Keeping True to the Test

Now that a focus and area has been identified,  I am quite sure, things will fall into place as far as this research is concerned.

What remains to be the real test is a matter of mind and heart... I guess more of mind. What are my current obstacles to learning and achieving this PhD:

-my lack of patience and tolerance
-the fact that it's so easy to settle for something else
-I can easily distract myself
-I give up when I am almoooost there
-I lose interest after a few months

Ergo this blog to remind me, there sure is nothing else getting in the way but ME.

Getting Connected with my Theses Topic

And so, I move in closer to the focus of my research. I decided to go with Doc Amy's advice because I think she saw some sense in my initial ideas and we went even as far as saying that we can merge topic 1 and 2 =)

This should be a good sign. Now I have this: Investigating School Community Readiness: Towards a Framework for Curriculum Planning and Implementation of eLearning in Secondary Schools

I ended up reading lots today only to get confused. For one, readiness for online learning has been around since about early 2000. Earlier works were done by Chapsnick, Rosenberg(burg?), Gold, etc. Most measures of readiness and research are done at the higher ed. There are about 4-5 out there geared towards organizational readiness, tons on student/learner readiness but again for higher education level. Then there are interesting studies done in Turkey, Palestine, Bangladesh--but more countrywide and not as specific to secondary schools

Though there are only about 2-3 research related to readiness for online learning geared towards basic education level, I now hesitate. Well, for one, I do not want to develop an instrument which will most likely predispose schools not to go for online learning. I would like for the instrument to be empowering, meaning it should be able to facilitate schools to move towards this direction of elearning, and more importantly,  it should be able to recommend in which forms it will most likely succeed.

Hence I  should look for a model which would not be in the form of a checklist or set of indicators which will only tell me the obvious---I would like for the instrument to generate quantitative and qualitative findings. It should be able to illuminate strengths and weaknesses; areas of capabilities and predict possible deficits and most importantly workarounds.

This instrument, once developed and tested, then utilized will lead me to findings from which to draw out  a framework which shall....I don't know...., maybe provide for a means to recommend how to facilitate e-readiness in curriculum planning and implementation.

Can an instrument lead to a framework instead of the other way around?

I need to make a drawing.

 

Second Shot at This

Second shot and perhaps my last. Posting here research topics submitted, with aims and research questions:

Theses Topic Title 1:

Curriculum  Development and  Design of Online Learning in Selected   Open HS Programs of the Philippines 

Aims:

·         develop   curriculum framework, and standards for   online learning at selected  Open HS programs in the Phils

·         design and implement sample online courses for Yr 11 and 12 at selected Open HS

·       recommend improvements to the framework and standards  of online learning for Phil Open HS Programs

• draw out possible models of curriculum development and design  to ensure quality and sustainability of online learning in the Phil Open HS Programs

Questions:

1)      What curriculum framework and standards can be formulated for online learning through the Philppine Open HS Program?

2)      What sample online courses can be designed and implemented for Yr 11 and 12 of the Open HS Program?

3)      In what ways can these be improved?

4) What emerging models of curriculum development, design and management  can be drawn  to ensure sustainability of online learning through the Philippine Open HS Programs?

 

****WHY THIS?  BECAUSE IT IS TIMELY WITH QC OPENHS. BECAUSE I WANT TO DEVELOP, TRIAL RUN AND IMPROVE OPENHS COURSES TO BE DELIVERED ONLINE. BECAUSE IT AIMS TO CONTRIBUTE STANDARDS OF ONLINE TEACHING AND LEARNING.

WHY NOT THIS?  IT IS TOO EASY A SHOT...PANG MAED.

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Theses Topic Title 2:

Evaluation of  School Community Readiness for Online Learning  at the Secondary Levels

Aims:

·         develop  frameworks, standards and measures of school community (school-teacher-parent-student) readiness for online learning at the secondary level

·         examine validity, usefullness and appropriateness of these standards of school community readiness for local secondary school communities

• recommend an improved framework and set of standards for evaluating school community readiness for online learning

Questions:

1)      What  standards and measures of  school community (school-family-student) readiness for online learning are being utilized  based on  best practices of online learning at the  secondary level?

2)      To what extent can these standards and measures be used to evaluate  school community  readiness for  online learning at the secondary level in the Philippines?

 

3)      What framework, standards  and measures for evaluating  school community readiness can be designed and utilized for local secondary  schools which are considering online learning?

4)      To what extent are the framework, standards and measures valid,  useful and appropriate  for evaluating  school community readiness for K12 online learning  in the Phils?

5)      What recommendations  can be drawn from this study towards an improved framework and standards for evaluating  school community readiness for online learning at the K12 levels in the Phils?

****WHY THIS? BECAUSE NUMBER  #1 TOPIC IS SURE TO HAPPEN NO MATTER WHAT. HOW ABOUT OTHER SCHOOL COMMUNITIES MOVING TOWARDS ONLINE TEACHING AND LEARNG? THE STUDY IS MORE RELEVANT BECAUSE IT AIMS TO EVALUATE READINESS NOT ONLY OF GOVT OPENHS, BUT ANY SCHOOL COMMUNITY RETHINKING ONLINE TEACHING AND LEARNING.

WHY THIS OVER THE OTHERS!!!  BECAUSE IT IS RELEVANT AND SIGNIFICANT, AND MORE CONTRIBUTORY TO THE OVERALL FIELD OF CURRICULUM STUDIES AND DISTANCE EDUCATION IN THE PHILS

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Theses Topic Title 3:

 Curriculum Change Management of Distance Education  Programs towards Online and Blended Learning at the K12 levels

 

Aims:

·         examine the state of DE Programs at the K12 levels in the Philippines

·         investigate current issues, trends and challenges

·         predict key areas of concern in case of shifts towards online and blended learning

• recommend a framework for curriculum change management to ensure quality and sustainability of online learning at the K12 levels

Questions:

1) What are the current frameworks, models and practices of DE programs at the K12 levels?

2) What are the current issues, trends and challenges?

3) What key areas of concerns can be identified in relation to  curriculum change which may result from a shift to online and blended learning?

4) What framework and model for curriculum change management and delivery can be recommended to ensure quality and sustainability of K12 online and blended learning for local school programs?

****WHY THIS? BECAUSE IT IS A WORTHWHILE STUDY TO SEE THE CURRENT STATE OF DE PROGRAMS and ASSESS SUPPORT NEEDED IN TERMS OF CURRICULUM CHANGE. IT SPECIFIC TO THE NEEDS OF CURRENT DE PROGRAMS WHICH MAY EVENTUALLY SHIFT TO ONLINE LEARNING? IS THERE A FORMULA TO ENSURE SYSTEMATIC TRANSITION? AND TO ENSURE QUALITY AND SUSTAINABILITY? 

WHY NOT THIS? IT LACKS CONCRETENESS. IT IS NOT AS SIGNIFICANT, THOUGH  #1,2,3 ARE NEEDED.