Yes! #PhD written... looking for joyful bliss once more

So, this is it. My thesis is submitted and it will now be wrapped and sent out to my examiners. For anyone interested, you can read the thesis here. The full title: self-directed learning of adult experienced online learners enrolled in FutureLearn MOOCs

Emerging from my last two months of seemingly living in total isolation, it looks like the world has changed while I was reflecting, discussion, investigating the studies for my PhD. I have grown wiser, and become more aware of the fact that the more I learn, the less I know. Unfortunately, it also seems I lost some of my playful self… I am hoping it will come back as my mind rejuvenates after having typed for weeks on end. John Traxler commented on that seemingly loss of joyful bliss, and he was right. I have become less joyful, less open these last few weeks. Ciska found out the hard way yesterday. She opened my thesis looking forward to what I had written to thank her… and only found the briefest of dedications at the beginning of my thesis (I admit shamefully). My justification was that I wanted to keep it ‘formal’… I was wrong, of course, formality never helped anyone. I should have know better, as research is not void from passion. Indeed, I think no meaningful research can be done without passion being at the root of it. So I vowed to make it up to her and put in a full dedication in the final open to the public version of my thesis (for those interested, you can read it in the first pages of my thesis). If you have a family, and any member is starting a PhD, you can rest assured that all of the family is enrolled in this reflective journey, and I am truly grateful that Ciska and Isaak are on my side, ready for any adventure.

"Any thoughts?", asked a friend while I was off to submit my thesis…. Yes, these: a PhD is in a way a socialization. I now know what it means to make words look like evidence and not only use the evidence, but deliver it in a way that is agreed upon academically. It is good that no facts are facts, but only free for interpretation, and that these interpretations demand rationales. I learned a lot along the way: building and evaluating methods, grounding emerging facts in theories, writing, structure, deepen understanding by discussing data, theories and wild options. Researching in a strong academic institute such as IET certainly helps to become a mentally enriched academic. But above all, I think that academic excellence is vastly improved if you have strong, experienced supervisors. I was lucky enough to have two inspiring, intellectually tough and constructive supervisors: MikeSharples (the visionary academic lead of FutureLearn) and Agnes Kukulska-Hulme (renowned mobile learning expert).

And now… off to find a new challenge. While reviewing as well as writing some papers, giving some talks and getting back in touch with playfulness.... oh wait, quickly adding the abstract to my thesis below:

This research investigates the informal learning journeys of 56 experienced adult online learners engaging in individual and/or social self-directed learning using any device to follow a FutureLearn course. Literature from MOOCs, mobile and informal learning is provided as background, as well as literature clarifying the rational for choosing self-directed learning compared to similar learning concepts (self-regulated, self-determined and self-managed learning).
The participants of this study voluntarily followed one of three FutureLearn courses that were rolled out for the first time late 2014. The data were collected at three different stages: an online survey (pre-course), self-reported learning logs (during the course), and semi-structured one-on-one interviews (post-course). The data were analysed using Charmaz’s (2014) method for constructing a grounded theory. The analysis included memo-writing, and involved open coding, line-by-line coding, and focused coding in order to construct a grounded theory that provided insights into the self-directed learning experiences of FutureLearn participants.
Based on the experience of the FutureLearn participants five main learning components emerged: individual & social learning, context, technological and media elements, organising learning, and learner characteristics. Further analysis revealed two key enablers/inhibitors for the FutureLearn experience: motivation and learning goals. Motivation was mostly intrinsic in nature, and the learning goals mostly personal. Although these components, and the two key impacting factors, are common to most types of learning, the informal nature of the FutureLearn courses together with the FutureLearn platform characteristics provided specific differences in the actions undertaken by the FutureLearn participants to self-direct their learning.
By getting a better understanding of the self-directed learning in FutureLearn courses, additional insights are gained regarding informal learning, instructional design, continued professional development with MOOCs, and on how to contextualize or personalise course content in order to obtain increased learner engagement.

What to research? Seamless learning or self-directed learning in MOOC?

There is a bit of a fork in the road with my PhD research. I can feel it. As data from my pilot study is seeping in, my head seems to want to tell me something, but the thoughts have not crystallized into conscious ideas yet.

So yesterday I took my doubts to the public, that is to say: I proposed it to my colleagues and that already twisted my mind towards some new ideas (and I put some of the remarks they shared into the powerpoint below). But now I would like to hear your views as well. What would you research if you were me? In order to provide some background, slides were shared (see below).

The setting: as I am looking at FutureLearn courses and how participants in mobile enabled MOOC self-direct their learning I am getting the feeling that I am missing an angle. Or that my mind feels like it is in need of something extra. Currently, I am looking for that extra in seamless learning. Mobile Seamless Learning has been put into a framework by Wong and Looi (2011) and it has some nice similarities with potential elements of SDL. As such I felt it worth exploring as a potential option for my main study (planned to start in January 2014).

Still having to finish my last phase of data collecting of my pilot study, I do have some data from a pre-pilot and some intense literature to share with all of you (if you are willing to go through a rather big probation report on the matter, it is a rewrite, the final version as it was accepted by the probation examiners). I rewrote the probation report, and now it has sections on why I choose self-directed learning and not self-regulated learning, crossroads between online learning, mobile learning and MOOC, and of course a methodological section. The appendices offer research instruments (learning logs, informed consent form, ...) and the first findings of the pre-pilot.

But the question currently is: whether to go for SDL or Seamless learning or ... maybe a mix. What do you think is the most thrilling (yes, nerd talking) research topic?

MOOC research focus on Seamless Learning or on Self-Directed Learning? from Inge Ignatia de Waard

Probation report and slides on #mobile #MOOC and #SDL

After a week of heavy typing, my probation report incorporating literature review looking at challenges for self-directed learning (SDL), a methodology rationale and instruments for investigating SDL is ready for dissemination to ... is ready for whomever it might interest.

This week I moved from my master thesis to the first step towards a PhD by getting the probation report out. As some friends have asked me to share some of my PhD life, I thought sharing my probation report would be of interest. A probation report is a necessary step for all PhD students in the UK to fulfill if they want to move to the official title of a PhD student. Up until the probation exam, any PhD student in the UK would be considered a Master in Philosophy. My actual probation exam is planned for 1 July 2013, but in order for the jury to review what I have been doing, the hard copies of my probation report needed to be in this week.

Anyone wanting to read the probation report: you can find it here (I also added some notes that share the rationale behind some sections, hopefully helping others when they need to tackle this challenge).

I also gave a presentation on my master thesis, running up to my PhD during the CALRG conference in Milton Keynes, UK. I gladly share it below, it has some conclusions I took away from my thesis research.

Impact of mobile access on learner interactions in a mooc method and findings from Inge Ignatia de Waard