Before taking ITEC 7470, I had a lot of concerns about what kind of research we would be conducting and the difficulty level of the class. I started out struggling with the language and wording of the research. It was hard for me to decipher the peer-reviewed articles and find information that was relevant to what I needed to research. After doing the article annotation, I felt more confident but doing the capstone project and getting real experience on finding and reading various forms of research; I was able to pull relevant information without reading every line of the study. I was able to find critical parts and see if that article was related to what I was looking for and if it was worth reading further. My misconceptions of this class have dissipated. While I am still not an expert on research annotation, I feel more comfortable with the topic.
I have gained a lot of knowledge throughout this semester in ITEC 7470. Before the class, I thought I knew the difference between qualitative and quantitative research, but now I know that there is a lot more that goes into their similarities and differences. I now see the structure of the two types of research articles and how to locate if the material is relevant by looking for crucial information. I also learned a lot about how research is conducted and how that can change the research type (experimental, single subject, quasi-experimental, etc.). One more aspect of this class that I learned and thought was interesting was the steps of data analysis. I found it interesting to think about the process of what people go through to write their research. Coding the data and developing the themes seems like a complicated process and it made me appreciate the research even more.
This class has affected my capacity to serve as an instructional coach in a positive way. I feel like as a technology coach I have to be able to read research to find evidence on why teachers should use specific techniques in their classroom. If research shows that using a particular form of technology in classes is beneficial teachers are more likely to want to use it. Technology coaches should also be knowledgeable on many types of research so that they are aware of new findings. Being knowledgeable on topics makes you more trustworthy when it comes to staff development. Overall, I feel that ITEC 7470 was a great class to learn about research, how it is conducted and why it is essential in education.
I have gained a lot of knowledge throughout this semester in ITEC 7470. Before the class, I thought I knew the difference between qualitative and quantitative research, but now I know that there is a lot more that goes into their similarities and differences. I now see the structure of the two types of research articles and how to locate if the material is relevant by looking for crucial information. I also learned a lot about how research is conducted and how that can change the research type (experimental, single subject, quasi-experimental, etc.). One more aspect of this class that I learned and thought was interesting was the steps of data analysis. I found it interesting to think about the process of what people go through to write their research. Coding the data and developing the themes seems like a complicated process and it made me appreciate the research even more.
This class has affected my capacity to serve as an instructional coach in a positive way. I feel like as a technology coach I have to be able to read research to find evidence on why teachers should use specific techniques in their classroom. If research shows that using a particular form of technology in classes is beneficial teachers are more likely to want to use it. Technology coaches should also be knowledgeable on many types of research so that they are aware of new findings. Being knowledgeable on topics makes you more trustworthy when it comes to staff development. Overall, I feel that ITEC 7470 was a great class to learn about research, how it is conducted and why it is essential in education.