I am happy to report that my trepidation at the start of
research has been relieved; not that I didn’t start off each week with it. I
have steadily gained confidence upon completion of each week’s assignments. I am
pleased that we were led through the simulation in manageable chunks, allowing time
to digest the process. I feel confident
that I can identify reliable research and would be able to conquer my own study. For areas that may still be fuzzy, I know where to go for guidance. Through
our simulation, I have experienced the making of a study from inception to
formalized outline. I have discovered the need to tweak all along the way as my
initial plans are molded into a substantive outline. Decisions on the design of
the simulation have been thoughtful and based on the knowledge I have gained
during this course.
I found the most challenge to be in conceptualizing whether my
study was to be experimental in nature or more of a straight forward cause-and-effect investigation. Once I realized through our course work, the range of flexibility
I had in how I designed the study, things began to fall into place. For example, in my limited perception, I thought that every study had to have a hypothesis.
This has been a highly
empowering process for me. Because my simulation was birthed from an interest
of mine, I found myself excited about the potential impact of study results. It
is exciting to be a part of something bigger; something that could positively
impact many children for a lifetime. It is highly motivating as a professional
in this field.
This picture depicts how I feel upon successfully finishing our research course!!!!
