EDU-6920: Educational Research

Prior to participating in this course, I was unfamiliar with the methods used for educational research. Action research has provided a framework for conducting research that utilizes valid and reliable data driven results that can work to improve many aspects of the educational experience. By applying action research to inform my Information Technology work, I have been able to make substantial IT improvements and recommendations while providing insights into the future needs of students and educators.

The Educational Research course was relevant and helpful for me. I have spent numerous hours attempting to convince people using my own knowledge. What I learned is that by grounding research and/or recommendations in peer reviewed and full text resources, convincing takes much less effort. For instance, if I were to propose a change to the IT infrastructure with only my recommendation, I would have to answer many questions. If I were to provide a white paper, use cases and documentation (research) on how the proposal will improve our Ed Tech infrastructure, many questions would already have been answered and I have to do much less convincing. This is the purpose of the literature review that I completed for the assignment. I will utilize the structure of a literature review as a key piece for proposals moving forward.

The discussions and topics presented in the course were interesting and provided a solid overview of educational research. Topics of validity and reliability were of great importance to reinforce and keep in mind during any research process. These topics were explained in depth and were a large part of the success of my research project.

I enjoyed understanding the process of a feed back loop that action research provides. Research a topic by reviewing relevant literature, apply this research to a topic area, triangulate results using three data sources, analyze data, make recommendations based on the research. Then use these recommendations and data to make data driven decisions to better the topic that was studied.

Although research can be tedious and subjective, data that research provides is useful beyond my own grasp. If a research project gets published it is unknown what additional research projects or processes the paper can inform. We all benefit from the research process. This class has inspired me to continue to think of research in my own profession and how I can provide useful insights for all others to benefit.

EDU - 6555 Critical And Cultural Perspectives on Education

This course provided great insight into how to complete a scholarly critique of an idea. The discussions throughout the course were insightful and although some of the comments given by the students were off kilter, Dr.McGough did a great job fielding the comment. Since graduate course work is designed to allow for individual growth, it was important that students felt they could voice their opinion. This was a free thinking and open environment for students to grow academically and work on their communication and critique skills.

This course was very helpful in teaching the methodology for completing a scholarly critique. Having the knowledge to perform a critique is critical due to the adverse affects critiquing could have professionally. However, when done utilizing fact, proper sources and clearly articulating your point, it allows for changes to be made on the subject you are critiquing.

Another one of the things that was excellent about the course was hearing the insight from all students. Many people have been in the educational system for years and have many experiences. These experiences when discussed, verified or critiqued the points brought up in class. By incorporating democratic principles in the course work and in the class administration, I was able to pick up on the practical application of some of these democratic principles because I saw how they were practically applied in class.

Overall this course was enjoyable and I feel that the content challenged and expanded my "tool kit" for use within an educational setting and in aspects of my life. The most enjoyable part of the course was the in class discussions and being able to express, rethink and rebuttal theories, thoughts and comments.