Early registration for the Networked Learning Conference 2010, #NLC2010, in Aalborg, Denmark, in May is about to end (early-bird registration ends 26 February). As this conference is already a little pricy (and outright expensive from the US), every little savings helps.

As this conference is subtitled A research-based conference on networked learning in higher education and lifelong learning, I am really looking forward to learning together. It will be great to see some of my colleagues (again) there and getting feedback on my paper, Autoethnographer Communities of Practice, as well!

Tags: Autoethnography, NLC2010, Research

I am nearly finished with the DRAFT of my Public Transformations paper, which is due tomorrow. I do feel confident that my Introduction (with the research problem, significance, and purpose statement) is clear and concise.This is among the more important parts of the paper, and I think I was finally able to articulate it in an interesting and inviting way.

I have been increasingly anxious about the due date, how long the paper is taking, and how a lot of loose ends will simply not get resolved by tomorrow. Nevertheless, I started telling myself over and over that this is a draft, and I will get feedback from two of my peers, after which I will revise for the faculty review and assessment (as well as for a conference abstract I am thinking about). So, while I must submit this by tomorrow, I will still be working on it over the next few weeks (with the FINAL version due on March 8).

So, exhausted and with achy (from typing) arms, I am about to submit the result of all my efforts. Wonder if this is what the thesis (UK) / dissertation (US) is like? Will see THAT one soon enough.

Tags: online identity, Research, research design

I have worked in educational practice for as long as I can remember (or, more precisely, ever since the second year after college), and have often heard about (and even taught the importance of) the elevator speech. This is the short (30 seconds or so) answer to the question, “So, what do you do?” It is a mechanism for networking and searching for work, activities I know are important though have not been especially skilled at (at least not in the F2F modality, that is).

I have never really considered this before for research projects, especially for the dissertation / thesis. This idea originated from Cristina Costa’s recent blog post, where she discussed her PhD in  minutes. What a healthy idea to help focus the idea, to try on the idea and feel how it fits, to help to make the process real by speaking it and bringing it into a dimension of reality.

I am sharing this as I want to try this when I work on articulating my doctoral thesis (dissertation back here in the US) later this year. I believe my current research project, Public Transformations: Adult Learners Who Use Social Media to Express and Understand Their Identities as Developing Researchers, will help me in the direction for my work. As I will want people to know about, offer suggestions for, and agree to participate in my research, I will need to be able to clearly articulate the ideas for my work, what I want to find, why I want to find it, and why you should care. Just can’t get away from the WIIFM!

Come to think of it, this process may be useful for every research project . . . .  If a research project cannot be simply and clearly stated, then how well can we really engage in it?

Tags: elevator speech, Research

I am re-reading all of the transcripts of the 8 interviews I conducted for my research project, and am so overwhelmed with the stories that were shared. They are so personal, so strong, and seemingly so full of every element of human experience. In some ways, I feel I am peering into a slice of the lives of a group fascinating people who shared their stories with me for the sake of my research.

I hope I do their works justice in my findings. Perhaps the best justice would be giving somebody else an insight or idea that leads to some other action in service of research, self-knowledge, and advancing the benefits of a networked community?

Tags: narrative, Research, transcription

I have completed the transcriptions for my research (a bit later than I hoped, but it is moving forward), and am beginning to analyze it. Some of the transcripts for the 8 interviews I conducted still need to be sent to the research participants for member checking, but all that is underway.

My initial review of the interviews is wonderful; I believe I have a lot of rich stories that may reveal some very interesting things about the experience of Public Transformations.

However, I have to fight against the anxiety of feeling I am very behind where I hoped to be (my paper is due in another week). In some ways, I wish I had the luxury of being able to research without any other work, but it is a fact of my life that there are a lot of things happening. Regardless, I still expect to have the draft of this paper submitted by February 8, when it is due. Hey, what else is there to focus on at this time of the winter?!

Tags: interview, Research, transcription

With so many generous participants offering to assist me with my research project, Public Transformations: Adult Learners Who Use Social Media to Express and Understand Their Identities as Developing Researchers, I want to provide a brief update as to where I am with all this.

I have thus far completed 6 interviews (I initially planned for 3), have one more confirmed, and am trying to coordinate 2 additional ones. I will collect far more experiences (data, in research terms) than I need for this course project, and hope this helps me understand the topic more completely, perhaps to assist with my dissertation (thesis, in UK parlance) direction for next year, a research paper I am already formulating, and some really valuable findings to better understand how this all fits together. With so many wonderful people out there willing to open their lives and meaning making to me, I want my work to benefit our community of learners and educators as well.

Next, continue with the transcription steps . . .

Tags: interview, Lancaster University, Research

Quite happy to share the news that the second abstract I submitted for consideration to the 6th International Conference on Qualitative Inquiry was also accepted! I am really looking forward to this conference now!! This one is entitled:

The Design and Initial Development of an eLearning Course to Organize and Frame a Qualitative Research Design: The Learning Qualitative Project

There is increasing attention to the challenges faced by faculty who teach qualitative research method courses. Whether lecturers do not have sufficient background to teach in this area, students are not ready to take these courses or their expectations differ from what is taught, logistical institutional factors inhibit teaching and learning, or challenges in the theory-practice relationship pose struggles to coursework, the struggles with teaching qualitative methods seem nearly endless (Hurworth, 2008). With so much need, it was decided to create a freely available eLearning course to assist faculty and students alike. A qualitative research design eLearning course was developed to address some of the basic elements of a research design, and the first version of this is being tested with feedback being used to improve the course’s usefulness.  

I look forward to meeting some old friends and making some new ones this May. BTW, the call for abstracts continues for another week.

Who needs a ride from Indianapolis?!

Tags: QI2010, qualitative research, Research

If you just ran out of time to submit an abstract for the QI2010 (6th International Conference of Qualitative Inquiry), you are in luck — the deadline was just extended to January 15! You can find more information about it here.

Let me know if you plan to submit and / or attend. I already booked my hotel and will be renting a car from the Indianapolis Airport — happy for some company for the drive if the scheduling works!

Tags: QI2010, qualitative research, Research

I have the fortunate problem to have more potential research participants than I can use. This is in many ways a great problem to have, as some colleagues face just the opposite. I credit this to a somewhat untapped area of study, one that invites personal reflection and growth, where I supposed that people may have a passion and an interest that may lead to some interesting directions.

All this remains to be seen as I hope to begin the interviews next week (as this research paper is due in only five more weeks). My challenge now is to try to figure out what criteria to use to determine how to narrow down such a generous bunch.

I think I want an international representative sample (and being a New Yorker studying in the UK, this does make some sense), with people from different countries and academic affiliations). I hope to have some men and women. I do want the participants to be engaged (current or previously) in formal academic study, using social media (a blog, Twitter, Facebook, etc.) to express (or process) their learning along the way.

I really hope that some of the learning that is shared via social media is of the sort of paradigmatic shifts, significant critical examination, or of a transformational nature — though all of this will be explored in the interview.

It may be a little ironic that I am writing this while sitting in a theatre awaiting Avatar, a tale about identity and personal learning, to begin. I hope to reach out to some people, who already contacted me, directly beginning tomorrow.

I feel good about the direction this is headed, and think there may be some interesting findings ahead.

Tags: Research