E-Learning in the 21st Century: A Community of Inquiry Framework for Research and Practice by D Randy GarrisonMy rating: 4 of 5 stars A nice, short, overview of the community of inquiry framework for those who are new to it. The book basically breaks down to 1/2 being about the CoI (discussing each part in details, and encompassing recent research), and 1/2 being application. It was an

Learning Together Online: Research on Asynchronous Learning Networks by Starr Roxanne HiltzMy rating: 3 of 5 stars Not very many people talk about ALNs (asynchronous learning networks) these days. Even the journal for ALNs has been renamed to "Online Learning". Still, this was an interesting historical dive which provided some interesting background on early online learning which still

Designing and Conducting Mixed Methods Research by John W. CreswellMy rating: 5 of 5 stars A good primer on mixed methods research. I wish I had made this part of my original reading list last summer when I was conceiving of my (current version for my) dissertation proposal plan.  Mixed methods fits well with one of the reasons  I am using case study research as my approach. 

Well, the fourth expansion of Star Trek Online, which brings us a sliver of the Gamma quadrant, gamma recruits, and the Jem'Hadar playable faction is here today! I had an opportunity to play a bit today as a new Jem'Hadar "first" (aka captain) under the name of Arak'Ouzo (yes having some fun with the name).  The first couple of missions were quite fun to play, and flying a "bug-ship" is quite

Collaborating Online: Learning Together in Community by Rena M. PalloffMy rating: 3 of 5 stars Interesting book. It's more geared toward practitioners than researchers. I'd recommend this as a a design "cookbook" companion. The thing that has really struck me with this book is that the authors use the term 'collaboration' to refer to anything that involves multiple people working together. 

Learning Together: Peer Tutoring in Higher Education by Nancy FalchikovMy rating: 3 of 5 stars Not a bad book. "Tutoring" in this book means anything between an the work that an "more knowledgeable other" (Vygotsky) does, to teaching assistants. There is quite a broad range to work with, and an interesting book to consult when thinking both about course design and program-level design.

Learning Together and Alone: Cooperative, Competitive, and Individualistic Learning by David W. JohnsonMy rating: 4 of 5 stars Interesting book looking at individual, competitive, and collaborative learning. The framing of the book is more K-12, but I can see applications to higher education. Definitely worth at least a quick look through both by instructors and instructional designers.

Collaborative Learning: Higher Education, Interdependence, and the Authority of Knowledge by Kenneth A. BruffeeMy rating: 4 of 5 stars Interesting read. The first part of the book discusses collaboration as a means of nonfoundational knowledge teaching. I felt that a large part of the book (part II) dealt with the philosophy of nonfoundational knowledge instruction (much more so than collaboration).

Computer-Supported Collaborative Learning: Best Practices and Principles for Instructors by Kara L. OrvisMy rating: 4 of 5 stars An interesting book to read if you're interested in CSCL. It may be a tad bit dated at this point, but some core (or historical) materials are of value. For me specifically - and my EdD research, there were some interesting points to be made about CSCL. I don't

Moocs: Design, Use and Business Models by Jean-Charles PomerolMy rating: 3 of 5 stars It was not a bad book, but some of the factual errors (or perhaps interpretations of what was reported in the book were not in accordance with my own readings on MOOCing). That said, the book focuses a lot on xMOOCs (not a big surprise, most books seem to be doing this), and the book is focused on higher

Well, after almost 2 months, 8 drafts, and a lot of work, I've arrived at my update dissertation proposal. This thing grew about 15 pages since my last draft.  Yes, some pages are blanks by virtue of needed to start something on a next page, or to not break-up a table, but I did end up having to explain some things a bit more based on the literature.  Hopefully I can form a committee soon,

Looks like we're having another Nor'Easter! How much snow this will bring is anyone's guess. I guess that we'll just have to wait and see.  Here is a meme that I created last week when we had another Nor'Easter (yup! that's right).  I wonder if I should tag this as #PhDLife :p

Moocs, High Technology, and Higher Learning by Robert A. RhoadsMy rating: 4 of 5 stars The book states that its aim was to provide a balance between both sides of the MOOC debate (both the overly positive, and the overly critical), and I think it has accomplished that. For anyone new to MOOCs, and interested in a brief history of MOOCs, it's a worthwhile read. For me it didn't provide a

MOOCs by Jonathan HaberMy rating: 4 of 5 stars While the book is a bit out of date (MOOCs have moved along since it was published) I still found it to be a good introduction to the phenomenon of the (albeit without really looking too in-depth at research done in MOOCs).I did have an opportunity to hear the author speak back in 2012 (?) at the Campus Technology conference in Boston. At the

To Mooc or Not to Mooc: How Can Online Learning Help to Build the Future of Higher Education? by Sarah PorterMy rating: 2 of 5 stars I've gone back and forth deciding whether to give this book 2 stars or 1 star. The book wasn't awful, but it was really not all that great. It is a very high level view of MOOCs, written partly as use-cases, and the audience tends to be university administration

From last week's gamercat (I think the author is taking a break).  As for me... not so much...full steam ahead for dissertation proposal.  The literature review is half way done. I've completed writing the MOOC part and I am moving onto the Collaboration part.  The MOOC part still needs editing, and it would make any APA aficionado weep, but the core is there.

I was holding off on posting this just in case I finished another book before the new year, but it seems like I will need to spend this week actually doing some writing for the dissertation proposal (can't let all this fine reading go to waste!). On the one hand I am surprised at how much I read, and on the other hand I am not.  This doesn't even include all the articles I read.  I keep

Invasion of the MOOCs: The Promise and Perils of Massive Open Online Courses by Steven D. KrauseMy rating: 4 of 5 stars This was an interesting collection of essays by people (who I think) met through an xMOOC (EDCMOOC) and decided to put their experiences together. It was interesting to take a slice of MOOC history and read some initial reactions to this phenomenon. Although, calling EDCMOOC

When I kicked off my plan to get my dissertation proposal done (last spring), I had earmarked this fall semester as the literature review semester. I had a sense that it would take quite some time to do, but I didn't think it would take me the entire fall semester.  I guess hope for the best, plan for the worst is the operative phrase. Over the past few years I've been collecting articles

It's been a very reading-heavy few weekends.  I've been trying to go through the massive amount of articles that I downloaded for my dissertation proposal so I can start writing the final section (the lit review) that's been on my mind since the summer.  I was looking for an article on one of the Sage databases, and I thought that an author & keyword combination would do its magic (especially

MOOCs and Educational Challenges around Asia and Europe by Bowon KimMy rating: 3 of 5 stars This was an interesting overview of MOOC (and some about OER) initiatives in selected Asian countries. It's interesting to see the role that MOOCs and OER take on in different contexts. I did find some issues with some chapters (naming things MOOCs which aren't really MOOCs), but I guess this was

Networked Communities: Strategies for Digital Collaboration by Sylvie AlbertMy rating: 2 of 5 stars It was an OK book. Definitely focuses more on the organizational and managerial aspects of networked communities (which aren't of much use to me at the moment).  There were some interesting nuggets of information buried throughout the book if you looked carefully enough.  I am kind

Group Cognition: Computer Support for Building Collaborative Knowledge by Gerry StahlMy rating: 3 of 5 stars Enlightening but I thought it was a bit imbalanced. The theoretical pieces of the book were very interesting (and dense). I tried getting through these chapters in a manner of days and I don't think I got everything (or at least things seem a little fuzzy at the moment).  That

E-Research Collaboration by Murugan AnandarajanMy rating: 4 of 5 stars An interesting collection of works on collaboration (if my highlights are anything to go by). There were a few elements in this book that deserve attention in my literature review.  The case studies that are presented don't help a ton in my contexts as they tend to be not related to the topic of collaboration as

Collaboration Uncovered: The Forgotten, the Assumed, and the Unexamined in Collaborative Education by Merle RichardsMy rating: 4 of 5 stars Quite an interesting collection of perspectives (and stories) about person-to-person collaboration in higher education. I think that you are looking for a book that deals with collaboration at the lower levels (i.e. not institution-to-institution) this

Collaboration and Networking in Education by Daniel MuijsMy rating: 3 of 5 stars Interesting book on collaboration in education. I was expecting it to focus more on the specific of collaboration, and less on the inter-organizational aspects. As such I found it to be a bit high level for my purposes. Still, this was an interesting book to read, even if I did end up skimming through sections

The Cathedral & the Bazaar: Musings on Linux and Open Source by an Accidental Revolutionary by Eric S. RaymondMy rating: 4 of 5 stars Quite an interesting collection of essays on open source programming and culture. GoodReads tells me I've read this before, but I wonder if I just read the essay with the same name rather than the whole book (I didn't remember it, or perhaps I see it

Collaboration 2.0: Technology and Best Practices for Successful Collaboration in a Web 2.0 World by David ColemanMy rating: 3 of 5 stars Not a bad read. The technology bit is a little outdated by this point. I think there is some good stuff here, if you ignore the technology. For a book that says that technology and process need to go hand-in-hand, it sure does focus on technology a

Some Sunday humor... I thought it was apropos given that I've been working on getting my methods section polished off and done by August 30th. I am, sort of, there too!  I just need to work on getting my reliability & validity sections done (I've got disjointed fragments I have written already), and my ethics section done (again, disjointed fragments). It's a bit slow-going because I need

42 Rules for Successful Collaboration (2nd Edition): A Practical Approach to Working with People, Processes and Technology by David ColemanMy rating: 2 of 5 stars I guess I forgot to check off this book as read a few days ago. The book was OK, and it was a fairly fast book to read, not weighed down by disciplinary jargon. That said, some of the rules are quite helpful, whereas others

Interviewing as Qualitative Research: A Guide for Researchers in Education and the Social Sciences by Irving SeidmanMy rating: 5 of 5 stars Quite a good read on conducting interviews as part of educational research. It does seem to focus on phenomenological interviews, where the interview is the one and only approach, but it might be useful for other cases where interviews are one of many

Collaboration in Distance Education: International Case Studies by Louise MoranMy rating: 3 of 5 stars Even though it's a little dated at this point, it was an interesting view into cross-organizational collaborations in distance education. I started reading this thinking that it was more about person-to-person collaboration, not necessarily institution-to-institution initiatives. 

From PhD comics from a week or so ago...  One of the reasons I don't really want to go on vacation until my dissertation proposal (or heck, even until my data collection) is done.

Teaching Crowds: Learning and Social Media by John DronMy rating: 5 of 5 stars I've had both a physical and a digital copy of this book for ages, but only really gone through select passages since I've had it. This time around I read through it cover to cover. It's interesting to read about sets, nets, groups, and collectives, and how they are instantiated using various technologies. I

Qualitative Research Design: An Interactive Approach: 41 by Joseph A. MaxwellMy rating: 5 of 5 stars This was quite a short book (in comparison to other methods books I've read) but it was quite good. It's definitely packed with good insight and things to make you think about what you want to consider when it comes to writing your research proposal. At the end of each chapter there are memoing

Internet Inquiry: Conversations about Method by Annette N. MarkhamMy rating: 4 of 5 stars An interesting collection of researched essays on doing qualitative research on the internet. The book is setup in a Question prompt-response-responses to the response manner. In a sense it's a bit like a dialogue, or a panel discussion, but in written form.  It definitely gives you some food

Case Study Research: Design and Methods by Robert K. YinMy rating: 5 of 5 stars Quite a thorough book on doing case studies.  This is the second book just on case studies that I have read thus far, and it seems quite inclusive.  I did like the Stake book (see review a few weeks ago) but this seemed to give more of a roadmap.  This is probably the 8th or 9th book I've read

Σήμερα το πρωί, στην ροή του facebook μου ήρθε η παρακάτω εικόνα. Η εικόνα είναι από το διαδικτυακό κόμικ PhD το οποίο σατιρίζει την πανεπιστημιακή ζωή εδώ στην Βόρεια Αμερική, ειδικά την ζωή αυτόν (που σαν και εμένα) προσπαθούν

The Art of Case Study Research by Robert E. (Earl) StakeMy rating: 4 of 5 stars This book reads well, and its nice narrative (for the most part) style of writing really gives the reader a good overview of the Case Study method and how to research and write using this approach. It was fairly easy to read through, and it would be good to read this again as you embark on your case study. That

Advances in Research on Networked Learning by Peter GoodyearMy rating: 4 of 5 stars An interesting exploration of Networked Learning - despite it being a little dated (from a technology point of view) the chapters are still relevant today in my opinion 😃. I actually came across a few good nuggets of information that I need to track down for my own dissertation work - serendipity strikes

Place-Based Spaces for Networked Learning by Lucia CarvalhoMy rating: 4 of 5 stars Interesting book of cases in Networked Learning. It's fun to see some familiar researcher names pop-up where you don't expect them. This book seems like it has a well-rounded selection of case studies where Networked Learning and Space intersect. Good read, even though not all of the chapters really pertained

The Architecture of Productive Learning Networks by Lucila CarvalhoMy rating: 3 of 5 starsI'd give it 3.5 stars if GoodReads would allow it. This is an interesting book on case studies (essentially) on how people have implemented Networked Learning in their various environments. Some examples might resonate with you, and others might be too alien. Overall I think it's a good idea book. Some chapters

Analysing Networked Learning Practices In Higher Education And Continuing Professional Development by Lone Dirckinck-HolmfeldMy rating: 4 of 5 stars Learned a lot on infrastructure and affordances in relation to Networked Learning. This was an interesting read, and my fourth book into this topic.  I still have a few more on my to-read list, but I am looking forward to them.  I

Exploring the Theory, Pedagogy and Practice of Networked Learning by Lone Dirckinck-HolmfeldMy rating: 4 of 5 stars I liked this particular book on Networked Learning. It provided a nice balance between theory and actual practice. I think I am addicted to this Networked Learning thing.  I have a three more books on my to-read list on GoodReads, and I bookmarked the proceedings for

Networked Learning: An Educational Paradigm for the Age of Digital Networks by Christopher JonesMy rating: 3 of 5 stars Not quite the book I thought it would be. I was expecting to read more about Networked Learning itself, but instead I think I read around networked learning: in what environment networked learning exists, and how to think about it. For example reading about learning theories

And...just in time to tempt me to not do my homework over the weekend and spend time playing this game...such poor timing in life :p

Researching Society and Culture by Clive SealeMy rating: 5 of 5 stars Finally done! It took a while but I finished both textbooks for EDDE 805, this being the second one. Truth be told, I skimmed part of it during the semester, so now was a good opportunity to go back and read the rest of the chapters that were assigned and seemed important. Just in time for the new semester to start.

How to Prepare a Dissertation Proposal: Suggestions for Students in Education and the Social and Behavioral Sciences by David R. KrathwohlMy rating: 4 of 5 stars Finished this - maybe a little later than I expected (the semester ended a month ago :p) but it's done. Overall not a bad book. It's easy to read and it provides a lot of food for thought in terms of what you should have in your

Since the semester is starting tomorrow, this seemed like a good pump-you-up song to get through the semester ;-)

One of the reasons to get the dissertation done sooner rather than later ;-)

It's amazing how much access to the internet is really woven into our daily lives.  For the past 2 weeks I've been away on vacation in Spain.  Before we left home I tried to be proactive, I scanned some of the book chapters that were due for my class while I was away, I got Assignment 1 done before I left, and I downloaded articles onto my Surface Pro so that I had reading material to go

This came across my feed the other day.  I feel like there needs to be a medal for being distracted by social media while trying to conduct a literature review :-) This has been one of my problems of late - too many other interesting (or just plain distracting) things posted on social media while I am working on my dissertation proposal :p

Something from a recent PhD comics.  From my part... I am working on the research methods section of my dissertation proposal. Working on motivation to finish this draft so I can submit it by Monday...

Nice!  There is a follow up...of some sort, for the game Watchdogs.  It seems that this game is not following the story of Aidan Pierce, the protagonist of the first Watchdogs. It also isn't taking place in Chicago, but rather it takes place in San Fransisco.   I think I'll have a ton of games to play once I am done dissertating if this keeps up ;-)

Woohooooaaaaa!  Fall semester is looking aweeeesome!  Working on my dissertation proposal AND a new 24 series! This looks pretty amazing!  Wonder if there will be some Jack Bower action in some part of it :)

My team and I just finished presenting on Assignment 2 for our Leadership course this past week.  In going through my notes, collected over the past month of meetings and preparation for this assignment, I came across the term 'soul-sucking leadership'.  It's not a leadership theory at the moment, but hey - maybe we can coin a definition and become famous ;-)  What do you think? (actual

With the storms that have hit over the past week came school closings, and with school closings came a little extra time on my hands.  I did spend a considerable amount of this extra time catching forward with my readings for my research methods course, but I guess I also used the time "wisely" to complete another game on the xbox. Over the Christmas break Castlevania: Lords of Shadow 2 was on

I haven't paid much attention to the library world in the past couple of weeks while I get acclimated to my new job, and while I've been playing around with various learning management systems (since we're moving from WebCT Vista to something else).  I came across a blog post in the ACRLog the other day but didn't have much of an opportunity to read it until now. Its title "Why all the fuss over

courtesy of PhD Comics :-)

I am one of those who believes that VDay is just another one of those Hallmark Holidays, but that doesn't mean that you can't have a little fun :-) I had a good laugh at this PhD comic strip

Like the pun? academian + yawn =… oh never mind!I never said I was a comedian ;-)Anyway, in the past couple of years I’ve been thinking of a doctorate. I have discovered that I like to teach, so I thought that I may be able to do it for a living at a college level, which requires a PhD (or some doctorate thereof). I’ve been frustrated with PhD programs though. Most are full time, which means