responsibilities of educators is to prepare students by ensuring they graduate able to interact with sophisticated technology they may be using in the workplace. My problem is when developers force students to buy a specific device. Surely we can start to get some convergence going with regards to interoperability. I don’t have a problem being told I need a laptop for my program (in fact I take that for granted). What I have a MAJOR problem with is being forced to purchase from a specific company regardless of the name of the company. How is it that publicly funded schools can mandate that you must have an iPad? Why would educators want to be Apple salespeople? (We could just as easily substitute Dell or whatever company here.)
Secondly, still on accessibility, as I have been telling many of you I had the absolute honour to have delivered a workshop in Zambia at the eLearning Africa Conference. Here were all these bright young people who just were thrilled that they could work uninterrupted on a computer for a couple of hours. The connectivity was unreliable, the computers ranging in age and loaded with open source products because the university could not afford licenses…The lab director made do with what he had and under the circumstances did an excellent job. Even if we shared all the educational resources we saw today freely with the world, where does the bandwidth heavy Second Life fit for educators in Africa? Where do the device-specific applications fit in a region where an iPhone goes on the black market for 1,800 dollars because there is no business case for Apple to invest in Africa and only the very rich can even contemplate owning such a status symbol?
I wish I had answers to the questions above! For now it is just a confused mix of endless wonderful possibilities punctuated by indignation and outrage.
G.
The shallows
I have not yet read "The Shallows" but I definitely will! I have heard the premise is that the Internet has made us consumers of shallow but broad information. Jack of all trades, master of none?
I studied English literature as an undergraduate and part of the program was learning to appreciate how much the actual spoken and written language changed over time. Chaucerian English (spoken and written) is totally different to Shakespearean/Elizabethan to 18th Century, etc. What we have witnessed is that speech patterns became less complex, and reading and writing became more accessible to the ‘masses’. As such the transfer of information, theoretically, became more accessible. Is not the Internet just the continuation of that process? A new lexicon is developing (shorter, quicker) because we type it not speak it? The shallowness did not start with the Internet; it is just its latest iteration.
We live in a culture of multi-tasking and whether it is the internet, a report for work, a tv show, or a book, we just don’t have the time to focus on ANYTHING in great depth. So are we shallow because of the internet? Was the Internet just in time to address our need for shallow but broad knowledge? Or is it like the great vowel shift that took place somewhere between the 13 and 15th centuries in England…No one really knows but it is alive and embedded in our speech.
G.
I studied English literature as an undergraduate and part of the program was learning to appreciate how much the actual spoken and written language changed over time. Chaucerian English (spoken and written) is totally different to Shakespearean/Elizabethan to 18th Century, etc. What we have witnessed is that speech patterns became less complex, and reading and writing became more accessible to the ‘masses’. As such the transfer of information, theoretically, became more accessible. Is not the Internet just the continuation of that process? A new lexicon is developing (shorter, quicker) because we type it not speak it? The shallowness did not start with the Internet; it is just its latest iteration.
We live in a culture of multi-tasking and whether it is the internet, a report for work, a tv show, or a book, we just don’t have the time to focus on ANYTHING in great depth. So are we shallow because of the internet? Was the Internet just in time to address our need for shallow but broad knowledge? Or is it like the great vowel shift that took place somewhere between the 13 and 15th centuries in England…No one really knows but it is alive and embedded in our speech.
G.
Monday, July 12, 2010
Year 2 - Day 1...Public vs Private
OK-So it is the first day of classes and even though I am a second year student I am feeling just as overwhelmed as I did at this time last year. On the positive side, it has been great to re-connect with many of the colleagues from last year and to meet the new cohort. One funny thing is how much everyone's area of interest is becoming more refined.
In class today we had an interesting discussion of the public versus private environments. I am conflicted to some degree between the benefits of an open and accessible environment and a closed, secure one. On the one hand, why am I paying such high fees if all the technology I am using in the program is open source and free to the university as well as, in many cases, open to the public. Yes, I realise I will get credit for participation while the general public who have interest in the area won't.
I also do not fear the loss of my 'intellectual property' but rather I wonder if people will be more likely to take chances and put ideas out there if they are operating in a secure, supportive environment. Maybe it is a confidence issue? Perhaps one becomes more of an authority and have a discipline-specific rubric/standard by which to evaluate our musings better we may be more likely to embrace a completely open environment.
I am not 100% sure of how the next two weeks will evolve but I am confident that all things will fall into place.
In class today we had an interesting discussion of the public versus private environments. I am conflicted to some degree between the benefits of an open and accessible environment and a closed, secure one. On the one hand, why am I paying such high fees if all the technology I am using in the program is open source and free to the university as well as, in many cases, open to the public. Yes, I realise I will get credit for participation while the general public who have interest in the area won't.
I also do not fear the loss of my 'intellectual property' but rather I wonder if people will be more likely to take chances and put ideas out there if they are operating in a secure, supportive environment. Maybe it is a confidence issue? Perhaps one becomes more of an authority and have a discipline-specific rubric/standard by which to evaluate our musings better we may be more likely to embrace a completely open environment.
I am not 100% sure of how the next two weeks will evolve but I am confident that all things will fall into place.
Friday, June 4, 2010
eLearning Africa experience
Being between semesters I am supposed to be reading material related to my thesis topic/candidacy paper. I did start with good intentions but I have been side tracked a little preparing for and attending the 5th eLearning Africa conference. in Zambia Africa. I conducted a 1/2 day workshop there and also did a presentation on ePortfolios. While not related directly to my doctoral work the preparation and attendance was informative and has reinforced for me that I need to get my doctoral credential in order to more fully participate in these kinds of initiatives in the future.
My workshop was on Open Source tools that can be easily incorporated into a course or used by an instructor to improve communication with their students. It was a good experience just preparing for the workshop and I met some great people that afternoon.
The conference was largely focused on mobile technologies and Open Educational Resources--both topics will be covered more this coming summer in the two classes I am signed up for. So ultimately while I am not working specifically on doctoral readings it is all converging on one level or another.
Now that I am back I am reading Curtis Bonk's The World is Open. A fitting transition to the world of being a student again.
Gerona
My workshop was on Open Source tools that can be easily incorporated into a course or used by an instructor to improve communication with their students. It was a good experience just preparing for the workshop and I met some great people that afternoon.
The conference was largely focused on mobile technologies and Open Educational Resources--both topics will be covered more this coming summer in the two classes I am signed up for. So ultimately while I am not working specifically on doctoral readings it is all converging on one level or another.
Now that I am back I am reading Curtis Bonk's The World is Open. A fitting transition to the world of being a student again.
Gerona
Wednesday, May 19, 2010
Looking forward to summer 2010's courses
I am supposed to be doing some reading related to my dissertation this month. Actually I have done some reading but mostly related to the summer courses for 2010. I am enjoying having a break and need some time to get mentally prepared for year 2 of the Journey.
These past couple of weeks I have been working on getting prepared for a workshop and presentation I have to do at eLearning Africa. I have the workbook prepared for the workshop, the eP presentation ready and am just finalizing details. How does this relate to my doctoral studies? Directly it does not since it is not contributing to my proposal or my dissertation but it is contributing to my professional development and giving me the opportunity to leverage some of the knowledge I have gained in the program. Another aspect of this month is that it has me thinking about my future and what I want to do with a doctorate. Here is where my love of travel, education and technology can come together! Ah, but first things first...do my two courses this summer and the final one next fall and then focus on the next phase.
G.
These past couple of weeks I have been working on getting prepared for a workshop and presentation I have to do at eLearning Africa. I have the workbook prepared for the workshop, the eP presentation ready and am just finalizing details. How does this relate to my doctoral studies? Directly it does not since it is not contributing to my proposal or my dissertation but it is contributing to my professional development and giving me the opportunity to leverage some of the knowledge I have gained in the program. Another aspect of this month is that it has me thinking about my future and what I want to do with a doctorate. Here is where my love of travel, education and technology can come together! Ah, but first things first...do my two courses this summer and the final one next fall and then focus on the next phase.
G.
Wednesday, April 14, 2010
End of year 1 (just about)
I am at a loss this week. For the first time in 10 months I have nothing pressing to do. The work for the doctoral seminar course has concluded with each of us developing a mock proposal with a focus on the theoretical framework and worldview and the design being only thoughts at this point. The comments from classmates and the exercise of reading and asking questions to our peers was very informative. I then took a chance and sent the mock proposal to my supervisor who indicated he liked what he saw. I am working on a reading list now to help develop my thinking.
The quantitative methods course is also at an end. It was a valuable experience as well since the focus was on understanding the material and not on actually doing the calculations. I have finished my paper for the course and we have our final elluminate Live session tomorrow evening.
For the rest of April and then May and June I can read, rest and refresh. This summer I will be taking two courses again. With some luck I will be done my courses by Christmas and can then work on my proposal. I am looking forward to the qualitative methods course in the fall because that is really the final piece that I will need prior to developing my own study.
G.
The quantitative methods course is also at an end. It was a valuable experience as well since the focus was on understanding the material and not on actually doing the calculations. I have finished my paper for the course and we have our final elluminate Live session tomorrow evening.
For the rest of April and then May and June I can read, rest and refresh. This summer I will be taking two courses again. With some luck I will be done my courses by Christmas and can then work on my proposal. I am looking forward to the qualitative methods course in the fall because that is really the final piece that I will need prior to developing my own study.
G.
Monday, March 1, 2010
March 1
The critique has been handed in and now we are doing our mock proposals. This is probably the most difficult thing I have done! The ideas are just not flowing. I have a sample proposal that I just read but in order to find something unique I feel like I have to read a lot more. The interesting thing here is that this is the first work in this course that we are doing individually. The rest of the work was group/team based, so it is different and a bit lonely.
I am not going to do a course in the spring and will use that time to read. Two courses this summer, so that will be busy but good. Am eager to get into the research side of the process.
G.
I am not going to do a course in the spring and will use that time to read. Two courses this summer, so that will be busy but good. Am eager to get into the research side of the process.
G.
Thursday, February 11, 2010
Snow Day?
A winter blizzard has just started outside but I suspect it will end over night so no chance of a snow day!
Jean, Bob and I have prepared out quantitative analysis presentation and sent it in. The first part of the quantitative course went well I believe. It is really helping me in terms of setting the context of 'numbers'. It is also making me very critical and skeptical about statistics that are reported in various studies.
The doctoral seminar course is also going well. We are currently each reviewing a dissertation and will meet online at the end of the month to share our thoughts. Reading the dissertation has brought all of the items together. I see how the framework informs the methods and methodology and the linkages through the study.
Gerona
Jean, Bob and I have prepared out quantitative analysis presentation and sent it in. The first part of the quantitative course went well I believe. It is really helping me in terms of setting the context of 'numbers'. It is also making me very critical and skeptical about statistics that are reported in various studies.
The doctoral seminar course is also going well. We are currently each reviewing a dissertation and will meet online at the end of the month to share our thoughts. Reading the dissertation has brought all of the items together. I see how the framework informs the methods and methodology and the linkages through the study.
Gerona
Thursday, January 21, 2010
Semester 3 has started
I had a very restful break at Christmas and had the opportunity to re-read and consolidate the ideas from 700A and also read the thesis I am going to critique for part B, so I feel good starting the term. I feel confident that I am on the right track after reading the thesis because I can see how my worldview fits well with my area of interest. So basically I have a paradigm to work from. I also have the Community of Inquiry model which also sits within the Interpretivist/Contructionist area so I am confident about that part of the process.
I have just commenced the third semester of my Doctoral program. In order not to take too long with the program, I am doing two courses this semester. I was worried at first because I am not a numbers person but the quantitative methods course is really well organized and aimed an non-mathematicians. One of the primary texts is Statistics without Tears by Derek Rowntree. It is a very reasonable and readable book which makes statistics really user friendly. I can see the relevance to my thesis and in interpreting the work of others. It is primarily individual work-based but there is a group presentation. I am working with Jean Slick and Bob Sochowsy. I must double check the due dates for the assignments since it is a mostly asynchronous course.
Aside from required work, I am trying to read more to get some work done surrounding developing a proposal. At this point I need to think about research questions. My fear is that I am enjoying the reading and work so much that I am loosing interest in people. How will I be able to have a balanced approach to this program?
Gerona
I have just commenced the third semester of my Doctoral program. In order not to take too long with the program, I am doing two courses this semester. I was worried at first because I am not a numbers person but the quantitative methods course is really well organized and aimed an non-mathematicians. One of the primary texts is Statistics without Tears by Derek Rowntree. It is a very reasonable and readable book which makes statistics really user friendly. I can see the relevance to my thesis and in interpreting the work of others. It is primarily individual work-based but there is a group presentation. I am working with Jean Slick and Bob Sochowsy. I must double check the due dates for the assignments since it is a mostly asynchronous course.
Aside from required work, I am trying to read more to get some work done surrounding developing a proposal. At this point I need to think about research questions. My fear is that I am enjoying the reading and work so much that I am loosing interest in people. How will I be able to have a balanced approach to this program?
Gerona
Tuesday, December 1, 2009
Gerona's Radical Change
These past three weeks have been devoted to Radical Humanism! Like Interpretivism, according to Burrell and Morgan (1979), radical humanism also flows out of German idealism and consequently both are considered subjectivist in orientation and share the notion that the “individual creates the world in which he lives” (p. 279). The large distinction between the two paradigms is the notion of understanding versus critique: the Interpretivist observes and seeks to understand while the radical humanist seeks to critique and change.
There are two main lines which critique may follow:
a) subjective idealist = the external world is created through the stream of ideas. (p. 278)
This is the projection of individual consciousness on the external world which does exist.
b) objective idealist = reality exists in spirit…absolute knowledge suggests that consciousness is spirit and the object of consciousness is itself.
Marx comes from the objective idealist tradition originally but took the ideas of Hegel in a different direction; towards the individual. Here is my story of ‘radical’ awakening in terms of not listening to the status-quo…
Now I have to admit that I have (now had) a deep seated bias against Marx. I grew up in the 1970s and early 1980s when the Cold War was raging and we were being told nuclear war could happen at any time. The doomsday clock (remember that?) was ticking down towards midnight. Then along came Gorbachov and in 1989 the Berlin Wall fell. So much for Marxism! Having never read Marx I just had been taught or learned to associate Communism with him and thus I basically summarily dismissed him as a theorist. Craib who was writing in the early 1990s mentions that one should not confuse the fall of Communism with the temptation to dismiss Marxist thought. Then I actually started being open to learning about what Marx actually wrote/expounded and gained a totally different appreciation for him as a theorist and seminal influencer of our thought systems today. This has been an important lesson for me to not be so closed-minded about something that I only know about through the statements of societies/organizations/individuals with agendas.
Next we are going into Radical Structuralism...I think Interpretivism really was the paradigm for me. Maybe there is something I can do with Hermeneutics and Garrison's Community of Inquiry model? Hummm...lot's to think about in the coming weeks.
There are two main lines which critique may follow:
a) subjective idealist = the external world is created through the stream of ideas. (p. 278)
This is the projection of individual consciousness on the external world which does exist.
b) objective idealist = reality exists in spirit…absolute knowledge suggests that consciousness is spirit and the object of consciousness is itself.
Marx comes from the objective idealist tradition originally but took the ideas of Hegel in a different direction; towards the individual. Here is my story of ‘radical’ awakening in terms of not listening to the status-quo…
Now I have to admit that I have (now had) a deep seated bias against Marx. I grew up in the 1970s and early 1980s when the Cold War was raging and we were being told nuclear war could happen at any time. The doomsday clock (remember that?) was ticking down towards midnight. Then along came Gorbachov and in 1989 the Berlin Wall fell. So much for Marxism! Having never read Marx I just had been taught or learned to associate Communism with him and thus I basically summarily dismissed him as a theorist. Craib who was writing in the early 1990s mentions that one should not confuse the fall of Communism with the temptation to dismiss Marxist thought. Then I actually started being open to learning about what Marx actually wrote/expounded and gained a totally different appreciation for him as a theorist and seminal influencer of our thought systems today. This has been an important lesson for me to not be so closed-minded about something that I only know about through the statements of societies/organizations/individuals with agendas.
Next we are going into Radical Structuralism...I think Interpretivism really was the paradigm for me. Maybe there is something I can do with Hermeneutics and Garrison's Community of Inquiry model? Hummm...lot's to think about in the coming weeks.
Saturday, November 14, 2009
Ah ha moment
I have come to the realization that perhaps I am worrying too much about a "Grand Paradigm" at this point in the course and my research. I have been reading Anfara and Mertz's Theoretical Frameworks in Qualitative Research by Sage Publications (2006). They state that theoretical frameworks can be found at three levels: grand, mid-range and explanatory (p. xxvii) and that can be applied to understanding phenomena. For some reason this gave me a bit of an "ah-ha" moment because I started thinking that there may be other frameworks we can use that are not tied expressly to the four super-structure (am I using that word correctly?) paradigms we are studying now. Many of the studies that are mentioned in the book resulted in articles, not doctoral theses, but they do discuss a variety of frameworks like Chaos and Complexity Theory and Liminality Theory for example.
So this got me thinking about how students have done theses on Dr. Michael Moore's "theory of transactional distance" and Dr. Randy Garrison's (et al) "Community of Inquiry" model. So ultimately, while we have to know the different streams of the paradigms, I am coming to understand that I can relax to some degree about slotting myself into one of the four dominant paradigms we are learning about. There are a plethora of theories out there from the social-sciences at different levels that may be useful to us as we narrow down our research topics. My understanding has changed now to the point where I will find a framework suited to my area of interest and not worry so much about which methods to use or which paradigm it is located in.
G.
So this got me thinking about how students have done theses on Dr. Michael Moore's "theory of transactional distance" and Dr. Randy Garrison's (et al) "Community of Inquiry" model. So ultimately, while we have to know the different streams of the paradigms, I am coming to understand that I can relax to some degree about slotting myself into one of the four dominant paradigms we are learning about. There are a plethora of theories out there from the social-sciences at different levels that may be useful to us as we narrow down our research topics. My understanding has changed now to the point where I will find a framework suited to my area of interest and not worry so much about which methods to use or which paradigm it is located in.
G.
Friday, November 13, 2009
Doctoral Seminar update
It has been a couple of months since I have taken time to compose my thoughts on the doctoral program. We are on the third of four perspectives/paradigms. Thus far we have covered postivism/funtionalism, Interpretivism and now Radical Humanism. We have Radical Structuralism to cover after Christmas. I am still having some trouble with the material in the sense that it is difficult to get a consistent message on meanings. Now that I have some theoretical knowledge I am starting to read more about the role of theory on research projects (i.e., which comes first, the method or the paradigm?) and what do theses using a paradigmatic framework look like? I have one dissertation now that I am reading and will try to review others. I am also realizing that in studying a topic such as blended learning I will need to find an organization theory to work with. Hence I will review Burrell and Morgan's discussion of systems structure. Perhaps the upcoming Radical Structuralism readings will help guide me?
The course itself seems to be lacking in participation in the discussion forum. Some of us have speculated that it may be because the material is so dense that none of us are really confident in our answers or it could be that because it is a pass/fail situation there is sense that one would really have to be disengaged to fail. The result is that while some posts are very well thought out, there is not a regular dialogue developing.
On the positive side, I have had the opportunity to work closely with two of my peers from the Educational Technology stream on Interpretivism and that was very productive. Also, the workload is not too onerous. There is a lot of reading and re-reading but it is manageable.
On the programmatic note, I was very disappointed that my Educational Technology course was canceled this winter due to low enrollment. Qualitative Methods was also canceled. I find this troubling for three reasons. Firstly, what guarantee do we have that we can complete our courses in a timely manner? Secondly, as graduate seminar courses, shouldn't the numbers be small? What is wrong with a course with 6 people? Thirdly, one would think that rather than wholesale cancel the two courses students could be appraised of the situation and asked if they would be interested in switching to a different section. Now we have two classes canceled when perhaps there would have been enough students for at least one of them to have run. Anyway, I am disappointed at this point and am currently awaiting the information on next summer's session.
G.
The course itself seems to be lacking in participation in the discussion forum. Some of us have speculated that it may be because the material is so dense that none of us are really confident in our answers or it could be that because it is a pass/fail situation there is sense that one would really have to be disengaged to fail. The result is that while some posts are very well thought out, there is not a regular dialogue developing.
On the positive side, I have had the opportunity to work closely with two of my peers from the Educational Technology stream on Interpretivism and that was very productive. Also, the workload is not too onerous. There is a lot of reading and re-reading but it is manageable.
On the programmatic note, I was very disappointed that my Educational Technology course was canceled this winter due to low enrollment. Qualitative Methods was also canceled. I find this troubling for three reasons. Firstly, what guarantee do we have that we can complete our courses in a timely manner? Secondly, as graduate seminar courses, shouldn't the numbers be small? What is wrong with a course with 6 people? Thirdly, one would think that rather than wholesale cancel the two courses students could be appraised of the situation and asked if they would be interested in switching to a different section. Now we have two classes canceled when perhaps there would have been enough students for at least one of them to have run. Anyway, I am disappointed at this point and am currently awaiting the information on next summer's session.
G.
Wednesday, September 23, 2009
Paradigm reading, reading, reading
Although it has been a while since posting, I do not have much to report. I have been reading away with the different paradigms and having trouble sorting it all out. The Burrell and Morgan (1979) book was the last to arrive but by far the most helpful, next to Crotty. Until I read Burrell and Morgan last weekend all I was getting was a list of names of different thinkers and lots of different versions of information about ontology and epistemology complicated by different perspectives such as feminism and arts based research, etc. Burrell and Morgan provided an excellent framework to outline the basic 4 paradigms. First they discussed the nature of social science as a field, then assumptions about the nature of society. They then went on to outline the "extreme" ends of each of the two dimensions with views of social sciences as being either subjective or objective and society being either tied to regulation or radical change. Then the four paradigms are discussed as falling somewhere within the four areas of the matrix. FUNCTIONALISM is primarily objective and regulation. INTERPRETIVISM is subjective and regulation. RADICAL HUMANIST is subjective and interested in radical changes while RADICAL STRUCTURALISM is objective and radical.
Of course if we could all just place ourselves and others in the neat boxes things would be easy, or easier at least. But, no, all of these paradigm. Within Functionalism we see objectivism, social system theory, integrative theory and interactionism and social action theory. Interpretive contains hermeneutics, phenomenological sociology, phenomenology. Solipsim straddles both interpretive and radical humanism with French existentialism and Critical theory with anarchistic individualism on the outskirts of the box closest to the radical side of the equation. Finally radical structuralism contains contemporary Mediterranean marxism, conflict theory and russian social theory. I assume there are other forms of thought that could be itemized as well. Very confusing!
Our challenge now is to find two theorists for each of our groups. That is not easy with so much ambiguity still in place. Thankfully I have a great group! Hopefully we can work together to get this all sorted out.
G.
Of course if we could all just place ourselves and others in the neat boxes things would be easy, or easier at least. But, no, all of these paradigm. Within Functionalism we see objectivism, social system theory, integrative theory and interactionism and social action theory. Interpretive contains hermeneutics, phenomenological sociology, phenomenology. Solipsim straddles both interpretive and radical humanism with French existentialism and Critical theory with anarchistic individualism on the outskirts of the box closest to the radical side of the equation. Finally radical structuralism contains contemporary Mediterranean marxism, conflict theory and russian social theory. I assume there are other forms of thought that could be itemized as well. Very confusing!
Our challenge now is to find two theorists for each of our groups. That is not easy with so much ambiguity still in place. Thankfully I have a great group! Hopefully we can work together to get this all sorted out.
G.
Tuesday, September 8, 2009
Day 1 - Semester 2
OK it is the first day of the second term of the Ed D. Of course while today is the first day I, like many of my classmates no doubt, have been trying to do some advance reading for the course. The topic of philosophical frameworks is quite facinating and confusing. I am enjoying the Crotty book and when I compare that to Paul and Allan things start coming together slowly but surely.
In terms of what to pursue, I think I am still a pragmatist (but I am not 100% sure) based on the literature thus far. In any case, I have signed up for Group B which will pursue the Interpretivist perspective. It seems eclectic and I like the readings about constructed reality and the meaning of language. This is somewhat new to me so I am sure it will be an intriguing semester 2!
G.
In terms of what to pursue, I think I am still a pragmatist (but I am not 100% sure) based on the literature thus far. In any case, I have signed up for Group B which will pursue the Interpretivist perspective. It seems eclectic and I like the readings about constructed reality and the meaning of language. This is somewhat new to me so I am sure it will be an intriguing semester 2!
G.
Friday, August 21, 2009
Between semester thoughts
Well it has been a week since the courses ended for the first semester. Some marks and feedback have been received and so far so good, which is a relief. It is reassuring to know one has not missed the boat in terms of the introductory level courses and now I have some level of confidence that I will be able to succeed in the rest of the course work.
Two of the books for my fall course have arrived. I started reading one and found it rather confusing. Each different perspective is only glazed over so it is difficult to get a thorough understanding of the material. That particular book then shows a series of studies and offers critiques from the different perspectives. That will hopefully make the concepts clearer in practice. The other book seems to offer a more in depth discussion of various philosophies so that should be very beneficial.
G
Two of the books for my fall course have arrived. I started reading one and found it rather confusing. Each different perspective is only glazed over so it is difficult to get a thorough understanding of the material. That particular book then shows a series of studies and offers critiques from the different perspectives. That will hopefully make the concepts clearer in practice. The other book seems to offer a more in depth discussion of various philosophies so that should be very beneficial.
G
Wednesday, August 12, 2009
First term almost over
It is the end of my first semester as a doctoral student. One course is completely finished and the feedback on the paper was very helpful and prepares me somewhat for future courses. This is the last week of the second course and I have handed in my second paper and am pretty much wrapped up the Pathfinder. Just today I was showing someone at work my pathfinder and the wiki we did on-site in Calgary. That, in addition to the work on the paper and the blog made me realize how much we actually did in the space of a month!
My focus now is on getting ready for the doctoral seminar course. I have ordered four of the books (well three plus the APA guide!) and hope to get reading over the next few weeks. I find I need time to let ideas sink in before writing or talking about them. In addition to doing some reading, I do hope to continue to use both my Pathfinder and my blog throughout the rest of the program.
And finally, as I was leaving the office today I ran into a colleague of mine who is just in the finishing stages of the Ed D. He is hoping to defend in November and was offering all kinds of tips. The most valuable thing was to know that he did it, or is almost done it! That is encouraging when only at the starting blocks.
G.
My focus now is on getting ready for the doctoral seminar course. I have ordered four of the books (well three plus the APA guide!) and hope to get reading over the next few weeks. I find I need time to let ideas sink in before writing or talking about them. In addition to doing some reading, I do hope to continue to use both my Pathfinder and my blog throughout the rest of the program.
And finally, as I was leaving the office today I ran into a colleague of mine who is just in the finishing stages of the Ed D. He is hoping to defend in November and was offering all kinds of tips. The most valuable thing was to know that he did it, or is almost done it! That is encouraging when only at the starting blocks.
G.
Friday, August 7, 2009
The value of formative feedback
It is a rainy evening so what a great opportunity to stay in and just relax! Well, I shouldn't say relax because within the next week I have a paper and a pathfinder due!
This past week I shared my pathfinder with a peer and with the instructor and did the same with a draft of the paper for the educational technology course. This is such a good practice! First of all it gave me an 'artificial' deadline and this forced me to get thinking about the projects. That extra week gives time to refine and produce a better thought out product in each case. Secondly, while the items were being reviewed, it gave me time away from both projects so my mind could clear and when I looked at them again I was seeing them with fresh eyes. A third benefit of the peer review process is being able to look at someone else's work and provide feedback to them. I do this all the time for students but rarely for peers. This helps to develop our own ability to read critically, not with a view to diminishing any efforts of our peers but to helping them improve based on how it reads/looks from a different perspective.
So while it is good to work on items individually and have them 'peer reviewed', it is also good to actually work in a group to produce a work like we did in class this summer with our wikis. When I started my MBA in 1997 I initially hated the concept of group work. One of the best experiences of my life was a business plan produced for a local company. I was the oldest so I was named the 'leader' of the team. The other three members were a young lady in her 20's, a 20 something Physical Education graduate and a student from overseas. I have to admit I did not think we would gel just because we were all so different but, man, we rocked as a team. Our skills were very complimentary...one was very personable and did all the interviews and discussions, one was more laid back but always provided insight and quiet observations, one was a whiz with numbers and budgets, and the other loved doing all the detail work of editing. That was one of the most positive and fun projects in that whole program. So my point? It is good to work alone sometimes and it is good to work in a group. But even when you work alone, you need formative input on your work.
A former teacher of mine put it well when he said that there will always be different levels of performance and areas of strength but an evaluation should not just be a one-time summative one,, there should be opportunities to improve along the way. Therein lies the benefit of peer review and group work for me.
G.
This past week I shared my pathfinder with a peer and with the instructor and did the same with a draft of the paper for the educational technology course. This is such a good practice! First of all it gave me an 'artificial' deadline and this forced me to get thinking about the projects. That extra week gives time to refine and produce a better thought out product in each case. Secondly, while the items were being reviewed, it gave me time away from both projects so my mind could clear and when I looked at them again I was seeing them with fresh eyes. A third benefit of the peer review process is being able to look at someone else's work and provide feedback to them. I do this all the time for students but rarely for peers. This helps to develop our own ability to read critically, not with a view to diminishing any efforts of our peers but to helping them improve based on how it reads/looks from a different perspective.
So while it is good to work on items individually and have them 'peer reviewed', it is also good to actually work in a group to produce a work like we did in class this summer with our wikis. When I started my MBA in 1997 I initially hated the concept of group work. One of the best experiences of my life was a business plan produced for a local company. I was the oldest so I was named the 'leader' of the team. The other three members were a young lady in her 20's, a 20 something Physical Education graduate and a student from overseas. I have to admit I did not think we would gel just because we were all so different but, man, we rocked as a team. Our skills were very complimentary...one was very personable and did all the interviews and discussions, one was more laid back but always provided insight and quiet observations, one was a whiz with numbers and budgets, and the other loved doing all the detail work of editing. That was one of the most positive and fun projects in that whole program. So my point? It is good to work alone sometimes and it is good to work in a group. But even when you work alone, you need formative input on your work.
A former teacher of mine put it well when he said that there will always be different levels of performance and areas of strength but an evaluation should not just be a one-time summative one,, there should be opportunities to improve along the way. Therein lies the benefit of peer review and group work for me.
G.
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