When people hear about a doctoral program, many automatically think of the dissertation. This is the end product of the program, and there are other experiences that take place before a doctoral student embarks on that part of the adventure. For me, I had a series of classes that I was required to take that helped lay the foundation and prepare me for the research and writing that would come. Today, I’ll share a summary of four classes that were a part of that experience.
Quantitative Research in Educational Technology: This was one of the core courses that prepared me for my dissertation research. My professor was very involved in our learning, providing videos and live demonstrations to guide us through the process of using SPSS, the software that we used to analyze the statistical data we collected. Statistics was not my forte going into the program, but the class helped me practice the true analysis that was to come. I also got a dry run on the topic I had chosen to research, using test questions in my mock survey to see how responses might play out in the future. I learned terms like Chronbach’s Alpha, convenience samples, descriptive analysis, Pearson Correlations, and ANOVA among others. These terms allowed me to find relationships between the data and my survey sample and identify any trends or elements that did not influence the focus of my study. While there were complexities to work through, I found the class very valuable and an insightful part of the overall research process.
Qualitative Research in Educational Technology: Another core course to prepare for dissertation research, the focus this time was on narrative data. We reviewed multiple examples of items that are considered qualitative in nature, and did another test run at collecting data. I chose interviews, video observations, and collateral reviews to tell the story of my research topic. One of the biggest takeaways I gained from this course was learning how to code qualitative data. There are multiple methods to code, from simple post-it notes to software such as Delve that helps you organize your data to identify common themes that tell the story. I also learned the stories of two individuals that had distinctly different experiences related to organizational support working remotely during COVID. While these stories could not be used in my final research, it started to give me ideas of the themes that may emerge when it came time to conduct my dissertation research.
Differentiated Instruction in Online Learning: This class explored options to approach learning in an online environment to address the unique needs of learners. My cohort was a combination of professionals in K-12 education, secondary education, and business learning and development. I appreciated hearing different perspectives on how to approach instruction and gained some insights to consider in the workplace. Learning happened through group discussions, literature reviews, and reflection questions. I came out of the class with ideas to consider implementing in future training courses including reflection activities where learners could identify things they could apply back on the job after completing a course.
Learning Tools in Educational Technology: This course focused on effective use of technology in the virtual and physical classroom. Not only did we explore different learning tools, we were also tasked with considering if technology was appropriate for learning. I was introduced to Neil Selwyn through his book Distrusting Educational Technology: Critical Questions for Changing Times. His views and insights challenged my perspectives on the use of technology in learning and made me think more critically about why technology should be used and the outcomes that should be achieved with a specific technology. I will share my takeaways on that in a future post. I also got to experiment with new technology including Screencast-o-Matic, a platform that allows you to create presentations that include various types of media. Stay tuned for my insights on that and other technology that I explored in the class!
Interwoven between these courses, I prepared for the research and writing that would lead to my dissertation and defense. I met regularly with my advisor for guidance and direction on what I needed to do in order to finalize my research focus and prepare for each step of the process once my classes were completed.
For any of you that have written a thesis or dissertation, what were the highlights of your experience? What classes were the most helpful to you as you prepared for your research and writing?
Next time, I’ll continue with the dissertation journey and what I discovered along the way.
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