My thoughts on being a SCHOLAR
Becoming a scholar is one of the requirements for receiving your doctorate. It’s going to happen; no getting around it.
However, the type of scholar you become will depend on you. For me being a scholar is not only about reading research articles. It’s reading about a lot of things and doing a lot of things. Getting out there and publishing, accepting critical feedback, and using that to improve your research capability.
I have made serious attempts to research the areas I plan to focus on and those that may complement my focus areas and goals. For example, I never thought I would like phenomenology or hermeneutic phenomenology, but I have been involved in a 15-month research project about how Instructional Designers dealt with the COVID-19 pandemic.
Below are the competencies I have met or exceeded. With each example of scholarship, I try to explain the context and what the research or presentation was about. Some are academic, some are work-related, and sometimes a little of both.
Research Proposals
This research proposal was the final assignment for EDLD7372. I also paralleled this as a research idea I wanted to pursue with the American Society of Engineering Education (ASEE) for their 2023 conference. I fully intend to use this proposal to give me experience in writing my dissertation.
The proposal looks at how effective extracurricular activities are at making engineering students better. I want to get a perspective from the students and professional staff who designed the activities.
This research proposal was an assignment for ISDT7372. Here I am proposing a quantitative data analysis using statistical tools.
The goal is to examine how many engineering students use the makerspace (at least 1 hour per week), the amount of time spent per week, and what type of engineering student (Department).
We started this proposal in June of 2021 after an assignment led us to continue. The proposal above was presented to the 2022 AECT conference for our presentation in the impact section. Since this proposal and presentation, we are in the final push to finish writing up our results and publishing them.
Literature Reviews
For the research proposal I wrote for EDLD7372, I had to write an extensive literature review. I learned a tremendous amount about research by doing this literature review. I had two attempts and got good insights from the instructor that led me to write this the way I did. I also learned so much about APA 7.
The basic goal of this lit review was to give me an idea of what research was available and what was missing. It also was instrumental in guiding the development of my research questions and methodology.
This Meta-analysis review was pretty extensive, even though I only ended the paper with five pages. A Meta-analysis is a robust tool that assimilates data across studies identified through a literature review. Instead of interviewing and surveying participants, a meta-analysis surveys studies. The idea is to determine the direction and strength of an effect across published studies.
For this Meta-analysis, I used the systematic review by Cruz, Saunders-Smits & Groen. I basically wrote a review of their results and what tools I used to get there.
This literature review was part of a series of exemplary article reviews I did for EDLD7372. This article was on a unique phenomenology study using the published memoirs of Norwegian soldiers fighting in the middle east.
Surveys
Field Studies: Second Order Barriers
Webpages
Vocational Reality Website for ISDT7352
Fischer Engineering Design Center
I designed all the door signs for the facility. I trained all my technicians to do this using layered plastic and the laser cutter.
Brings back memories of seeing this picture as the final contact and responsible person for all the students, equipment, and ideas generated here.
The web page took me and three communications team members to finalize and put into play. It includes all the training, project ideas, and what happens at the facility.
Presentations
A presentation at the 2022 LSU curriculum Camp in Baton Rouge, LA.
Also presented at the APPE 2022 International Conference in Cincinnati, OH.
This presentation is the precursor to a research proposal I am writing this spring. It discusses the need to source Capstone or Senior Design projects ethically. Currently, many of these projects are recycled year to year and the student is gaining no
Presentation based on our research proposal at the AECT Convention 2022 in Las Vegas, NV.
In this presentation, we present how we collected the research and begin coding and data analysis.
Poster presentation at the 2021 AECT conference. Our team developed a needs statement, business plan, and WordPress website.
All Academic Code: 1872213
Title: ‘Vocational Reality: Bringing Careers to Life’
Thank you for submitting your proposal, Vocational Reality: Bringing Careers to Life, for presentation at the 2021 AECT International Convention, Columbus, OH + Virtual this November. We are pleased to inform you that your proposal has been accepted as a ‘Poster’ session.
I made this presentation the year before I started the ISDT program. It was made at a conference I attend every year, the Texas A&M University Technology Summit in Galveston, TX.
This presentation covered the technology management of equipment and PopUp classes I taught at the Engineering Makerspace.
Presented at the 2021 AECT Graduate Student Assembly poster competition.
This was the first presentation concerning our research study into the effects of COVID-19 on remote ID workers.
