Terry's+Page

__**Research Interest**__

My research interest includes the perception that first generation adult males experience in an online learning community. To date I have pulled down 60-75 peer reviewed journals that I plan to use as primary research data for my dissertation.

__**Literature Review**__

__Topic/Title of Dissertation__- A Phenomenological Research Study of Adult Males Experiencing Online Courses at the Graduate Level

__Purpose -__ The purpose of this phenomenological research study is to describe an online learning community as it is experienced by adult males attempting education, for the first time, in an online graduate program.

Park and Hee (2009) conducted a study on factors affecting online learners' reasons for staying in online programs. Findings from the study suggested that learners' are less likely to drop when there is organizational support, family support, and peer support (Park and Hee, 2009). Although information included in the research findings suggests these notions, it does not provide significant evidence that differentiates learning between males and females. Additionally, it lacks the perspective of the student. Students have been provided a list of questions and have been asked to choose a response.

In 2010, Marcus Weaver-Hightower wrote an article about the lack of men in higher education. Even though the information presented was not part of a research article, it is relevant to the research I plan to conduct. He noted that a males' perspective is needed to help build college communities and build diversity (Weaver-Hightower, 2010). Information provided within my research may provide the perspective to assist online learning institutions with the needed responses to answer questions, like those presented by Mr. Weaver-Hightower.

**__Research Question__**__**:**__

How did participants describe their experiences and interactions with classmates? //Importance:// Supporting information will provide insight into the views of those adult males that are experiencing online learning, at a graduate level, for the first time.

**__Gap in the Research__**

Howard (2010) conducted a study on reentry women in an online graduate program. Findings from his research suggested that gender plays a limited role in participants' perception of their online experience. Hargittai and Shafer (2006) had similar findings and suggested that women and men do not differ in their online abilities; however, women assess their abilities at a lower rate than men. Arbaugh and Rau (2007) researched the behaviors of students in an online MBA program to gather information on the perceived learning and satisfaction with delivery medium. Information suggested that instructors of online courses must manage balance students' learning with their perceptions of the Internet as a means of delivery (Arbaugh and Rau, 2007). Tello (n.d.) found during his study that situational and institutional barriers are important to students' persistence in online courses. The GAP suggests there is a lack of research on adult males that provide a view of their experiences connecting in online education from their perspective.

**__Research Questions__**

How did the online tools help with your interaction and/or collaboration with classmates?  How did you form relationships with classmates and the instructors?  How would you describe the learning process in the online community? <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 130%;">How did you cope with external barriers while attempting to complete online work? <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 130%;">How did you facilitate the learning process through communication and collaboration?

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 130%;">**__Problem Statement__**

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 130%;">The purpose of this phenomenological research study is to describe an online learning community as it is experienced by adult males attempting Online education for the first time in a graduate program. Chung, Park, Wang, Fulk, and McLaughlin (2010) conducted research on the perceptions of online communities held by people that had not yet experience virtual learning. Their findings suggested that there is no difference of perception and ease of use presented by members of different age groups. My research will explore a different demographic; however, it will look at the perceptions that adult males experience and present during the learning process.

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 130%;">Brian Howard (2010) conducted research on the experiences of women in a virtual learning environment. Findings found that participants wanted an appropriate amount of external motivation, teacher involvement, and multiple levels of the community were described. Additionally, evidence provided within the research showed that gender was not a significant factor affecting womens' experiences (Howard, 2010). My research will provide insight into the experiences of adult males using similar research.

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 130%;">From the participant research, I plan to share information which I believe will assist others with developing means to improve online educational processes. Additionally, data collected from the adult males in this study will provide information or patterns related to their experiences that will allow educators to understand how men feel about online education and to promote changes in the educational process.

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 130%;">**__Significance of the Study__**

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 130%;">Evidence provided by the participants in the study will provide a better understanding of the experiences and needs of adult males who are experiencing their first online education courses in a graduate online program. Additionally, it will explore how students establish and experience a sense of community online. For example, Lonie and Andrews (2009) found that a facilitator that is technically and pedagogically prepared for the online classroom will provide a collaborative learning experience for the student. In addition, participants will be asked to explain connections or mis-connections between themselves and professors, as well as between students and peers.

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 130%;">The impact of my proposed research will affect several communities. It is important that the research study provides evidence from the perceptions of the male students, which can provide data that will help 1) improve education for male students, 2) faculty and staff understand the views of adult males in online education, and 3) improve the organizational outlook based on the experiences of the adult males. The goal of my research proposal is to gather information from the participants that will help build a better classroom experience, virtual or ground based.

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 130%;">**__Theory__**

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 130%;">The theoretical background for my research is build around connectivism. The following is a quote from George Siemens, the father of connectivism theory. He states (Siemens, 2004),

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 130%;">"Over the last twenty years, technology has reorganized how we live, how we communicate, and how we learn. Learning needs and theories that describe learning principles and processes, should be reflective of underlying social environments".

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 130%;">George Siemens (2004) suggested learning is a continuous process that requires individuals to have the ability to draw distinctions between important and unimportant information through the connections made with colleagues. Additionally, through social networks, individuals are able to foster and maintain this flow of information (Siemens, 2004). Online environments provide individuals opportunities to connect with other learners through discussion boards, blogs, wiki's, and group assignments.

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 130%;">Theo Hug (2007) included information presented by Stephen Downes, which suggested that in a networked society, every person is a member of the network. Stephen Downes ideas of connectivism states that connective knowledge spreads across entities (Hug, 2007). Online environments allow students to bridge the knowledge learned by each and connect through various electronic means.

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 130%;">**__Methodology__**

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 130%;"> Descriptive Table
 * <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 130%;">Research Methodology || <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 130%;">Strengths || <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 130%;">Limitations || <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 130%;">Authoritative Primary Source for this Methodology || <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 130%;">Why I will or Will Not Use this Method ||
 * <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 130%;">Mixed Methods || <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 130%;">Contains both research designs

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 130%;">Complete picture of research problem || <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 130%;">Knowledge in both methods required

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 130%;">Difficult to present and sell <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 130%;">Cost Prohibitive

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 130%;">Time || <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 130%;">Tashakkori, A. and Teddle, C. (Ed.). (2003). //Handbook of mixed methods in social and behavioral research.// Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications, Inc. || <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 130%;">The information included within my research uses data obtained from the experiences of adult males. Experiential information and quantifiable data could be valuable for my research; however, I believe the time it would take to conduct the research would not provide significant research data that is relevant to my research. ||
 * <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 130%;">Case Study || <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 130%;">Provide ideas about behaviors

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 130%;">Innovative

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 130%;">Good for rare phenomena

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 130%;">Challenge theoretical assumptions || <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 130%;">Hard to determine cause-effect solutions

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 130%;">Bias

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 130%;">Cannot generalize based on one case || <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 130%;">Glaser, B. and Strauss, A. (1967). //The discovery of grounded theory: Strategies for qualitative research.// Piscataway, NJ: Transaction Publishers. || <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 130%;">This research methodology could be valuable for the research that I plan to conduct, based on the questions, because it does focus on phenomenon. However, I do not believe it will gather the individual detail and results needed. ||
 * <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 130%;">Phenomenology || <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 130%;">In-depth understanding of individual phenomena

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 130%;">Rich Data || <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 130%;">Subjective

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 130%;">Bias

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 130%;">Interference and Interpretation of Data

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 130%;">Small sample size || <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 130%;">Moran, D. and Embree, L. (Ed.). (2004). //Phenomenology: Critical concepts in philosophy.// New York, NY: Routledge. || <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 130%;">I wish to explore the experiences of adult males experiencing online education at the graduate degree level for the first time. This methodology will allow me to gather rich data that will provide the individual phenomena experienced by the participants. ||

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 130%;">Methodology Table
 * <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 130%;">Research Questions || <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 130%;">Methodology || <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 130%;">Sample || <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 130%;">Data Collection || <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 130%;">Statistical Analysis ||
 * <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 130%;">How did the online tools help with your interaction and/or collaboration with classmates? || <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 130%;">Phenomenology || <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 130%;">I have chosen a study consisting of adult males that have completed their undergraduate and first graduate degree through traditional (brick and mortar) education. I have narrowed my research focus group to adult males (between the ages of 30-50 years of age or Generation X). At this time, I plan to use 5 participants from Richard W. Riley College of Education and Leadership program, at Walden University. Additionally, I have chosen to work with individuals that are completing a PhD in Education (specialization non-specific). || <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 130%;">I will be choosing a criterion purposeful sample and will conduct an interview at the beginning and end of the term with the adult male participants to gather their perceptions of online learning. Questions will be assigned to the participants, on a weekly basis, and each member will be asked to describe their experiences and provide them to me via Skype. Finally, each participant will be asked to keep a blog (electronic journal) to describe his experiences. || <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 130%;">Not Applicable ||
 * <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 130%;">How did you form relationships with classmates and the instructors? ||^  ||^   ||^   ||^   ||
 * <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 130%;">How would you describe the learning process in the online community? ||^  ||^   ||^   ||^   ||
 * <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 130%;">How did you cope with external barriers while attempting to complete online work?

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 130%;">How did you facilitate the learning process through communication and collaboration? ||^  ||^   ||^   ||^   || <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 130%;"> <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 130%;"> <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 130%;"> <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 130%;"> <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 130%;"> <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 130%;"> <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 130%;"> <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 130%;"> <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 130%;"> <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 130%;"> <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 130%;"> <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 130%;"> <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 130%;"> <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 130%;"> <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 130%;"> <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 130%;"> <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 130%;"> <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 130%;"> <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 130%;"> <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 130%;"> <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 130%;"> <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 130%;">__**Dissemination of Research**__

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 130%;">http://www.aace.org/pubs/aacej/

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 130%;">http://www.ifets.info/

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 130%;">http://thejournal.com/Home.aspx

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 130%;">The following journals provide insight into what is happening in the field of education technology. After publication of my dissertation, I would like to research additional journals, such as Social Science Quarterly to reach out to members outside of the education technology sector. <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 130%;"> <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 130%;">http://www.iste.org/welcome.aspx

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 130%;">http://site.aace.org/conf/

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 130%;">Conferences promoted by the preceding organizations promote technology in education. These organizations would be a prime target for presenting my research.

__**<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 130%;">References **__

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 130%;">Arbaugh, J. B., & Rau, B. L. (2007). A Study of Disciplinary, Structural, and Behavioral Effects on Course Outcomes in Online MBA Courses. Decision Sciences Journal of Innovative Education, 5(1), 65-95. Doi:10.1111/j.1540-4609.2007.00128.x

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 130%;">Chung, J., Park, N., Wang, H., Fulk, J., & McLaughlin, M. (2010). Age differences in perceptions of online community participation among non-users: An extension of the Technology Acceptance Model. Computers in Human Behavior, 26(6), 1674-1684. doi:10.1016/j.chb.2010.06.016

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 130%;">Hargittai, E., & Shafer, S. (2006). Differences in Actual and Perceived Online Skills: The Role of Gender.Social Science Quarterly (Blackwell Publishing Limited), 87(2), 432-448. Doi:10.1111/j.1540-6237.2006.00389.x

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 130%;">Howard, B.. Adult learners in cyberspace: A collective case study of reentry women in a virtual learning community. Ph.D. Dissertation, University of Idaho, United States -- Idaho. Retrieved April 2, 2011, from Dissertations & Theses: Full Text.(Publication No. AAT 3414272).

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 130%;">Hug, Theo (ed.) (2007): Media, Knowledge & Education - Exploring new Spaces, Relations and Dynamics in Digital Media Ecologies. Proceedings of the International Conference held on June 25-26, 2007. (B - Publications in Refereed Conference Proceedings (refereed article)) Innsbruck: Innsbruck University Press

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 130%;">Louise^Lonie, A., & Andrews, T. (2009). Creating a rich learning environment for remote postgraduate learners. Education in Rural Australia, 19(1), 3-13. Retrieved from ebscohost.

<span style="color: #333333; font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 130%;">Park, J., & Hee Jun, C. (2009). Factors Influencing Adult Learners' Decision to Drop Out or Persist in Online Learning. //Journal of Educational Technology & Society//, 12(4), 207-217. Retrieved from ebsco//host//.

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 130%;">Phenomenology. (n.d.). In Stanford encyclopedia of philosophy. Retrieved from http://plato.stanford.edu/entries/phenomenology/.

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 130%;">Siemens, G. (2004). Connectivism: A learning theory for the digital age. Retrieved from http://www.elearnspace.org/Articles/connectivism.htm.

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 130%;">Tello, S. (n.d.). An analysis of Student persistence in online education. Retrieved electronically from http://0-www.wcu.edu.wncln.wncln.org/webfiles/pdfs/Tello_Interaction.pdf.

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 130%;">Weaver-Hightower, M. B. (2010). Where the Guys Are: Males in Higher Education. //Change//, 42(3), 29-35. Retrieved from EBSCO//host//.