Program Assessment
In appreciation of all the support and care that I received from the program, I would like to highlight that the curriculum for first-year doctoral students was well-designed. The doctoral seminar (EDIT 8990) offered an overview of the program that helped me develop professional goals and plans during my doctoral studies. The format of the seminar, which facilitated the interaction between the first-year and second-year students, allowed me to vicariously experience struggles, ways to develop strategies to overcome such struggles, professional and career development, and some of the major breakthroughs during the program. It was also grateful to be introduced to the faculty members in our program and learn about their research interests and the area of focus. Both EDIT 8190 and EDIT 8100e classes provided fruitful opportunities to develop essential and foundational knowledge and skills related to the field of instructional technology. Particularly, the EDIT 8190 class allowed me to try turning innovative ideas into an actual prototype by applying design principles while the EDIT 8100e class helped me learn diverse learning theories and the history of the field of instructional technology. Also, both classes were interconnected where we were allowed to develop our own projects that were applicable to each of the two classes, which was helpful for me to learn the theoretical and practical foundations of LDT at the same time.
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During the Spring 2023 semester, I was able to learn how to interact with existing literature as a future scholar. By analyzing different pieces of literature each week, the EDIT 8900 class offered me an opportunity to critically review the literature and apply what I've learned to my own research plans and ideas. As I was advised to take one research methodology course and one cognate course, I took the qualitative research tradition class (QUAL 8400e) and the first and second language acquisition and development class (LLED 7730e). It was such a valuable experience where I learned how to engage with qualitative research design and fundamental knowledge of the processes of first and second language acquisition as well as the research trends within its field. Moreover, the GRSC 7770 course allowed me to think about ways to support students with their struggles and challenges. It also helped me develop ideas that will ultimately form my teaching philosophy statement, which will be critical for me to grow as a future instructor in higher education.
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Overall, the sequence of courses that I took during the first year of my doctoral studies greatly supported my personal and professional development. In the following years, I anticipate taking courses that help me advance my knowledge and skills related to research methodologies, the field of LDT, and first and second language acquisition, which will allow me to dig deeper into my research interests and further develop my current research plans and ideas.
Self
Assessment
In reflection on the first year of my doctoral journey, I want to start by celebrating big and small milestones. First of all, I was able to learn and grow in pursuit of both personal growth and professional improvement. For example, I put my best effort into studying foundational knowledge of the fields of LDT and Language and Literacy education, which will be my cognate area of study. I participated in a number of research projects, where I was able to get a sense of how to design and conduct research. I also worked on developing a survey questionnaire and interview protocols in preparation for a submission to the IRB to collect the data as well as a research proposal for my own study. While managing diverse tasks, including coursework, research projects, teaching assistantships, and other professional development opportunities, I also learned how to cope with stress and negative thoughts and feelings. Whenever I felt incompetent and incapable of doing anything, I tried to reframe them into positive and productive thoughts, such as "I am here to learn, even through my own mistakes. There is no need to be perfect." This personal growth and professional improvement were some of the major progress that I wanted to highlight on top of the others.
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The biggest improvement I made was in making use of the existing literature. I used to read through the literature to develop my own database of knowledge. However, I learned to review them with a critical lens by not only reading the course materials but also participating in diverse in-class discussions. Having various standpoints and unique insights of my colleagues and faculty members​ helped me take different perspectives while reading the articles. Moreover, exploring the reference management software allowed me to develop skills in organizing key concepts and ideas from different studies, which also helped me understand them in a more thorough way.
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The most challenging part during my first year of studies was balancing tasks. I often struggled with prioritizing different tasks as everything seemed to be important and worth putting in the full amount of effort. I wanted to learn the best from both coursework and research projects that I am involved in as well as being a teaching assistant. However, it was never easy for me to manage each and every task with high perceived satisfaction, which led me to have negative self-evaluations. I had to admit that I have a limited capacity to handle everything in a perfect manner, which means that I need to find an optimal balance between different tasks. Also, I learned that it is critical to separate my work from life. I preferred to take a break in between the tasks rather than getting off of work, but I realized that sometimes I become more productive coming back to work after a high-quality sufficient amount of rest.
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Based on this self-assessment, I hope to continue the journey with an appreciation of small progressions and achievements. There will always be challenges and concerns that may turn into perceived threats to learning and being productive, but I believe that such struggles and trials will ultimately be a valuable learning experience as much as effective learning practices. I am willing to step out of my comfort zone to the extent that I can learn from it.
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