Taking the Plunge...

The art of asking a good research question is something that I hope to develop during my time with the MALAT program. So far, developing a good question is not as easy as it sounds... but I believe that I am getting closer! I found this concise and informative PowToon on Youtube posted by Steely Library NKU, which gives some quick tips on how to formulate a good research question.

In Susan Musante's (2010) article Learning How to Ask Research Questions, she quotes a graduate student named Julia Svoboda as stating "The most important thing... students do is articulate a research question" (Musante, 2010, para. 3). This graduate student has observed other students who were part of a research program called CLIMB. She notes that the ability to develop the skill of asking good questions takes time and that one of the biggest hurdles for students to overcome is their fear of talking and asking the wrong questions.  This feels very familiar to me! I have to admit, I have been hesitant to join the Unit 4 WIKI and put forth a research question. Not because I don't need the practice or because I am not interested in research, but because I am afraid of asking the wrong thing... of making a mistake.

So, enough with the fear!  I'm taking the plunge and have posted a first draft of a research question that I am interested in to the WIKI and here on my blog for everyone's feedback.  My question is:

How can technology be leveraged to improve student engagement in providing student course evaluations?

Why is this important to me? I believe that student feedback is a crucial element in course design and continual quality improvement. In the past, feedback forms were given out to students during class to fill in and hand back anonymously to their student reps. When done in this manner, we had close to 100% return rates of student evaluations (granted, the quality and depth of the feedback may have been arguably low). Since switching to voluntary online student surveys, the average rate of return has dropped to less than 40% in most programs... some as low as 10%. Do students really not care? Are they overloaded by surveys? Are they disengaged because they feel that their input is not valued? Is it the interface of using technology itself that is limiting participation? I'm curious to find out what the driving factors are that are causing such low response rates and what can then be done to improve both the rate of return and the quality of the feedback received.

I'm thinking that understanding the student experience of completing student evaluations is the first step through perhaps a phenomenological study (or maybe behavioural inquiry). Then, an action research inquiry to determine a better way of engaging students in course evaluations. The action research would bring together representatives from the student body, the student association, faculty and administration.

Thoughts anyone??


References:
Musante, S. (2010). Learning how to ask research questions. Bioscience, 6(4). DOI: 10.1525/bio.2010.60.4.4  
Steely Library NKU. (2014). Developing a research question [video]. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LWLYCYeCFak 

Me, My Voice and I...

"If you feel you are not strong enough to let your creative voice become heard, start with a whisper. Your voice will come." (anonymous, n.d.)

Coming to terms with the potential benefits of blogging in both my professional life and as a masters student has revealed exciting opportunities. Unfortunately, it has not eliminated my fear of self-expression in an online public forum. I have spent the last week reflecting on this fear and have come to the understanding that it is based in letting go of control of my thoughts and ideas.  I have never thought of myself as someone who values control, as the path in my life has been chaotic: bouncing between countries, owning/operating an adventure travel company, divorce, retirement, and piecing together part-time work to create full time employment.  Expressing myself in an online public space requires acceptance of letting go of control over the ideas I put forth. I can control their original composition in creating the post, but once posted the ideas are open to interpretation and can take on a life of their own. Will my post be interpreted the way it was intended? What if I make a mistake? These are the types of questions that I ask myself. Heide Estes (2012), in her article Blogging and Academic Identity, states that we need to be willing to make mistakes, because "thinking on the fly inevitably involves screwing up". Apparently, making mistakes is difficult for someone with control issues to accept.

So how do I find my voice while, at the same time, learn to let go of my need for control? Maybe the answer lies in developing a public persona; a voice that is my own yet different from my natural personality. This is a potential solution suggested by Estes when she states "identities performed within the context of blogs may be in line with the blogger’s professional identity, or may oppose, contrast, challenge, or supplement it" (Estes, 2012). It is my voice, yet it is modified to match my audience and the information that I want to share...while at the same time protecting my inner-self. So, if my voice makes a mistake... that's ok! If comments and challenges posted to my blog get personal or I loose control of the content... that's ok too!

But I still come back to the question of how do I find and/or develop my public voice? Dr. Stephen Covey, author of 7 Habits of Highly Effective People, defines one's voice as "the overlapping of the four parts of our nature: our body, our mind, our heart, and our spirit" (Covey, 2008). Dr. Covey proposes four questions to ask yourself to help you find this voice or inner-calling:

1. What are you good at? That's your mind.
2. What do you love doing? That's your heart.
3. What need can you serve? That's the body.
4. And finally, what is life asking of you? What gives your life meaning and purpose? What do you feel like you should be doing? In short, what is your conscience directing you to do? That is your spirit (Covey, 2008).

These are all excellent questions that I will be spending the next week reflecting upon. I believe that they will help me to more fully understand my voice, which in turn will allow me to decide whether my public voice will support, contrast or challenge it.  It will allow me to remain true to myself  yet find a way to merge my voice with my academic public persona. I'm curious to see "who" this voice will be!

References:

Bette George & Associates Inc. (2006). Finding your voice [image]. Retrieved from  http://www.bettegeorge.com/enov06.html 

Covey, S. (2008). The four steps to finding your voice [blog]. Retrieved from http://www.stephencovey.com/blog/?p=16

Estes, H. (2012). Blogging and academic identity. Retrieved from http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com.ezproxy.royalroads.ca/doi/10.1111/lic3.12017/full

The IAMTHELAB Printshop. (n.d.), Find your voice [image of quote]. Retrieved from http://iamthelab.getshopflow.com/product/labquotesoo1findyourvoice

An Unusual Relationship

Who would have thought to put research and blogging together in the same sentence? When I started this Introduction to Research course for the MALAT program, I was surprised and intimidated by the blogging assignment. I really questioned the value of this particular course requirement and questioned the need for putting my personal reflections in a public forum. Now that I am at the mid-point of this course, I can see that these questions were grounded in my personal fears. My readings are highlighting some key features of blogs which make them the ideal partner for a novice researcher and I am excited by the potential spin-offs for use in my own teaching.

Essentially, a blog is a website in which "entries appear in a reverse chronological order... with the most recent entry appearing first" and a blogger is "a person who writes content for a blog" (Gunelius, n.d.).  As a public forum that is accessible to anyone with access to the internet, a blog is a communication tool with the potential to enrich two-way communication in a traditionally static environment. According to Kathleen Asselin, in her research thesis Blogging: The Remediation of Academic and Business Communications, "blogging is adding a new dimension to the communications model that helps to promote the democratization of information by offering spaces for everyone to add to the ongoing conversation found in both academia and business" (Asselin, 2011, p. 2).

In reading Asselin's thesis, there were some key advantages that really hit home for me as an educator and a masters student. According to Asselin, blogs can:

• provide timely feedback;
• can act as a sounding board for ideas;
• extend networks on a global scale;
• provide broader perspectives; and
• facilitate dynamic interaction and collaboration (Asselin, 2011)

As an academic, one of the greatest disadvantages of traditional publishing is the time delays between research and development and the actual publishing of the research. Also, the access to journals and the ability to get published can be a significant hurdle. Blogs provide an avenue for expression and dissemination of information at a much quicker pace and without gatekeepers... which I find very exciting! So, in order to become a better academic blogger, I went searching for some online assistance... and found the ACW (Academic Coaching & Writing) blog. In particular, I really enjoyed the article by Amy Bensen Brown From the Classroom to the Page: Can Your Experience as a Teacher Help Define Your Voice? This blog is a great resource for anyone looking to improve their online writing skills!

As an educator, I see new potential for how I can use blogs in my own courses. After reading Asselin's thesis, I can see the advantages for use in the classroom which are:

• they allow for peer-to-peer and student-teacher interaction;
• students take more care in creating posts when they know their friends will be reading it (you have to love peer pressure!); and
• students pay more attention to detail, choice of phrases, expressions of emotion, and crafting of content (Asselin, 2011)

I'm currently in the process of restructuring a hybrid (online + face-to-face) class that I teach for my business and outdoor adventure students. The course is called Professionalism & Ethics. The students in this course complete a self-assessment project throughout the term in which they explore their personal learning and leadership styles, and how these relate to success in their industry. I am really excited about the potential of using a blog to improve the student experience of this project. I believe the peer-to-peer social interaction combined with the self reflection will increase the value the students will take away from the experience.

Although at first I felt highly uncomfortable beginning this blog, it is an unusual relationship that is becoming more comfortable with time and its advantages are quickly winning me over!

References:

Academic Writing and Coaching. (2015). Academic writing blog. Retrieved from http://www.academiccoachingandwriting.org/academic-writing/academic-writing-blog/ 

Asselin, K. (2011). Blogging: The remediation of academic and business communications. Ann Arbor, Michigan: ProQuest, UMI Dissertations Publishing (UMI No. 1452706)

Gunelius, S. (n.d.). What is a blog? Retrieved from http://weblogs.about.com/od/startingablog/p/WhatIsABlog.htm

Shakespeare [image]. (2014). Retrieved from http://cruxsolablog.com/2014/09/24/is-blogging-bad-for-your-academic-career-gupta/

Coming to Terms with Theoretical Frameworks

Trying to decide on which exit approach to take for the MALAT program is a difficult choice. On one hand, I am excited about a couple of different research questions that I have been toying with since the start of this course. I can see how interesting it would be to pursue one of these ideas in the Thesis stream and the potential benefits that the outcome of my research may provide.  On the other hand, I really like the course options that are available to take through the Research Paper stream and value the new knowledge that I would take away from these courses. It's a tough choice... and one that I am not fully prepared to make at this time. Thankfully, we have until November!

What I did find interesting in tonight's Collaborate live session was finding out more about what a theoretical framework is. My understanding is that a theoretical framework is what guides or grounds your research. According to one web author, Stephen Borgatti, a theoretical framework "is a collection of interrelated concepts... (that) guides your research, determining what things you will measure, and what statistical relationships you will look for" (Borgatti, 1999).

Elizabeth and Deb provided some great insight insight into what we can look for when trying to establish a theoretical framework for a thesis or research paper. They suggested to look to theories or concepts around categories such as online learning, mobile learning, engagement, epistemologies, technology, motivation, adult learning etc. They also provided a list of helpful tools and resourcces to gain a better understanding of theoretical frameworks. I'm going to list them here to help both myself and others find them again in the future.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EcnufgQzMjc

http://www.aedt4200thesiscourse.com/additional-resources.html

http://advresearchuoit.wikispaces.com/

References:
Borgatti, S. (1999). Elements of research. Retrieved from http://www.analytictech.com/mb313/elements.htm 

Developing a Research Question

This coming week, I am looking forward to listening to guest speakers Elizabeth Childs and Deborah Zornes talk to our cohort about pursuing the research option for the MALAT program. It started me thinking more about what areas of interest I have and if there is potentially a research question that I want to pursue. One of the concerns that I have is how to create that "perfect" question.

According to the Sheffield Hallam University's Guide to Undergraduate Dissertations (Hemmings & Hollows, n.d.), good research questions share the following attributes:

• Relevant
• Manageable
• Substantial and original
• Fit for assessment
• Clear and simple
• Interesting (Hemmings & Hollows, n.d.)

(Note: This website has excellent downloadable templates to use as resources to assist you in the process of developing your research question.)

These are all good attributes to use as standards for my research question to achieve... but how do I actually come up with the question in the first place?  Hung and Popp (2009), in their web-article Learning to do Historical Research: A Primer How to Frame a Researchable Question, provide an excellent guide on how to do just this. A key point that they make is that developing a good research question is an "iterative process" (Hung & Popp, 2009). You start with an idea that interests you and you keep drilling deeper and deeper into the idea until your reach a specific question that focuses your research and has sufficient scope for the time allowance for your research.

 (Hung & Popp, 2009)

Using the example from my team's 2nd assignment on situating research, I would start with my item of interest being accessibility. The question raised could be whether or not technology aids accessibility of education. My next steps might be to discuss this issue with my CSD department, other faculty or students. The results of these talks might highlight an issue specifically around the idea of visual impairment.  Based on this result, my new item of interest visually challenged learners and my new question raised is how technology supports or hinders accessibility for students with a visual impairment... and the cycle continues.

What I really appreciate about Hung and Popp's web article is the section with helpful hints on how to begin finding your research topic. For someone like myself, who is just starting out in research, this is a very helpful push in the right direction.

References:

Hemmings, S & Hollows, A. (n.d.).  Guide to undergraduate dissertations in the social sciences.  Sheffield Hallam University. Retrieved from http://www.socscidiss.bham.ac.uk/research-question.html

Hung, P & Popp, A. (2009). Learning to do historical research: a primer how to frame a researchable question. Retrieved from http://www.williamcronon.net/researching/questions.htm

Hypothesis Driven Research [Image]. (2014). Retrieved from http://www.riskscience.umich.edu/hypothesis-driven-research/

Diving into Research Ethics

As I begin to consider the idea of formulating a research question and trying to situate it within a culture of inquiry, I am starting to also think about the underlying foundations (or building blocks) of conducting the actual research itself. What skills am I going to need to develp? What tools do I need to learn to use? What are the legal and ethical guidelines that I need to take into consideration?  These are all important questions that are part of the "doing" of research.

In my work at Algonquin, I teach a professionalism and ethics course to both business and outdoor adventure students. It is essentially the same course, just applied in different work environments. Despite many similarities, each environment brings its own unique concerns and constraints which are reflected in the social norms/codes of conduct of the workplace. Research is no different.

To help navigate common ethical issues that arise in conducting research, Debra Smith (2003) provides a useful guide with recommendations based on the APA's Science Directorate. She has broken them down into five basic principles:

1. Discuss intellectual property frankly;
2. Be conscious of multiple roles;
3. Follow informed-consent
4. Respect confidentiality and privacy; and
5. Tap into ethics resources (Smith, 2003).

Although based on psychology research, her five principles are generic enough to be applicable for a wider audience. Two points that really stood out for me while reading her recommendations were that (1) many ethical issues can be mitigated or avoided altogether by communicating expectations clearly and in a written form (such as a contract and/or an official agreement); and (2) the internet and use of technology raises new confidentiality/privacy issues that researchers need to be prepared to deal with.  In particular, the second point is concerned with the storage of sensitive research data  and the protection of  the data from hackers. Online research teams working together in online platforms need to be especially careful to ensure the confidentiality and privacy of their subjects.

References

Smith, D. (2003). Five principles for research ethics. Monitor On Psychology. 34(1). Retrieved from http://www.apa.org/monitor/jan03/principles.aspx

More Phenomenology

I'm still wrapping my head around phenomenology. The more I read into this culture of inquiry, the more intrigued I'm becoming. I found this interesting video produced by PhD students from Prescott College. I just over 6 minutes, the students present the concept of phenomenology along with a practical guide on how to conduct a phenomenology inquiry. The video is in a "Khan Academy" style... but is all done by hand and is a little jumpy. They content, however, is a very informative and concise summary of this culture of inquiry.

Exploring Phenomenology

 One of the cultures of inquiry that I have struggled with the most has been phenomenology. Everything from the pronunciation of the word itself to grasping the underlying epistemology has been personally challenging. 

To wrap my head around this particular culture of inquiry, I started with its foundation. Edmund Husserl (1859-1938), a German Philosopher, is credited as being the grandfather of phenomenology. There are earlier origins of this philosophy that can be traced further back to Kant and Hegel, but it was Husserl that really brought this culture of inquiry to the forefront after WWI. Essential to his philosophy was that he "rejected the belief that objects in the external world exist independently and that the information about objects is reliable. He argued that people can be certain about how things appear in, or present themselves to, their consciousness. To arrive at certainty, anything outside immediate experience must be ignored, and in this way the external world is reduced to the contents of personal consciousness. Realities are thus treated as pure 'phenomena' and the only absolute data from where to begin" (Groenewald, 2004)

To situate this philosophy as a research paradigm, my interpretation of Husserl's philosophy is that it is the experience itself that is the object of study.  Research questions are concerned with understanding "the experience of" a phenomena from the perspective of those who are experiencing the phenomena. 

References:

Groenewald, T. (April, 2004). A phenomenological research design illustrated. International journal of qualitative methods. 3(1).  Retrieved from https://www.ualberta.ca/~iiqm/backissues/3_1/pdf/groenewald.pdf

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