Self Assessment
If I had to sum up my academic journey thus far, I would say it has been enriching with a bit of self-discovery. I have grown in a lot of ways due to the experiences that I've had in the program. My thought process is not the same when it comes to research. I often find myself going down a rabbit hole as I try to understand different theories and concepts presented. I no longer take things at face value but try to ask why and how this can be different or improved. This is a testament to the quality of the courses and professors I’ve been exposed to in the program.
In completing this self-assessment, I reflected on my motivation for pursuing a PhD, which also led me to reflect to when I first began contemplating this path. Ultimately, my driving force was a desire to effect positive change in the lives of the students I was teaching. As an e-tutor, I witnessed firsthand the struggles that many of my students faced due to the strict assessment and exam requirements of the curriculum. Despite advocating for changes to be made, my suggestions were disregarded. I quickly realized that in the academia, one's claims are often only taken seriously if supported by research data. Thus, I am driven to contribute to the education system by developing research that prioritizes the needs of students.
Initially my research interest was in instructional technology and distance education. Specifically, I wanted to concentrate my efforts on understanding how adult and adolescent students with learning disabilities or challenges are affected by instructional processes, learning outcomes, and assessments that are not individualized to engage their core learner attributes. I was 100% sure this was what I wanted to research and had no intentions of deviating from it either. However, almost two years later this has changed.
My current research ideas are in the areas of hybrid learning and systems change. The cognate areas that I’m exploring are leadership and organization development and industrial organization psychology. Even though my research interests have changed I feel confident that I would get the support and guidance needed. I must make mention of my academic advisor, Dr. Robert Branch, for his ability to listen to my ideas even though they have slightly changed and steer me in the right direction. I truly look forward to the other aspects of the program and knowledge that would be gained to fulfill my career goals.
Program Assessment
Completing the M.Ed. degree and moving into the PhD program has significantly helped me. The foundational knowledge that I have gained has given me the ability to approach my assignments with a level of confidence. The practicality of the courses and the faculty also makes the program one of the best in the field. Both EDIT 7350e and EDIT 6170e courses afforded me the ability to participate in real-world projects. Thus, making the curriculum clearer thereby preparing me to become an efficient LDT professional.
I would’ve shared that my long-term career goal is to do consultancy work in academia. During the course human performance technology and analysis, I gained first-hand knowledge of the process of consulting and some of the challenges that can occur. Conducting a needs assessment and analyzing the data to present to a client was a highlight of the course for me, and I can see myself using these skills in my future career. In addition to the technical skills, I also learned the importance of building strong relationships with clients and maintaining clear communication throughout the consulting process. I am excited to continue developing my skills in this area and to one day work with academic institutions to help them improve their performance and achieve their goals.
Meaningful and constructive feedback was given consistently for assignments by all my professors. I can’t remember being in any class where I felt like I couldn’t request help or didn’t receive any. This was especially true in the course Introduction to Q Methodology. In completing one of the assignments I ran into some difficulty with the software being used to run my analysis. Thankfully, Dr. Rieber was patient and understanding to give me an extension to have the assignment completed. Whilst I’m still in the early stages of deciding my research methodology I was happy to be able to explore Q Methodology as an option. I’ve shared this research method with a few other doctoral students, and it was the first time many of them heard of it. Hopefully, they would consider it for their future research ideas. Overall, I feel fortunate to have had such a positive learning experience thus far and look forward to applying what I have learned in my future academic endeavors.
My suggestions to the program are mostly for the EDIT 8990 course. Having completed it during the M.Ed. program, I think students would benefit greatly from having a few sessions that guide them in responding to a call for conference proposal. Having to write my first conference proposal although enjoyable, I felt l could’ve benefited by having some practice or prior knowledge of the process.