My doctoral dissertation research continues to limp along! The work is rewarding, but life is continuously disrupting my progress. I am trying to be patient with myself and my circumstances, while remaining committed to completing the EdD.

I successfully defended my Candidacy in the Doctorate of Distance Education program at Athabasca University in early December, 2020. My doctoral research project examines learner perceptions of OER-enabled pedagogy. I enact OER-enabled pedagogy in the form of a renewable assignment, a capstone project in a course on Truth and Reconciliation.

It took approximately six months to complete the research ethics application processes at both Athabasca and Cambrian. While the process was lengthy, it was also supportive and instructive, helping to shape my data collection plan in a way that improved the project overall.

I completed the data collection phase through the summer and fall of 2021. I paused the project in the late fall and early winter to focus on walking with my dad as he reached end of life. Now it is summer time, work is wrapping up for the year, and I am excited to renew my analysis efforts. I aim to have a completed draft out to committee by the end of the summer. My ultimate goal is to successfully defend and complete my degree by the end of the year.

In early October, I presented a snapshot of my ongoing research at the Athabasca Graduate Student Research Conference 2021. I was honoured to be awarded with the People’s Choice Award for this presentation. If you’re interested, I will share the .ppt file below, which contains detailed speaker notes.

…and that’s where I’m at right now (06-23-2022)!

After many, many months of working through the analysis process, I am very happy to report that I have a complete Chapter Four!!! I thought I would never get here. My supervisor has reviewed the chapter and like me, finds the results intriguing. Now to tackle the final chapter of the opus! My goal is to complete this dissertation at some point in 2023. It’s been so long. It’s time to move forward – but first to make sense of all that’s been shared.

…and that’s where I’m at right now (01-23-2023)