Coming into this course, I was pretty much a novice at
research. I had never really studied
this much beyond science class where hypotheses were tested as part of a lab
course. Taking this class has opened my
eyes to the world of research. I
imagined research to be carried out by people in white lab coats, and while
some may do this, this course helped me see that research is possible for
everyone. As I soaked up the knowledge
in EDUC 6163, I began to see that research can be carried out by everyday professionals.
Most of the terms to me were new, so I had to really grapple
for understanding at times. However, I
believe that I am much more prepared to conduct research, but really I am much
more prepared to READ research. Through
this course I learned the importance and technique of conducting a literature
review. I guess I really gained a
greater understanding of the research process.
I had no idea that quantitative and qualitative research existed (using
those terms to define) and the mixed methods approach was new to me as well.
I learned that there are many steps involved in a research
project. I never realized the number of hours that a single project could
take. I also learned that above all,
ethics must be maintained in all facets of the research.
One of the biggest challenges for me was understanding the
difference between dependent and independent variables. I had to read and reread the examples, and
read some other examples as well. I
think I have a better understanding of these terms. Since most of this information was new to me,
I really had to keep an open mind and seek to find the answers to my
questions. I think that the charts we
completed really aided my understanding.
I will no longer see researchers as those mad scientists
wearing lab coats. I now see that research
is an extensive process that individuals can accomplish and participate
in.
A big thank you goes out to all of you, as you have aided my
understanding in this class! Your
thoughts and insights have been extremely valuable. Thank you, Dr. Walker for seeing us through
the end of the course!
Hi Kristi
ReplyDeleteI wanted to send a thank you to you. I try with each course to follow just a few particular peers, so that we can develop knowledge together and I have enjoyed your insightful discussions and posts.
In this course, I have come to appreciate the fact that qualitative experiments have value equal to the quantitative research. I have always thought the studies that employ interviews and try to analyze these comments as subjective and unreliable but now realize the researchers construct a framework to use when they review their data.
See you again in future courses.
Cheers
Carolyn
Hi Kristi,
ReplyDeleteI am like you, I never studied about research science projects way back in my high school years. I learned how to read and understand research during the literature review. I found the literature review informative, I wished I had this information during previous courses.
Thank you for all your input and support throughout this course.
Luci
I like the idea of basic research done by everyday professionals however formal research is intense. I think we all come up with questions in the field we work in. I still feel like an amateur however ai do have a better understanding of research.
ReplyDeleteJosie
Kristi,
ReplyDeleteI really dreaded this class "research" always made me nervous. All the terms you mentioned were new to me as well. After reading over and over the information and definitions I feel I have a better understanding. I feel that I am better able to complete a research project than before.
Kristi,
ReplyDeleteI think we all felt the same way about research in the beginning. I too had to go to several outside resources to completely understand key terms in the weekly readings. However, I am grateful for all the new definitions and information I have learned. Good luck in the next class!
Hi Kristi,
ReplyDeleteLearning research process have been a journey. Every week we learned a new step, new terminology and gain new insights. I am there with you when you mention that you read and reread over variables because many times I felt like a I was reading in a foreign language. I could not understand anything, but at the end everything came together and I was enlighten with the new knowledge.
KRISTI!! I feel so silly - I never realized this was you - the same Kristi from my other class. .DUH Koni....
ReplyDeleteThank you for your lovely comment on my blog.
I agree this class was definitely eye opening. Makes me appreciate all the articles we read in a new way ;) I can't believe regular everyday people do this as a part of or as their main job. I can not imagine.
I hope to see you in future courses. Good Luck. Koni