A500.9.3.RB- Course Reflections- Trey McNeil

As I sat and reflected on my first graduate level course, there are so many great things I took away from it. The first value that I got from this course was self-confidence. Nosich (2013) described assumptions as anything taken for granted when you think about a subject or idea. I had the assumption that I would not be able to do well in a graduate level class. I had been out of school for 13 years and doubted myself for thinking I could go back to school. I also had just witnessed my girlfriend go through the Leadership program and excel. I watched her put long grueling hours into her schoolwork and thought to myself “I’m not sure I could have the motivation to go to grad school.” Also, this being my first ever online class I was not sure I would be able to succeed in an unfamiliar way of learning. The final think I was very self-confident about was my writing. I was never a strong writer in school so that has been one hurdle in this course. This course has made me realize that if I do put the work in that I can succeed. 

Another value I got from this course was critical thinking. Before this class began I did not really understand critical thinking and definitely did not use it in my everyday life. This class has taught me to be more cognizant of my thoughts and to think about my thinking. Nosich (2012) described critical thinking as thinking around the circle using the elements of critical thinking. This is something I have tried to be more aware of over the last two months. The final value this course has added to my life is purpose. It has given the confidence to work toward something that may better my professional life.

With all of the positive aspects of the class, there were also a few negatives. I’m sure all new grad students have that moment where they ask themselves “what have I done getting back into school?”  Oddly, my moment came in week 2 in the “tell your story” blog. Looking back, I have no idea why this assignment was so difficult for me, but it is the one that caused my “what have I done” breakdown. I am sure it had to do more with the writing self-confidence than it did the actual assignment but it was rough. Eventually, I was able to convince myself that this is information I knew before I started this class and was able to get over that hump. The learning curve for week 4 and 5 was also a little difficult. I had never been asked to complete an annotated bibliography or literature review so they caused a bit of an issue.

As I contemplate what I could have done to improve my learning experience, I am not sure I have an answer. I do not believe there is anything I could have done differently. I know in my heart that I gave everything I had to each assignment. I was well prepared with the readings. I run at 100% all of the time and had the same level of input throughout this class. The couple of issues I had with this class had to do with my own self confidence. I feel like I was able to overcome those issues throughout the class in order to have success.

I do not believe the instructor or university could have offered any additional support to improve my learning. The university offers the Hunt library which was very useful in gathering the research for my action research project. Also, the modules were very easy to navigate each week in gathering the assignments. My instructor for this class was great. I could not have asked for anything more in my first Masters class. He offered great feedback in the grading process. If there was an issue with APA (which I am sure the entire class had at some point) he suggested what pages to look at in the APA book in order to correct them for the next assignment. He also sent out weekly announcement not only encouraging us but also giving advice how to complete each assignment that particular week.

When reflecting back on the course I do not think anything we learned was irrelevant to my experience. I enjoyed everything that was offered in the class and tried to see the value in it all. Some of the things I found particularly relevant were learning APA, critical thinking skills, and SEE-I. I have mentioned my struggle with writing. This class helped me to learn APA, though I still need work on some of the areas. I know this will be invaluable as I continue in this program. I have already touched on how much I took away in terms of critical thinking. One thing I found very relevant in this class was the SEE-I method. I have used it various times in my writing and know it will come in handy throughout my next eleven classes. A module I found relevant was module 3. I especially enjoyed Sheena’s Ted talk. The reflection on her talk made me realize that the assumptions American’s have about choices can be wrong in certain situations.

I have an unfair advantage regarding what I expect to see out of future leadership courses since I watched my girlfriend go through the program. I do not remember all of the subjects that were touched but I do believe the courses go deeper into the types of leadership and how they are seen in organizations. I also remember her taking an ethics course that sounded interesting. I know one thing for sure, if I am able to learn as much in my upcoming classes as I did in this one then I am very excited to see what the future holds.

Reference

Nosich, G., M. (2012). Learning to think things through: a guide to critical thinking across the curriculum. Pearson Education, Inc. Boston: MA.

A500.8.3.RB-_Good Presentation Design_Trey McNeil

This week I had the opportunity to read about effective presentation design. Most presentations I have attended involved the use of PowerPoint and an individual regurgitating the plethora of information listed in the bullet points. When this occurs my attention span is lost rather quickly. So, what is a good presentation? How can information be presented and still hold the attention of the audience? To answer these questions, I would like to discuss two presentations I recently attended that were well designed and really held my attention. The characteristics the presentations contained were: humor, creativity, simplicity, passion, personal connection to the audience, and use of technology in order to hold the attention of the audience.

Earlier this week, I was forced to go to mandatory training as part of staff education days. In the past these presentations have not been much to write home about so I did not have very high hopes as I arrived on campus. The two presentations that I was placed into were customer service and Microsoft One Note training. My expectation was that would need a strong cup of coffee that morning to keep from having a nice nap. As I was sitting in orientation I realized that there would also be a third presentation which related to safety preparedness regarding public mass violence. I have always had an interest in campus safety so this made me feel a little better about the morning. A video was shown that I had viewed in other mandatory meetings so, thinking it would be the same presentation I have sat in before, my little bit of excitement began to fade. Turns out I was wrong about the presentation to be given this morning.

The guest speaker was a 24 year veteran captain in the Daytona Beach Police Department and his presentation was simply amazing. He was able to hold everyone’s attention throughout the hour and fifteen minute speech. He was definitely passionate about the subject which made his approach to informing much more effective. He had several slides that contained stats or information but they were not the star of the show. It was evident that he was the star and the stats and info on the screen were just the costars.  It also appeared that he cared about the safety of everyone in the room. He was not just going through the motions and delivering his speech which made it so much more enjoyable in my eyes.

 He told personal stories which allowed us as an audience to relate to him. The stories were not glitter and rainbows but served the purpose of teaching us how to stay alive in a dangerous and life threatening situation. The topic of mass shootings such as Columbine High School, Virginia Tech, and Aurora, Colorado are not something that most people want to discuss, but the captain was able to stress the importance of knowing about these situations so that we can be prepared if this ever happens to us.  He was not all doom and gloom and was able to work some humor into his approach. The video we watched had a scene with a lady cowering in the corner crying as the gunman was approaching the room in which she and her coworkers were hiding. He made a joke and said in that situation he would pick up the woman and beat the bad guy with her if it was able to save both their lives.

The one thing I will always remember from his presentation is the warning he heeded about preparedness. He said that unfortunately this will happen in our community and we just have to hope we are not present when it happens. If we are present we need to be prepared to do anything we can to get out of the situation alive. He asked us to promise him that we would try to survive because the police were coming and there would be a lot of them to help. I write this today with an extremely heavy heart because over the weekend a mass shooting tragedy did occur in our area and 49 individuals were not able to survive. It was very emotional to watch the news this weekend and this event made me hold what the captain said even closer to my heart. I have made a conscious effort to be aware and always have a survival plan everywhere I go just as he suggested.

The second presentation I would like to discuss was a TED talk by Hans Rosling (2013) named The best stats you’ve ever seen. This presentation contained statistics on childbirth, life expectancy, and average salary for various countries around the world. If you would have told me that was what the presentation was about before I began watching, I would have begun to glaze over before even pressing the play button. But even the name of the presentation had me intrigued.  Like the captain, he was able to take a topic that could be considered unpleasant or boring and create a great presentation. The first thing I noticed was the way he used technology while presenting his statistics. These were not the usual PowerPoint slides I was used to seeing when stats were being presented. He was able to create dynamic tables and graphs that were constantly moving to as he spoke about how the numbers changed over the years. It was a very interesting take on how to present numbers and statistics.  He was also able to add humor to the subject which made the audience laugh and hold their interest.  Another thing that was obvious about this presentation was the passion and excitement coming from Hans as he spoke. He was energetic and lively which also kept the audience interested.

If I was asked a couple of  weeks about my current thoughts on good presentation design I would have probably said anything that didn’t make me want to go to sleep, or anything that did not use PowerPoint as the resource. I still have negative feelings for PowerPoint but my answer would now be a presentation that contains passion, humor, excitement, creativity, and a use of technology to present the stats.

Reference

Rosling, H. (2013). The best stats you’ve ever seen [TEDGlobal]. Retrieved from: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=usdJgEwMinM

A500.7.4.GA-Quantitative Research reflection- Trey McNeil

This week I had the opportunity to read about and inform myself on quantitative research methods. Unlike last week with qualitative research methods, I had an idea about quantitative methods before I began my readings. Quantitative research involves experimental methods and statistics to test a hypothesis.  (Hoepfl, 1997) Qualitative and quantitative methods differ in the reasoning behind the research. Qualitative research tests the how where quantitative methods test the why. (Mamia, nd) Quantitative is the more common type of research method and the surveys usually involve multiple choice questions in order to prove or disprove an idea. Quantitative research involves numerical terms that can be analyzed by statistical methods. (Mamia, nd) The study group for a quantitative research study is usually much larger than with a qualitative study. ”Quantitative data is based on precise measurements using structured & validated data-collection instruments” (Xavier University Library, 2012). One disadvantage of quantitative research is that is static and is difficult to produce a dynamic view of the research. (Mamia, nd) After my reading I was able to come to the conclusion that quantitative research involves numerical or statistical data gathered over a large scale to prove an idea or hypothesis.

As a person that deals with numbers on a daily basis, I found quantitative research much more understanding. I know some people do not work with numbers as often as I do so this type of method can cause some people to glaze over. I believe this type of research can be made more enjoyable in the correct setting. I used to be an annual pass holder at Disney and occasionally, as I was leaving the park, would get asked to take a short ten minute survey about my experience at the park that particular day. I would observe some other people not want to partake in the survey due to being too tired or the kids being grumpy. I always relished in the opportunity to fill out the survey. The survey would ask questions regarding the most preferred ride, food, or how to make the park more enjoyable. I always thought it was cool and hoped one day they would take one of my recommendations on the few open ended questions. I asked myself why not put it out there so the things I love can be kept and the things that leave me wanting more can be hopefully adjusted.

I recently had the opportunity to create and administer my own quantitative survey. I had the fortune of asking my coworkers nine questions regarding their level of followership in our department. I would have loved to ask them many more because I have become very interested in this subject and outcome. I was able to synthesize and study the data and was pleased to realize that a pattern unfolded to tell our department’s story regarding followership. I know it may be naive but I would love to take this data and help our leadership grow the department’s level of followership. I am optimistic that we can grow to be an even greater department and I would like to be a part of that growth.

Though the statistics and methodologies behind quantitative methods can seem dry at some times, this method is very useful in the world of research. Maybe everyone does not want to make Disney a better place but taking the time to answer a survey for a cable or phone company has the possibility for useful change that could add value (or at lease limit frustration) to your experience.

References

Hoepfl, M. (1997). Choosing qualitative research: a primer for technology education researchers. In M. Sanders (Ed.), Journal of Technology Education, 9(1). Retrieved from http://scholar.lib.vt.edu/ejournals/JTE/v9n1/hoepfl.html

Mamia, T. (nd). Quantitative research methods. Retrieved from https://erau.blackboard.com/bbcswebdav/pid-14114959-dt-content-rid-38257535_4/institution/Worldwide_Online/MSLD_Courses/MSLD_500/msld_500_quant_research_methods_lecture1_tero_mamia.pdf

Xavier University Library (2012). Qualitative versus quantitative research. Retrieved from http://www.xavier.edu/library/students/documents/qualitative_quantitative.pdf

A500.6.3RB-Qualitative Research-Trey McNeil

I, like most people, am familiar with quantitative research. This is one of the more popular forms of research.  We have all be subjected to quantitative research when we answer survey questions from a telemarketer or receive a survey in the mail. Quantitative research is statistical based in an attempt to prove or disprove a hypothesis. The form of research I am not very familiar with is qualitative research. What is quantitative research and how is it best used?  According to Hoepfl (1997), “Qualitative research uses a naturalistic approach that seeks to understand phenomena in context-specific settings” (“Qualitative versus quantitative research paradigms,” para. 1).  Straus and Corbin (1990) claimed that this type of research is used to yield findings by methods other than statistical procedures. (as cited in Hoepfl, 1997, “Qualitative versus quantitative research paradigms,” para. 2) After reading the definitions I believe that qualitative research is a method used when the research is in pursuit of the human aspect and not just numerical or statistical data.

According to Cronbach (1975), qualitative research is useful because numerical or statistical data is not able to account for the exchanges that take place in a social setting.  (as cited by Hoepfl, 1997, “Qualitative versus quantitative research paradigms,” para. 6) Hoepfl (1997) indicated that there are 8 basic elements of qualitative research: (a) a natural setting is the source of the data, (b) the researcher is the human instrument while collecting the data, (c) inductive data analysis is usually used as the research method, (d) the research reports are expressive, (e) research has an interpretive character where the goal is to determine the meaning an event has for a person who experiences the event, (f) pays attention to the characteristics  and seeks to discover the unique habits of each case, (g) the outcome is not prearranged and the researcher just goes with the flow of the process, and (h) the research is judged by specific criteria to measure trustworthiness.

Because qualitative research is more naturalistic than quantitative research, the role of the researcher is much more important. Lincoln and Guba (1985) identified several characteristics that  allow humans to be the instrument of choice in qualitative data including: the ability to respond to environmental cues, ability to interact in different situations,  able to collect information from multiple levels at the same time, ability to process data very quickly, and the ability to give immediate feedback. (as cited by Hoepfl, 1997, “The role of the researcher in qualitative inquiry,” para. 5) Eisner (1991) also noted the significance of the researcher when stating that qualitative research places an importance on the strengths of the researcher. (as cited by Hoepfl, 1997, “The role of the researcher in qualitative inquiry,” para. 6)

Qualitative research differs from other types of research in the collection of data. This type of research uses open ended questions that will result in individual variations when a survey or interview is preferred.  They do not use the standard multiple choice questions like other forms of research.  According to Hoepfl (1997) observations in a natural scene are also a useful form of data collection and they can lead to a deeper understanding than interviews or surveys. After the objective of the research has been determined and the observation or interview has taken place the data must now analyzed. According to Straus and Corbin (1990) the data must be examined to determine the themes that come out of the raw data by using a process known as open coding. (as cited by Hoepfl, 1997, “Analysis of data”, para. 3).

The goal of open coding is to form a framework by creating descriptive categories. (Hoepfl, 1997) Once the categories are created the next step is to re-examine the categories and describe how they are linked together to create a bigger picture. (Hoepfl, 1997) The final step of the researcher is to convert all of the information and categories into an article or story to be read by other individuals.

As I was reading about this method of research it sounded foreign to me and was difficult to understand and discuss. As an accountant I deal with stats and numbers on a regular basis so they are much easier for me to comprehend. I thought about any experiences I have had with qualitative research and struggled to identify a time where I had been subjected to this type of research. It is not used as often as the quantitative method so I believe it gets lost. I believe individuals can be subjected to qualitative research and not realize it since it is not as common as quantitative research. Eventually I was able to recall an instance where I was involved in a qualitative research study.

Several years ago the college I work for was in the process of hiring its next president. The Board of Trustees determined that the employees would be a great asset to question regarding what they were looking for in the next president. An open ended survey containing several questions was emailed to each employee. These questions revolved around the future direction of the college, the values the next president should hold, and the opinion of the current state of the college. An open ended survey was also mailed out to a portion of the alumni asking the same types of questions. This data was used in conjunction with the board’s requirements for the incoming president and a new president was hired.

Overall, qualitative research differs greatly from other more well-known methods of research. I believe that these differences make this type of method much more useful when an individual is searching for more than just statistics as it relates to the objective of the research.

Reference

Hoepfl, M. (1997). Choosing qualitative research: a primer for technology education researchers. M. Sanders (Ed.), Journal of Technology Education, 9(1). Retrieved from http://scholar.lib.vt.edu/ejournals/JTE/v9n1/hoepfl.html