Program Assessment
When writing this section, it finally dawned on me that I have been on my Learning, Design, and Technology journey for almost two academic years. Although it may sound cliché, it seems that it was yesterday that I was taking my first steps into this world, with insightful discussions led by Janette in the Foundations course, and Dr. Rieber’s engaging Design Studio. It still surprises me how welcoming and creative the department, the faculty, and the students are.
My first year as a doctoral student was the time for establishing the foundation of my scholarship for the years to come. In the first semester, I ventured to develop a conceptual framework for language learning in game design experiences. This framework is still being refined, but it has given me confidence regarding the coherence and value of my research idea. In my experience, thus, the Conceptual Framework course was very helpful, since I already had an idea of what I wanted to in the doctoral program in terms of research. I would suggest, however, that this course be taught mainly for second year students, as many newcomers to the program seem to benefit more from the exploration of different theoretical perspectives and ideas in the first year, rather than solidifying one specific idea.
In the second semester, I have been able to strengthen my knowledge about both qualitative and design-based research. That said, in my view, one of the strengths of the doctoral program has been, so far, the methodological variety and flexibility that can be observed in the expertise of the faculty, who often come from very different research and practical backgrounds. It creates a sense of constant curiosity that makes us think, like a doctoral colleague told me once, that “everyone is researching so many interesting things”.
I have also appreciated the openness of faculty to create unique opportunities in the program. Personally, I am very grateful to Dr. Nancy Knapp for the experience in the development and coursework of the Games and Learning (EDIT8400) course in the Spring 2018 semester. It has been very valuable to learn with her, as well as seeing the collaboration being successful in practice.
Lastly, Dr. Rieber’s guidance has been very helpful. I am always impressed at his organization skills and critical perspectives. In our meetings, he has provided great advice, both in terms of advancement of research practice and presentation and experiences that are important to have early on in the program, such as going through the IRB process.
Program Suggestions
I have been very happy with the way that the program is structured thus far. It has allowed me to develop my research ideas along with - and, most importantly, within - the coursework. One thing that could be facilitated, for me, is the creation of specific groups of research interests. For instance, a group could be created for those interested in Math learning, other for Literacy, and others, within Learning, Design, and Technology. I know that oftentimes the workload is already very heavy as it is, but the creation of these groups of interest could increase collaboration among students from different years, leading to possibly fruitful research partnerships, projects, and publications.