Posted in lifelong learning on April 15th, 2009 by Jay – Be the first to comment
My often-used web profile picture tells the true story of what I would love to be doing more often: “getting work done” using tech that offers an immersive experience.
What is it that draws so many adults into the realm of “Serious Games?”
Echoing Prensky (2007, p. 91), I postulate that it’s basic to the fiber of our being, “Before the time of printed books, learning was done primarily through questioning, storytelling, imitation, practice, and play.”
Does that mirror how I’m engaged on my PSP or in Fallout 3 or what?!
Simply because Johannes Gutenberg greatly advanced the capability to mass produce endless volumes of 12-pitch, how long before we will recognize our ancestral roots and embrace how robust visual imagery (and more!) is a better way to learn.
Prensky, M. (2007). Digital game-based learning: Practical ideas for the application of digital game-based learning. St. Paul, MN: Paragon.
Posted in beginning on April 11th, 2009 by Jay – Be the first to comment
Gotta start somewhere….
I have to give much credit to Drs. Margo Mastropieri and Joseph Maxwell for the inspiration which they have provided to convince me that this journey is achievable.
Most notably of late, has been Dr. Maxwell’s encouragement that the dissertation should not necessarily be expected to rock the world, but “simply demonstrate” that the candidate is capable of quality research and producing results which add to the overall body of knowledge within the discipline being addressed.
Dr. Mastropieri was similarly reasonable in sharing how doctoral candidates often “simply” extend a previous study or repeat an earlier investigation by modifying a few variables.
Given this, and the intersections of my research methods classes and my profession, I believe I have cause to celebrate – it’s starting to come together.
Where my reflection first began, I thought that I would pursue being a “Dr. Maxwell exception” through some legendary work that no one could disregard. I have now come to embrace “merely” doing my best to advance some basics. Well, at least, in my mind they’re “basics.”
See, in my profession – advancing the performance of the the Federal government employee – you would think that the legitimacy of Adult Learning Theory (ALT) could be assumed. I make this assumption based on the fact that, literally weekly, ALT is a part of the conversation I have with colleagues as we do our best to train a workforce in these very unsettled times (unsettled being defined as partially the “Perfect Storm of the Workforce” and tough economics where folks who planned to retire, now cannot. Where I once had begun with making this assumption for a more advanced thesis, I am now re-visiting ALT as the basis for my work.
Posted in beginning, lifelong learning on April 27th, 2008 by Jay – Be the first to comment
Sounding very ‘Ph.D.ish,” the pages and posts contained herein are designed to reveal the roadmap (possibly a bumpy, off-road experience) of thought as I progressed through this Program.
The gist of this section is to demonstrate how I ‘pulled it all together’ into a concise research focus and a fashion worthy of defense.
