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!
Pink Glove Dance goes VIRAL December 6, 2009
Posted by thinkphd in : Miscellaneous , add a commentThis is a great video - it’s so fun to watch and reminds us all about the importance of Breast Cancer Research. I have a friend recently diagnosed with Breast Cancer - thank you to all those who are taking care of my friend!
Thinking about etexts / ebooks December 1, 2009
Posted by thinkphd in : NCU , add a commentOur NCU Provost Dr. Barnaby B. Barratt, PhD, DHS announced recently:
In 2010, we will gradually change over to the use of ebooks. This not only seems appropriate to an online University (and will save countless trees), but will also be significantly less expensive for Learners.
I am very concerned about the strategic move to ebooks. Even though I have a Kindle 2 and enjoy ebooks, I often use my printed textbooks referencing several things at the same time. I might put my fingers in several places and compare. With ebooks, I can set up placemarkers, but they don’t stick out the edges for quick searching. I use sticky notes and my books have lots of them sticking out marking pages.
We use etexts at the University of Phoenix, where I am an adjunct. I found that students rarely read the texts! They pay for the “use” of the etexts (less than a paper textbook) but pay, nonetheless. They do not have eternal access to the book, either. When I buy a book at the store, it is mine forever. I can mark in it, read it multiple times, or pass it alone to someone else. Perhaps ebooks are OK for some classes but those in which the texts are used (not just purchased) we really need paper textbooks.
In addition, those of us who live in a rural area with insufficient bandwidth, struggle with downloading ebooks or large files or even watching YouTube. I have a limited amount of bandwidth before HughesNet activates their Fair Access Policy. If the etext file were kept resident on the school website, would we be able to permanently “mark” our copy for easy retrieval of information?
I have a whole bookshelf of textbooks that I have accumulated through the years, and I still refer back to these texts, especially when I prepare lesson plans or write papers or articles. Books are just a part of who I am - and even though I love the new technology of etexts / ebooks, I disagree that they are always appropriate in a classroom environment. The technology is not advanced enough to meet the needs of the serious student.
Books are an investment in learning; the use of etexts is like renting the textbook. I hope that NCU gives the students an opportunity to choose if they want to use etexts or buy the book.
Me? I will buy the book. The one made out of paper.
~~
Articles:
Do free e-texts reduce sales of print textbooks?
Integrate digital and media literacy as critical elements for education, report says
RSH9102B-10: Mixed Methods Research & activity outcomes November 24, 2009
Posted by thinkphd in : RSH9102B , add a commentI finished Activity #10 on Sunday; in the syllabus it states, “Based on your readings, describe the context of when mixed methods research is appropriate.” However, just as I started to write (after reading the appropriate chapters), I looked at the activity outcomes, which state:
- Justify quantitative research designs when appropriate.
- Justify qualitative designs when appropriate.
- Examine the role of mixed methods research in formal inquiry.
- Assess the relative strengths and weaknesses of each research methodology.
These outcomes are certainly more than just describing “when the context of mixed methods research is appropriate” (as the syllabus states in the directions)! So I included the activity outcomes in the paper, using them as a kind of outline, with the overarching theme of “when” mixed methods is appropriate.
I have done a little bit of syllabi and curriculum design, and this divergence between the assignment and the activity outcomes is not a good idea. What often happens is the instructor ends up not grading to the activity outcomes so if a student includes them, they are marked down, if they do not, they do not receive the benefit of learning the full coursework. A paper that explains only when mixed methods is appropriate is very different than one that justifies mixed methods, quantitative, and qualitative, and assesses strengths and weaknesses of each.
My new mentor has been traveling and he admitted he will catch up on grading soon. He has had to jump in pretty fast and I am sure he has many papers to grade. I turned in #7 and am waiting for a grade, then #8, #9, and #10 ready to go. I have one month left in this course so it looks like I will start RSH9103B around Christmas time.
But this is a special week as our son is visiting from out of town, so I doubt if I will get any work done on #11 at all this week!
How to search thinkPhD.com November 22, 2009
Posted by thinkphd in : Miscellaneous , 1 comment so farAre you looking for posts referencing a certain class at NCU or a certain subject like “education”? Here are THREE quick ways to find what you are looking for.
Use the white search box in the right column. Type in your search term and press enter.
OR….
Click on archives in the menu bar. You can find posts by month or by subject/category this way.
OR….
In the address bar, type category/coursename after the domain and press enter. So if you are looking for posts regarding RSH9102B, type this:
http://thinkphd.com/category/rsh9102b/
Taking MGT5031?
http://thinkphd.com/category/mgt5031/
Looking for posts about education?
http://thinkphd.com/category/education/
New mentor Dr. S + making progress November 21, 2009
Posted by thinkphd in : RSH9102B , add a commentMidstream in RSH9102B, I have been assigned a new mentor. All of a sudden, Dr. M is not listed as my professor - now I have Dr. S. I was given no explanation as to the reason for the change. I had turned in assignment #6 and waited patiently for six days for it to be graded. I checked on Friday, and saw it posted as graded under Dr. M, but Dr. S was listed as my professor on my learner page. I checked my regular email and found a note from the registrar advising me of the change. I found Dr. S’s published dissertation, which I downloaded and will add to my reading list.
I turned in the 7th assignment “Design a Research Study Plan” early this morning after final proofreading. I worked on and finished activity #8 Experimental Research, as well as activity #9 Exploratory Research. The 10th paper is Mixed Methods Research, which departs from the read-and-answer-questions format of #8 and #9. My mind is pretty tired right now so I won’t start on #10, which involves discussing the context of when mixed methods research is appropriate. Right now, the only thing I can see that is appropriate is a cold beer.
Or two.
Babbie’s Survey Research Methods November 18, 2009
Posted by thinkphd in : RSH9102B , add a commentI picked up a used copy of Earl Babbie’s Survey Research Methods (1997) to help me understand surveys more completely and I almost fell out of my chair when I saw page 204. At the bottom of the page, Figure 11-1 it says “Standard Punch Card for Recording Data.” My oh my I had not seen a punch card since my undergrad days at Troy State! I took a Fortran course (which was considered to be “the” language for science - I was an environmental science major) and those cards were my worst nightmare. You had to sit at a punch machine and punch out hundreds, no thousands, of those cards to run a program. Then you would stack up your cards in order - mind you - and take them to the window of the computer room - and turn them in. And then pray that your program did not fail and you would be able to set up statistical analyses for your experiments.
On page 204 and following there is a whole discussion on using punch cards and the “entrance of computers.” For all you young folks, here is a punch card and a card sorter:
Weekend Update: Turned in #6 working on #7 November 15, 2009
Posted by thinkphd in : RSH9102B , add a commentI completed the ethics paper which was activity #6 in RSH9102B yesterday. It actually took me longer than I thought it would take to finish it up. I ended up with 7 pages in which I discussed the Belmont Report and the Common Rule, and applied those principles to my study. I covered what I believed to be the major risks of conflict of interest and informed consent/privacy protection.
Today, I started on activity #7, which is Design a Research Survey Plan. The syllabus directions are not very clear once you get to reading them: “Using the checklist displayed on page 156 of the Creswell text, design a plan for the procedures to be used in a survey study.”
First of all, the checklist is not on page 156, its on page 147. Secondly, it was unclear if I am to develop a survey based on my proposed topic or make one up. I sent a note to Dr. M, and got some guidance. I ended up writing as though the study would be used in my own qualitative research. There are 20 questions in the Creswell checklist. I created a short introduction and then typed the 20 questions, and started writing at least a paragraph after each one. I have completed through question 11, and hope to pick back up and complete this paper tomorrow evening (although it may take me two evenings because I have to deliver some Avon to my customers tomorrow after work).
I know that some people can pump out these assignments quickly, but I read all of the chapters first (8 chapters in this assignment crossing 4 texts) and then brainstorm the topic. I come up with a general outline and then flesh it out as I write. I suppose my method is working because I am carrying a 4.0 GPA. However, there just never seems to enough hours in the day to get all this work done!
Noobie is giving away a free Kindle! November 14, 2009
Posted by thinkphd in : Miscellaneous , add a commentI just entered a contest to win a free Kindle from Noobie (worth $259!) and I wanted you to have a chance to win one too! All you need to do to enter is to click the link below or copy and paste it into your favorite Internet browser:
http://www.noobie.com/kindle-giveaway?ref=15682172
Be sure to read the email you get from Noobie after you register. You’ll get your own unique link that you can use to earn even more entries in the drawing!
CITI CourseCollaborative Institutional Training Initiative November 8, 2009
Posted by thinkphd in : RSH9102B , 2 commentsYesterday afternoon and today I worked on the CITI course as required in Activity 6 in RSH9102B. CITI stands for Collaborative Institutional Training Initiative and the course is the Course in the Protection of Human Research Subjects. The syllabus states that this course requires 4-6 hours to complete - and it took me about 4 hours of concentrated work to finish it up. I started out just reading and answering the quizzes, but found out pretty quick that my recall was not what I had expected (especially with the really boring reading that was required). So I started printing out the reading and quizzes and did much better. I could take over any of the quizzes I wanted to and found out then that some of the quizzes will change questions or the answer selections will show up in subsequent quizzes mixed up.
I finished up today and have my certificate of completion. The next step in this assignment is to write a “scholarly paper” in which ”any ethical concerns for the human subjects in the intended study are discussed.” I am not sure how many pages or how in depth this paper should be because the syllabus does not tell me that. Most of my research will focus on facts rather than human subjects, but I can certainly write a paper referencing the Belmont Report and other ethical concerns.
HOWEVER, today is an absolutely gorgeous autumn day and OUTSIDE is calling me…..
Paper 5: Measurement and Scaling Concepts November 7, 2009
Posted by thinkphd in : RSH9102B , 3 commentsUgh. Another read-and-answer the question paper today. In all, there are 15 questions to answer, with a minium of 125 words per response…and the paper is to be 1-2 pages in length. What? Are you kidding me? The average word count of a 12pt TNR font double-spaced paper is 250-300 words per page. So we are talking about 600 words. Now if we do the math…15 questions x 125 words = 1,875 words….or 7-8 pages. Either NCU can’t count or there is a major typo in the syllabus. You know, it is these kinds of things that DRIVE ME CRAZY. We are expected to be detailed, accurate, and right 100% of the time in our assignments, yet a syllabus can have nutty errors in it? Now don’t get me started talking about the fact that the syllabus contains references to page numbers that are in previous editions of the texts…..
Free Resources for Program Evaluation and Social Research Methods November 6, 2009
Posted by thinkphd in : Study Tips , add a commentI found a website that provides free information for the dissertation student. Free Resources for Program Evaluation and Social Research Methods is a list of links to websites with a home site of the International Consortium for the Advancement of Academic Publication or ICAAP. Some of the resources explain what evaluation is and how it is used in social research. I found some useful information under the Methods - Qualitative link. My proposed topic is based on qualitative methods, and now that I am in RSH9102B, I am trying to find as much information that I can about this method. There are some links to free statistical software, training courses, and some related to sampling a population. Check out some of the study notes and links to tutorials, too.
