Life for the past 3 years
Finish strong. That's what my coaches always used to say for the 12 years I played representative rugby. I apply the same principle to my studies. I like to be the one who sails through the finish line, not the one who limps across.
There have been times during this 3 year gauntlet of a Masters that I considered quitting, or that I felt defeated. I want to acknowledge my family and my co-workers for helping me through these tough times. They have been in my corner, and have been amazingly supportive through it all. At the same time, a lot has happened in the past 3 years while I was doing my MEd. We welcomed our second daughter into the world. I changed jobs and sold my chiropractic practice. And we moved (possibly the most stressful of all of them!). What I realized is that especially with adult learners, we cannot discount the effect that outside forces can have on a student. This was an extremely important realization and one that I now apply to my students.
Next Steps
At the conclusion of one degree, you can't help but think about the next one. It's been the story of my life to date, from high school to university, to CMCC, to one Masters (McMaster) to my MEd (Athabasca). As I wrote above, a lot has taken place over these last 3 years. This Masters has been tougher than the first one, due in part to the other competing priorities in my life. Which is why for now, I am not considering an advanced degree such as a PhD or a EdD.
I will however continue to look for additional educational experiences in order to further my development. With a young family, I don't want to bite off more than I can handle and don't anticipate any career moves in the next while such as up to ladder or to another institution. But I have loved the courses and reading I've done on leadership, so a realistic possibility would be continued study in this area or attending a "Deans Academy" as recommended by my current boss.
But as for now, I am going to enjoy applying the knowledge that I've gained through this degree, and to potentially publish and contribute to the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning. As I've learned, nothing goes according to plan. But to quote Winston Churchill - "Plans are useless. But planning, is everything."
Synthesis of what I've learned
It's been a remarkable journey, these past three years doing my Masters while still working and raising a young family. As in most journeys, mine has had its share of ups and downs. I'd say one of the most significant take homes I had was in understanding the mindset of an adult learner. In my current role I didn't fully appreciate the stresses and impact that "life" has on our adult learners. That's why I feel that it was valuable to once again become a student to better empathize, understand, and tailor to our students a program that suits their needs.
There were many highs along this road. I loved the discussion forums categorically and felt that the "unofficial" curriculum that was explored through this medium meant the most to me. I was able to challenge my peers, and also share with my colleagues my previous experiences as a student, faculty and now administrator. For the most part, students were very eager to share, and the culture of respectful challenging of ideas was upheld and lead to my deeper understanding of other professions.
I would say that a number of the assignments would be highs as well, as highlighted in this portfolio. Characteristics of assessments to which I held value would be those that challenged my understanding of the material and assessments that were applicable to my work-place. Surprisingly, (as described in artefact #4) my outlook towards group work shifted from negative to positive because of this group assignment.
In terms of the lows along the journey, they would include some of the readings that were selected by course co-ordinators. Some were out-dated, and others were not realistic regarding the breadth and relevance to course learning outcomes. Having had some negative experiences with required readings has lead me to be quite selective with the pre-work expected of our students - migrating towards suggestions of multimedia when applicable, and away from textbook chapters.
A real low during the process was being forced to take MDDE 602: Research Methods in Distance Education. I applied for an exemption with transcripts from 3 other institutions (bachelors, Masters and Doctorate levels) with almost identical course syllabi, and I was unsuccessful in being exempt. This wasted both time and money, with me going through the course easily obtaining a 99% average. But more detrimentally it set me back a further four months from completing my MEd. I almost quit as a result of being treated this way by Athabasca, and a quick search online revealed I wasn't a one-off case in being treated this way.
But I persevered. I believe that experiences build character, while content builds knowledge. Both are symbiotically important to provide in teaching, and I feel that the resiliency that I developed from this negative experience has already served me well in other circumstances. As for my expectations for the program, I feel that they were achieved. I gained some deeper insight into the study of pedagogy, and specifically as applied in the Distance Education environment. I was exposed to a number of new technologies and distance education tools which we have already put into practice at CMCC as a result of my exposure. I also learned immensely from my knowledgeable peers and instructors, and feel that I've built a community of practice that I can contribute to and rely on in times to come.
One unanticipated positive note was my discovery of an area of study which really appealed to me. The leadership courses I took were phenomenal, and I've since continued this line of study by reading a number of books on the subject as well as scholarly articles. I think the study of leadership and the various styles of leadership is information that can be utilized in many environments. The field of leadership fascinates me, especially in such turbulent political times. I do intend on pursuing future advancement within higher education, and while I take a few years to digest the past formal educational journey, I will continue to explore various opinions and views on leadership.
In conclusion, it's been a heck of a ride. I am glad I pursued my Masters in Education, happy I did it in an online format, and satisfied with the Athabasca experience. It's had it's ups and downs, but the lessons I learned along the way have already been, and will continue to be immensely valuable.
Learning Goals
My learning goals for the MDDE program were as follows:
1) Obtain a deeper appreciation for the planning of curriculum, specifically with regards to online/hybrid format courses
- I feel that I achieved this learning goal as I have been able to apply principles learned into my day-to-day work as Director of Curriculum. Specifically, we are developing some online content for our hybrid courses at CMCC, and the lessons learned at Athabasca have proven quite useful.
2) Establish contacts amongst my peers and faculty within higher education
- I have accumulated a robust community of practice with staying in touch with certain class-mates and instructors following course completion.
3) Contribute positively to the group learning environment at AU
- I have prided myself in being a positive contributor to all the courses which I was a part of while at Athabasca. My grades for the forum components confirm this, and speaks to my desire to both get the most out of the experience, and to enhance the experience of my peers.
