Having the chance to ask questions to Dr. George Veletsianos on his research experience prior to starting his course is a nice bridging opportunity from the end of the Introduction to Research: Critical Reading and Writing (LRNT 522) course to the beginning of Foundations of Learning and Technologies (LRNT 523) course.  It is an effective embedded instructional design and a great example of constructivism, a way for the Master of Arts in Learning and Technology (MALAT) learners to actively construct knowledge built on their current foundation of understanding and to ensure continuity in our learning process (Ruey, 2010).  From Dr. Veletsianos’ responses to questions asked by the cohort, I am particularly looking forward to exploring the generational differences in learning in LRNT 523 and revisit digital natives and digital immigrants from Prensky (2001).

I am always intrigued by lessons learned from experienced practionners because their perspectives often benefit my own learning journey.  Dr. Veletsianos provided welcoming insights in his response to what he would have liked to know from the start of his career.  Technologies can be exciting to learn but also frustrating to master because of their evolving nature.  There is an initial excitement about technology as there are always new technologies being developed; however, some will run their course for various reasons according to Dr. Veletsianos.  Focusing less on technological application, but more on the learning process resonated with me, especially as part of the MALAT program.  I was truthfully a little intimated by the technological aspect of the program while welcoming it; however, the opportunity to uncover what can be solved or addressed in the learning space outside of technology will be an integral part of my future research question.   The reflection from Dr. Veletsianos on this topic has renewed my confidence with the application of learning theorical frameworks being at the core of my studies, and technology being the windfall where I can play, experiment, and find its use.

Subsequently, the LRNT 522 course clarified what makes a good research question.  Dr. Veletsianos’ perspective on how to approach a research question in relation to the literature review provided me with additional thoughts on how to approach my future research and its scope.  In my first attempts conducting literature research, I was using the specific vocabulary, and it was not always producing the expected results.  As simple as it is, going broader in the research scope was an amazing tip from Dr. Veletsianos.  Another suggestive statement he made was to leverage the literature in different ways while keeping in mind what is useful for the readers.  He proposed using headings to evaluate the relevance of the literature and therefore, effectively managing the review process of the literature on a topic.  This especially resonated with me as I had initially assumed that a strong research paper is inclusive of an extensive literature review; however, he pointed out that guiding the readers as where the topic fits in the broader literature is also key, thus circling back to his point to keep the readers in mind.

I am looking forward to our next course, LRNT 533, and learning more in-depth about learning and technologies fundamentals, and especially challenging my thinking on learning as of my future contributions in the field.

References:

Prensky, M. (2001).  Digital Natives, Digital Immigrants.  MCB University Press, 9(5). https://www.marcprensky.com/writing/Prensky%20-%20Digital%20Natives,%20Digital%20Immigrants%20-%20Part1.pdf

Ruey, S. (2010). A case study of constructivist instructional strategies for adult online learning. British Journal of Educational Technology, 41(5), 703-720.