Reviewing your previous blog posts, what, if anything, has changed in your attitude toward online schools and online schooling over the past 15 weeks?
I think one of the things I have changed my mind about was how effective and engaging the discussion forum could be. The key difference was our experience in this course with being required to come back and revisit the discussions every few days, and to comment on the comments others made to what we posted. It definitely kept conversation more like an ongoing discussion and debates, instead of merely "spouting" -- saying your piece, but not necessarily having much interaction with what others had to say.
07 May 2011
03 May 2011
Reflections Week 14: Research Project
What was the most difficult aspect of researching this topic?
I thoroughly enjoyed working on this research project. It was energizing, as odd as that may sound. As far as what was most difficult...it is something I really have to think about.
I loved the challenge of collecting and studying the data, of evaluating and making recommendations, but did find it a bit frustrating to deal with incongruities -- when the survey respondents in good faith gave information I knew to be incorrect. I had to reconcile that by just reporting the answers and responses that they provided, and making a note when I knew they were reporting something that was erroneous.
Another difficulty: wanting more participants for the survey, but not wanting to nag candidates so that they became resistant or responded under duress. I didn't send repeat e-requests about the survey to avoid getting an unnecessary negative response, (I didn't want to hound students or pester ones who had responded already) but it could have impacted the number of responses I got. Would I have gotten more if I had "nagged" or would that have backfired and reflected unfavorably in their responses if they approached a survey under compulsion?
Still one more difficulty: trying to be as complete and accurate as possible while fully aware that I was lacking information and knowing that what I was doing is not high on the priority list of others I needed help from. I am a stickler for detail, especially when it comes to research and data, but not everyone ascribes the same importance to minutiae. Sometimes people balk a it when pressed for the most complete information, because it just isn't quite so important to them. In some cases, sources I sought for key information (ie. complete listing of all the students enrolled in online learning at my school over the past three years) were not as detail oriented, or perhaps didn't realize that the information they provided was incomplete, which meant after seeking help a couple of times, and being provided with partial lists both times, I still had to branch out to gather from other sources as well. It still bothers me that I didn't have an official list, and even when I was finished, I sensed there were probably more online students I didn't have a record of. I only learned after I had completed my project that there were still another five names I did not have at the time of research, who may or may not have even received the information to participate in the survey. Again, the fact that my list was a compilation, and was as accurate a rendering as I was able to assemble, was noted in my research.
I thoroughly enjoyed working on this research project. It was energizing, as odd as that may sound. As far as what was most difficult...it is something I really have to think about.
I loved the challenge of collecting and studying the data, of evaluating and making recommendations, but did find it a bit frustrating to deal with incongruities -- when the survey respondents in good faith gave information I knew to be incorrect. I had to reconcile that by just reporting the answers and responses that they provided, and making a note when I knew they were reporting something that was erroneous.
Another difficulty: wanting more participants for the survey, but not wanting to nag candidates so that they became resistant or responded under duress. I didn't send repeat e-requests about the survey to avoid getting an unnecessary negative response, (I didn't want to hound students or pester ones who had responded already) but it could have impacted the number of responses I got. Would I have gotten more if I had "nagged" or would that have backfired and reflected unfavorably in their responses if they approached a survey under compulsion?
Still one more difficulty: trying to be as complete and accurate as possible while fully aware that I was lacking information and knowing that what I was doing is not high on the priority list of others I needed help from. I am a stickler for detail, especially when it comes to research and data, but not everyone ascribes the same importance to minutiae. Sometimes people balk a it when pressed for the most complete information, because it just isn't quite so important to them. In some cases, sources I sought for key information (ie. complete listing of all the students enrolled in online learning at my school over the past three years) were not as detail oriented, or perhaps didn't realize that the information they provided was incomplete, which meant after seeking help a couple of times, and being provided with partial lists both times, I still had to branch out to gather from other sources as well. It still bothers me that I didn't have an official list, and even when I was finished, I sensed there were probably more online students I didn't have a record of. I only learned after I had completed my project that there were still another five names I did not have at the time of research, who may or may not have even received the information to participate in the survey. Again, the fact that my list was a compilation, and was as accurate a rendering as I was able to assemble, was noted in my research.
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