Research Reflections
As my academic progress progresses and I more definitively define my intended contribution to the body of knowledge, I will share here the portion of my journey directly related to the what, why, who, where, when, and how of my dissertation topic and its intended execution (that is, the execution of writing my paper, not the execution of anyone involved).
At a minimum, these research reflections will be updated on a semester-by-semester basis, or more frequent, as key events play a role and impact and this aspect of my studies.
While this leading page may present itself as a journal of sorts, other relevant artifacts will be included as they are developed along the way.
To begin with, allow me to reflect on the journey to date in regards to research overall. First, it is not just due to having initiated my Portfolio 1 review on December 19, 2008; but also due to the most wonderful experiences in EDRS 812 and EDIT 797-5T4 the in the Fall 2008 semester which actually led me to be inspired to put down in print what my thoughts, directions, intentions, and aspirations are in regards to research.
Background. Beginning with my Master’s in Adult Education from the University of South Florida in 2004, my research focus at that time, which continued to dominate the first semesters at George Mason, was leadership development. Having been a leader in a variety of capacities from very young adulthood through the present time, I was fascinated by the possibility of “packaging” a new approach to leadership development, developed through sound theory, yet proven in practice. Values development played a particular role in my interests, being, I believe, inextricably intertwined with how leaders lead. The rigor of the USF program exposed me particularly to the art and science of lit reviews and theoretical development. I also had the good fortune to be able to volunteer as a qualitative researcher in support of a Ph.D. candidate’s data collection. This latter experience involved a heavy emphasis on collection analysis whereby we had to find a “standard of normalcy” in ranking participant findings among the group of us who were collecting the data. Very enlightening. In addition, some exposure to quantitative research led to (genuinely) an enjoyment of crunching numbers in SPSS.
Assuming a decidedly new role professionally (please see Professional Ponderings) in 2005 and moving (back) to the Metropolitan D.C. area, greater clarity to my focus began to emerge as the application of technology used in managing learning and development activity became prominent (it’s what paid the bills). Certainly values development and leadership still existed and were key elements in the management dynamic, however technology inserted a new wrinkle. In reviewing the artifacts leading up to Portfolio 1, it became chiefly evident that little had been introduced for the majority of my GMU time where I felt compelled to strike off in new or emerging directions. EDUC 802 – Leadership Seminar (Spring 2008) was truly the only notable exception, appropriately, whereby individual and group projects both led to honest critical reflection via an exposure to new authors who provided provoking input, authors who were both published and sitting next to me in class.
It happened also to be this same semester, Spring 2008, however, that I was to experience a fairly significant research-oriented letdown in not successfully completing my first go-around of EDRS 811 – Quantitative Methods in Educational Research.
In the Fall semester 2008, however, the fire was again ignited led by two superior facilitator/professors and the topics under investigation. Combined, these two classes resulted in a whole new researcher idenity being discovered within and a refined direction regarding where I will likely apply my energy towards dissertation development (along with career).
Okay, enough lead-in to this first honest Research Reflections reflection.
The very tactile exposure to EDRS 812 – Qualitative Methods in Educational Reseach so identified with my personality that I am convinced that, at a long shot, I may consider a mixed-methods approach to future research. Please don’t get me wrong, in spite of my first bout with 811, I do like numbers and I do like SPSS, it’s just that I found a qualitative inquiry naturally aligned with my character (and I am quite a character). The other half of this recipe was EDIT 797-5T4 – Design Issues in Educational Gaming and Media. If I could make a living doing this, and many do, I would. I am convinced, largely through the work of Marc Prensky, that digital game-based learning is not only the next “wave” of instructional design and methodology, it’s how humans are actually wired to learn.