Snow in VA January 30, 2010
Posted by thinkphd in : RSH9103QNB, Associated Content Articles , 2 commentsWell, it’s been snowing since about midnight and we now have about 5″ on the ground.
Here’s a snow pic for you…
I worked about 4 hours yesterday on an assignment in RSH9103QNB and am still not finished. Right now, I am taking a blogging break, then will fill up my trusty coffee cup and get started once more. I use my Saturdays to get some work done - especially in the mornings when it is very quiet. Husband and our two dogs are still in bed and I don’t have to use the ear plugs to keep myself focused on my school work. This week I teach a COM/285 class at the University of Phoenix, Richmond. My plans today are to work on the assignment mentioned above and post the syllabus for COM/285.
I have been writing this morning and just published an article on Associated Content:
Send Local Severe Weather Reports to the National Weather Service via Twitter
Be sure to read the article and tweet about your severe weather, too!
Northcentral University unveils new brand January 27, 2010
Posted by thinkphd in : NCU , 1 comment so farNorthcentral University sent out an email today introducing its new logo. Here’s a sneak peak….
http://lp.ncu.edu/newbrand/
The school is rebranding itself! The new logo colors are blue for learning and knowledge, and burnt orange reminds us of Arizona (where the school is located). The two overlapping strips represent the student and faculty relationship. The promo mentions a flame, but I did not see one. The flame would stand for the “fire of enlightenment that education produces.”
The new branding will be introduced in February.
Click the link (http://lp.ncu.edu/newbrand/) and tell me what you think about our new brand….!
New APA 6.0 templates January 16, 2010
Posted by thinkphd in : RSH9103QNB , 1 comment so farI see that NCU has posted new APA 6.0 templates in the Dissertation Center. I see the Concept Paper, Dissertation Manuscript, Dissertation Proposal, and Topic Paper Templates. I haven’t had an opportunity to print these out, and will not until much later. It will be a while until I need those templates. NCU is requiring APA 6.0 for dissertations accepted after Jan 1st, 2010. I am trying to learn the revised APA guidelines, and still puzzle a bit over why some of the changes were made. When I received my first 6.0 manual, I read it through, but have not had a chance to do the same for the revised/replaced 6.0 (I have the corrected 2nd printing).
Today I have been working on RSH9103QNB-5, Applying Univariate Statistics. I had to review statistics a bit to answer some of the questions, and admit that it took me longer to work up this paper than I had thought it would. I’m all finished now, and plan to work on assignment 2 tomorrow. That is - either before or after husband and I go see AVATAR!
Statistics reviewed in RSH9103QNB January 10, 2010
Posted by thinkphd in : RSH9103QNB , add a commentI am still avoiding turning in assignment 2 in RSH9103NB. This assignment is a first pass at my dissertation questionnaire design. I am still not 100% convinced that my ideas for a questionnaire will work - my biggest concern is the sample. I think it will be very difficult to pull the sample together. Essentially, I had thought to send out questionnaires, but after talking with several people, I have discovered that most of the time the questionnaires are not returned. The best way to do it (it seems) is through an internet survey. My second concern is the breadth of the study design. I am afraid that I need to actually broaden the topic so that the research is applicable to more than just a small group. My topic is very specific, so that if people do not respond to a survey, the design is shot.
So, I am continuing to work on assignments in RSH9103QNB without turning them in. NCU does not allow turning in assignments out of sequence so I have to turn in assignment 2 next. I am working on assignment 5 now, “Applying and Interpreting Univariate Statistics.”
Here are all the assignments, so that you can get an idea of the statistics reviewed in this course:
1: Considering Questionnaire Design
2: Hypothetical Questionnaire Design
3: Application of Editing and Coding Techniques
4: Application of Descriptive Statistics
5: Applying and Interpreting Univariate Statistics
6: Applying and Interpreting Bivariate Statistics
7: Applying and Interpreting Bivariate Measures of Association
8: Multivariate Data Analysis
9: Secure a Chair for Your Dissertation Committee
10: Probability and Non-probability Samples
11: Sampling Procedures
12: Power Analysis
13: Envisioned Research Plan
Clearly, assignments 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, and 10 are statistics reviews (you could consider 11 as well). So for all those who are thinking about this course but t-r-e-m-b-l-e at the thought of STATISTICS, make sure you hand onto your statistics books for review!
NCU Dissertation Sequence January 3, 2010
Posted by thinkphd in : RSH9103QNB , add a commentThe course I am in right now is RSH9103QNB, Quantitative Methods. You can see from this Sequence chart that this is the third of four RSH (Research) classes at NCU. The student chooses either a quantitative, qualitative, or mixed methods class for this third course. In this course, not only do I complete assignments, I also secure a chair for my dissertation committee. My chair will be the instructor for the next RSH course, RSH9104B. During RSHI9104B, I select my committee members. After these four RSH courses, I take Comps (CMP9200), which is a course in which I will have to right four scholarly papers. Right now in our nculearner Yahoo group, we have been discussing some of the changes to the Comps. I had heard that NCU was going to move this course before RSH courses (which makes a lot of sense to me) but then I was told that they are considering it, but that has not been finalized. Once I complete CMP9200, I will be considered ABD (all but dissertation).
All of that seems so far away right now, but in reality, I will be at that point within the year!
RSH9103QNB Quantitative Methods January 2, 2010
Posted by thinkphd in : RSH9103QNB , 5 commentsI turned in the first assignment today for RSH9103QNB, “Considering Questionnaire Design.” My mentor for this course is Dr M, and the course dates are Jan 1 through Mar 26. This first assignment was a book-question-and-answer set from Zikmund’s chapter 15.
The second assignment is “Hypothetical Questionnaire Design” in which I am to create a questionnaire based on my chosen dissertation topic. So I skipped this one (temporarily) and moved on to assignment 3, “Application of Editing and Coding Techniques.” This one is also a book-question-and-answer set, this time from Zikmund’s Chapter 19.
I won’t be able to turn in assignment 3 before doing and receiving back graded 1 and 2, but I am on a roll with those book questions. I want to re-research my topic some before I work on a survey for it.
I receive blog reader questions from time to time asking me how I set up for these book-question-and-answer sets. First, I type out every question in my paper so that when I refer back to the papers I know what the assignment was about. This has been very helpful as the assignments build on one another. It is simply of way of assisting with categorizing my responses. I use page break in MS Word between questions. By typing out the questions first, when I read I know what to focus on. Then, I read the entire chapter and any other links provided in the syllabus.
Most of the time, the questions are little essays, about a page, maybe two pages in length. I always use a lot of references, and follow APA rules, including voice. Of the 13 assignments in this class, 9 are book-question-and-answer type.
Homeland Security Essay Contest
Posted by thinkphd in : Miscellaneous , add a commentHappy New Year!
I am a member of a writers’ group and found out about a Homeland Security Essay Contest offered by the Navy Postgraduate School Center for Homeland Security Defense and Security. If you are enrolled in NCU’s HS coursework, this may be an opportunity to share some of your work. However, the competition is open to everyone - you do not have to work in the field. There is no entry fee, the award is $1500, and the winning essay will be considered for online journal publication. Submission deadline is January 31.
Here is the link: Homeland Security Essay Contest.
You can also read previous winning entries at that link. Good luck!
eLearn Magazine: 10 Ways to Ensure Distance Learning Success January 1, 2010
Posted by thinkphd in : Study Tips , add a commentMy essay, “10 Ways to Ensure Distance Learning Success” was published December 17 by eLearn Magazine.
Here is the direct link to that article:
http://www.elearnmag.org/subpage.cfm?section=best_practices&article=62-1
In this article, I review some of the basic principles for online learners. The idea for the essay was an adaptation of a slide that I use for every class including campus-based. The slide has the 10 items, which I reveal one at at time, from the last to the first (#10, #9, #8, etc.), in the same way that David Letterman does his Top Ten Lists. By bringing humor into the classroom, students seem to remember the slide and these points much easier. If you would like a copy of the slide, please contact me at thinkphd at yahoo dot com and I will send you one.
Just like David Letterman, a little drum roll please before reading #1: Read the syllabus and use it as a roadmap!
Conference call with Dr. S December 31, 2009
Posted by thinkphd in : RSH9102B , add a commentMy mentor for RSH9102B, Dr. S, graciously agreed to a conference call to discuss my dissertation. I had hoped to get his insight on my topic and how I planned to develop it. This conference call was a great help to me - Dr. S provided some encouragement and insight that was greatly needed! If you will recall, Dr. S became my mentor halfway through the course, when Dr. M quit teaching at NCU. Dr. S picked right up and provided helpful comments on my papers.
During our conversation, he was able to show me a few things that I believe will really help me focus in on the subject. He recommended that I add a qualitative component to my proposed quantitative methodology. I really had not considered that, thinking it would be time consuming. Dr. S assured me that it would add an important dimension to the topic, making the results/conclusion even stronger. He also suggested that I step back and with a critical eye, look at whether I am too narrowly or too widely thinking about my subject. He reminded me that my job was to get the doctorate; not create a long and involved study, as there would be plenty of time for that later.
Dr. S complimented me on my critical thinking and writing skills. I told him that I appreciated his thoughtful comments, rather than simply commenting on a missed period or an APA violation! Those things are easily correctible, but depth and content were far more important and mentors should comment on those much more frequently.
I am very glad that Dr. S took the time for a conference call. I am looking at my paper differently now, and thinking about how to zero in and share something new. He made me very happy when, during the conversation, he actually restated my concept in his own words….HOW EXCITING TO KNOW THAT SOMEONE ELSE “GETS” MY IDEAS!
Book Review: “Gemma” by Meg Tilly December 20, 2009
Posted by thinkphd in : Book Review, Associated Content Articles , add a comment“Gemma” is a compelling story by author/actor Meg Tilly, who herself suffered abuse at the hands of adults she trusted. I found the story almost intoxicating and difficult to put down. At the same time I was sickened by the cruelty and descriptions of abuse, I was inspired by the small voice of a very brave girl who suffered, yet never lost her hope for a life in which someone would care.
Read the full review here.
Submitted #12 Woo Hoo December 19, 2009
Posted by thinkphd in : RSH9102B , 1 comment so farAhhhhh….feels REAL GOOD after submitting the final assignment in a class!!! I finally finished up the 12th assignment, “Propose a Research Method Design” and turned it in tonight. I put this one through several revisions, and I think I ended up with a good product. This assignment pulls from several of the previous assignments. I added a few more headings (a few more than the last post), here is what I used:
Statemet of the Research Problem
Purpose of the Study
Research Questions
Methodology
Research Design
Selection of Participants or Subjects
Strengths and Weaknesses
Reiliability and Validity
Procedures
Less Desirable Designs
Conclusion
I also used APA 6th edition instead of 5th edition, with the major differences being header styles and types, and using two spaces after periods. I also requested the next course RSH9103QNB with a Jan 1st start date and completed the post course survey.
And so I can cross off one more course in my journey to a PhD.
Final assignment in RSH9102B…almost complete December 17, 2009
Posted by thinkphd in : RSH9102B , add a commentIt’s hard to believe that I am working on the final assignment in RSH9102B…”Propose a Research Method and Design.” This assignment is worth 20 points (20%) of the course grade. Basically, it is drawn together from parts of all the previous 11 assignments in the class. I have divided this paper up into Statement of the Research Problem, Purpose of the Study, Research Questions, Methodological Approach, Strengths and Weaknesses, and Conclusion. I am still drawing from the topic paper down as RSH9102B-8, and have not changed my dissertation topic much at all. I suppose you could say that I am “refining” it, or narrowing it down.
After a long day at work, it’s hard to focus on my papers/assignments, but I really do try. However, my neck and back hurt after sitting at a desk all day and then a desk here at home working. It seems like I have been going to school forever…and I am looking forward to choosing to write rather than writing because I have to.
I will finish this paper up tomorrow and turn it in. Between now and when the next class starts in January, I hope to catch up on some reading, both in my topic and for fun. On the fun side, I am reading “The Picture of Dorian Gray” by Oscar Wilde.
It’s almost Christmas and so we are looking forward to seeing myparents, the children, and our grandson! We’ve done all our shopping but with work and school not one thing is wrapped!!
Reading novels is good exercise December 13, 2009
Posted by thinkphd in : RSH9102B, Associated Content Articles , 1 comment so far
I just published a book review of By Reason of Insanity by Randy Singer. You can read my review on Associated Content here. Or my quick review here on Goodreads.
Even though I am knee-deep (neck-deep?) in papers and research preparing for my dissertation, I do take off time to read non-academic things. Student readers - you should, too! I think that we get so stressed with reading and writing and working under a deadline all the time, we forget to read just for the fun of reading.
Reading novels is also a great exercise in learning how to develop a story, and weave ideas and events in an orderly fashion so that they make sense. Well - isn’t that a little like a dissertation?! Literature keeps the reader reading and looking for resolution. So if you are a little rusty with plot development in your dissertation or school assignment, consider reading some pure fiction to get your mind thinking about logical development.
I have a Kindle 2 and downloaded the book for free from Amazon. I enjoyed the book because it is a thriller and while reading I DID NOT THINK ABOUT SCHOOLWORK!
Now…back to work on RSH9102B Assignment 12!
Why God Never Received a PhD December 9, 2009
Posted by thinkphd in : Miscellaneous , 1 comment so farFor all you PhD students out there, this is a fun joke that was shared recently:
Why God Never Received a PhD
1. He had only one major publication.
2. It was in Hebrew.
3. It had no references.
4. It wasn’t published in a refereed journal.
5. Some even doubt he wrote it by himself.
6. It may be true that he created the world, but what has he done since then?
7. His cooperative efforts have been quite limited.
8. The scientific community has had a hard time replicating his results.
9. He never applied to the ethics board for permission to use human subjects.
10. When one experiment went awry he tried to cover it by drowning his subjects.
11. When subjects didn’t behave as predicted, he deleted them from the sample.
12. He rarely came to class, just told students to read the book.
13. Some say he had his son teach the class.
14. He expelled his first two students for learning.
15. Although there were only 10 requirements, most of his students failed his tests.
16. His office hours were infrequent and usually held on a mountain top.
17. No record of working well with colleagues.
100 University Libraries from Around the World that Anyone Can Access December 7, 2009
Posted by thinkphd in : Miscellaneous , add a commentI stumbled upon a list of 100 University Libraries from Around the World that Anyone Can Access. This is a great list which includes Digital Libraries, Texts, Medical Libraries, Legal Libraries, National Libraries of Europe, Religious Studies, Specialized Selections, Academic Research, American Universities, and International Universities. We have a great library at NCU, but this opens up some very interesting opportunities to a librariaholic like me.
I suggest that you bookmark this page and return to it often!
