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Reflection of Learning for ED 836c Christina Scott San Diego State University

Chapter 3 - Methods

This chapter of my dissertation has been both the hardest to rite! yet also the most inspiring" #s $ progressed thro%gh my literat%re revie ! the idea came forth that $ sho%ld approach my dissertation from the angle of developing a &%antitative instr%ment to meas%re the sense of self'efficacy held by online post'secondary instr%ctors" $ as eager to engage in the process of developing a &%antitative instr%ment to better gain s(ills in the Ed.D program learning outcome of decision sciences! specifically in &%antitative methods and professional practice" " Simply trying to fig%re o%t hat my research design is and ho to comm%nicate it has been a h%ge learning c%rve for me d%ring riting this chapter as $ have enco%ntered &%antitative methods $ am not familiar ith and have been learning as $ go" This reflection of learning addresses the process e)perienced hich is still being revised" # significant part of the process for me in riting Chapter 3 as my need to s itch to a ne fac%lty to assist me in developing the methods chapter and the instr%ment $ am piloting for my dissertation hich occ%rred at the end of the fall semester" The chapter provided as the artifact for this reflection as s%bmitted to Dr" *ood for my 836c co%rse! ho ever this chapter is still being modified d%e to the transition of my methods or( to Dr" +arcie ,ober'+ichel of the Learning Design and Technology Department of the College of Ed%cation at SDSU" *or(ing ith Dr" ,ober'+ichel has provided me ith a more foc%sed direction in applying &%antitative methods to my st%dy and the practice of &%antitative research in post secondary online ed%cation" riting Chapter 3 more so than the content of this chapter!

*riting Chapter 3 has demonstrated my %nderstanding of ho to collect and e)amine data and has greatly enhanced my (no ledge and practice of the Ed.D. program learning outcome of decision sciences. The n%ances bet een ho to correctly reference the factors and constr%cts of my st%dy and the differences bet een the %se of either the s%rvey and ca%sal comparative research design have been central to my e)tended learning of &%antitative methods" #pplying theses concepts has been a challenging learning c%rve for me! b%t also one that is inspiring to me in regard to my learning and capabilities in &%antitative methods" #s this or( is also or( hich ill relate to the %se of h%man s%b-ects! the disc%ssion of the professional role in the st%dy! ho to collect participants! and the end goal of hat the methods %sed in the st%dy ill contrib%te to the field of online ed%cation clearly represent the Ed.D. program learning outcome of professional or( and commitment to my o n or( and my role as an academic"