by nurazaliah | May 17, 2020 | research
A very good article…
Across many years of teaching Research Methods and assessing many applications for admission into higher degree studies which require an understanding of theories, principles, strategies and skills needed to complete a higher degree such as a Masters or a PhD, one of the things I have found problematic for many students is the inability to articulate differences between theory, theoretical framework and a conceptual framework for a proposed research project. This paper uses experiential methodology to draw upon my experience in practice, and systematic literature review methodology to draw upon supporting scholarly literature by leaders in the field, to contribute to existing knowledge on the meaning of each of these concepts, and more importantly to distinguish between them in a study of Research Methods, and in particular as they relate to designing a research proposal and a thesis for a higher degree. The primary aim is to help the reader develop a firm grasp of the meaning of these concepts and how they should be used in academic research discourses. The review answers five questions. 1. What does each of these terms mean? 2. When and how should each be used? 3. What purposes does a theoretical framework serve? 4. How do you develop a theoretical framework for your research proposal or thesis? 5. What does a good theoretical framework look like?
DOWNLOAD THE ARTICLE HERE
EJ1198682
by nurazaliah | May 10, 2020 | HowTo, PhD, research
1. Treat an online course like a “real” course.
When it comes to online classes, you need to have the discipline to sit down and say, “I am going to work on this,” as well as the dedication to actually follow through. Though you can be flexible as to when you choose to complete your work during the week, you can’t put it off indefinitely.
One of the easiest ways to ensure follow-through is to remember that you are paying to take this online course, just as you would for a traditional, in-person class. You must “show up” if you’re going to get real value out of your class. Treat your online classes the same way you would a face-to-face class—or, better yet, a job—and you’ll be off to the right start.
2. Hold yourself accountable
Set goals at the beginning of the semester, and check-in with yourself weekly. In a traditional classroom setting, you’ll often receive verbal or visual reminders of an assignment’s upcoming due date. But without a professor actively reminding you, it’s up to you to make sure you’ve allotted enough time to complete the work so you’re not starting an assignment the day before it’s due.
If you’re having trouble holding yourself responsible, pair up with a fellow classmate, or enlist the help of a spouse or friend to check in as an accountability partner. By being organized, proactive, and self-aware, you can get the most from your online class even when life outside of school becomes chaotic.
3. Practice time management.
The flexibility to create your own schedule is often one of the biggest appeals of taking online classes. But that freedom can also be detrimental if you do not have solid time management skills. Without them, you might easily to find yourself cramming before classes or handing in subpar assignments.
Though how you manage your time will depend on your schedule, learning style, and personality, here are some universally valuable tips to help you practice and improve your time management skills:
- Look at the syllabus at the start of the semester and make note of major assignments. Mark them on a calendar you check regularly so you know what workload is coming in the weeks ahead. Don’t forget to factor in prior commitments that may interfere with your regular study schedules, such as weddings or vacations, so you can give yourself enough extra time to complete assignments.
- Create a weekly schedule that you follow, designating certain hours each week to read, watching lectures, completing assignments, studying, and participating in forums. Commit to making your online coursework part of your weekly routine, and set reminders for yourself to complete these tasks.
- When working on your assignments, try time-blocking, allotting yourself a certain amount of time for each task before moving on to the next one and setting a timer to keep you accountable.
- Check-in periodically throughout the term, and look at how you’re spending your time. Ask yourself: How much time am I dedicating to course reading and assignments? Am I regularly underestimating the time it’s taking me to get things done, forcing me to cram the nights before the exams? A little self-reflection and adjustment can go a long way.
4. Create a regular study space and stay organized.
Set up a dedicated learning environment for studying. By completing your work there repeatedly, you’ll begin to establish a routine. Whether your workspace is your kitchen table, a library, or the corner booth in a local coffee shop, it’s important to determine what type of environment will work best for you. Experiment to discover which type of setting boosts your productivity. Wherever you choose, make sure there’s high-speed internet access so you’re not trying to take an online course over a lagging connection.
Setting up a regular workspace or office will also help you to stay organized. Knowing exactly where important dates, files, forms, syllabi, books, and assignments live will help keep you on track towards hitting your goals. When setting up your study space, make sure you:
Have a high-speed internet connection
Have the required books, materials, and software for the course
Have headphones for listening to lectures or discussions (especially important in shared spaces)
5. Eliminate distractions.
From Netflix to social media to dishes piling up in the skink, you’ll be faced with many distractions that can easily derail your studies. The best online students know how to lessen these distractions and set aside time to focus.
Exactly how much of a challenge these distractions will prove to be will depend on your own unique personality and situation. Some might find that they can tune out a noisy home by listening to music. Others might choose to work from a local coffee shop or library to eliminate their urge to multitask at home. Ultimately, you will need to find a strategy that works best for you.
Regardless of where you choose to work, consider turning your cell phone off to avoid losing focus every time a text message or notification pops up. And if you’re still having trouble resisting the temptation to check your email or surf the web, try downloading a website blocker. Using applications like Cold Turkey and Freedom can help eliminate distractions by blocking the apps or websites that tend to compete for your attention, such as Facebook and Twitter.
6. Figure Out How You Learn Best
Once you’ve established where you’ll learn, think about when and how you accomplish your best work. If you’re a morning person, make time to study first thing. More of a night owl? Set aside an hour or two after dinner to cozy up to your computer. If the kids require your morning and evening attention, try to carve out a study session mid-day while they’re at school. Brew your usual cup of coffee, put on your go-to playlist, and do whatever you need to get into the zone and down to business.
Not everyone learns the same way, so think about what types of information help you best grasp new concepts and employ relevant study strategies. If you’re a visual learner, for example, print out transcripts of the video lectures to review. Learn best by listening? Make sure to build time into your schedule to play and replay all audio- and video-based course content.
7. Actively participate.
Participate in the course’s online forum to help you better understand course materials and engage with fellow classmates. This might involve commenting on a classmate’s paper on a discussion board or posting a question about a project you’re working on. Read what other students and your professor are saying, and if you have a question, ask for clarification.
Make sure you are checking in as often as you can, too. The flexibility of online learning means that if you have 30 minutes before dinner plans, you could squeeze in a discussion response around your schedule. Set a goal to check in on the class discussion threads every day.
And if you do feel yourself falling behind, speak up. Don’t wait until an assignment is almost due to ask questions or report issues. Email your professor and be proactive in asking for help.
8. Leverage your network.
Online classes may sometimes make you feel like you are learning on your own, but this couldn’t be further from the truth. Most online courses are built around the concept of collaboration, with professors and instructors actively encouraging that students work together to complete assignments and discuss lessons.
Build relationships with other students by introducing yourself and engaging in online discussion boards. Your peers can be a valuable resource when preparing for exams or asking for feedback on assignments. Don’t be afraid to turn to them to create a virtual study group. Chances are good that they will appreciate it just as much as you will.
by nurazaliah | May 10, 2020 | knowledge, research
The quadruple and quintuple innovation helix framework describes university-industry-government-public-environment interactions within a knowledge economy.
In innovation helical framework theory, first developed by Henry Etzkowitz and Loet Leydesdorff[1][2] and used in innovation economics and theories of knowledge, such as the knowledge society and the knowledge economy, each sector is represented by a circle (helix), with overlapping showing interactions.
The Carayannis and Campbell quadruple helix model incorporates the public via the concept of a ‘media-based democracy’,[9] which emphasizes that when the political system (government) is developing innovation policy to develop the economy, it must adequately communicate its innovation policy with the public and civil society via the media to obtain public support for new strategies or policies.[3]
In the case of industry involved in R&D, the framework emphasizes that companies’ public relations strategies have to negotiate ‘reality construction’ by the media.[3]
The quadruple and quintuple helix framework can be described in terms of the models of knowledge that it extends and by five subsystems (helices) that it incorporates; in a quintuple helix-driven model, knowledge and know-how are created and transformed, and circulate as inputs and outputs in a way that affects the natural environment.[2][4]
Socio-ecological interactions via the quadruple and quintuple helices can be utilized to define opportunities for the knowledge society and knowledge economy, such as innovation to address sustainable development, including climate change.[2]
by nurazaliah | Mar 28, 2020 | HowTo
When chess prodigy Magnus Carlsen was 13 years old, he squared off against chess grandmaster Garry Kasparov, one of the world’s top-rated players. As Carlsen sat down to spar, he couldn’t shake the feeling that he couldn’t possibly win against such a formidable opponent. Now 27 years old, Carlsen says giving in to that belief was his biggest mistake.
“In that particular game if I [had] believed very seriously that I could [have] beat Kasparov, then I probably could have managed,” he says. In other words, the skill will only take you so far; confidence was the missing piece he needed to beat his opponent.
In business, too, there are plenty of ways in which you might face similar crises of confidence, whether it’s making a pitch to investors or trying to win an account with a big customer. Here are three tips from Carlsen on how to manage these moments and build self-confidence:
1. Trust yourself, no matter the consequences.
Confidence comes from trusting yourself to make a decision and being OK with the results, even if you fail. This explains why so many successful entrepreneurs count failures on their lists of achievements. For Carlsen, this meant trusting his gut and making a fast decision — and then not looking back. “It’s better to trust your gut and be burned sometimes than to always second-guess yourself,” he says.
2. Be willing to put in the work.
By the time Carlsen was 17, he was playing the best chess players in the world — and for the first time, he says, he started to feel confident in his abilities. “When I was 10 or 12 years old, I would often give away draws to presumably stronger opponents because I didn’t believe that I could beat them and I was happy with a draw,” he says. Of course, he had many matches during those intervening years, which helped him improve his skillset, and thereby his confidence.
This kind of self-doubt is often referred to as imposter syndrome — a psychological pattern in which you doubt your accomplishments or believe that you don’t deserve them. To overcome this, as Carlsen did, you must first recognize the condition and then work diligently to overcome it. As Carlsen says: “Within a few years I was completely convinced, rightly or not, that I was the man, I was the best.”
3. Look for an immediate win after you lose.
Carlsen’s approach to losing is also instructive. When he loses, he says he doesn’t dwell on it because bad results can linger. Instead, he looks for a win — as soon as possible. “For me, I just… need to somehow be able to strike back,” he says.
He also notes that he’s never been a good loser and that instead of working on ways to handle losses more gracefully, he focuses on a different problem: “I should be better at not losing.”
by nurazaliah | Mar 20, 2020 | HowTo
In 1999, Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates was well on his way toward fulfilling his vision of putting a computer in every home, running Microsoft software.
That year, Gates also wrote Business @ the Speed of Thought, in which he accurately predicted the way the internet would change business.
But the uncanny leadership insights captured by then 44-year-old Gates, however, is almost prophetic at a time when people are begging for transparent and honest leadership during immensely uncertain times.
I say this because many executives in times of crisis will deflect bad news and try to paint a rosy picture of reality, which backfires when employees and customers see right through the disingenuousness.
Gates’s description of leadership in bad times
In the book, Gates explains that a company’s ability to respond to unplanned events, good or bad — and I can’t think of something more unplanned than a global pandemic — is a strong indicator of competitive advantage.
Why?
At the 30,000 ft. level, a CEO’s central role, writes Gates, is to do something rare: look for bad news and empower people to respond to it. He says leaders must model safety and encourage employees to share bad news as much as good news.
Easier said than done — especially if employees are trapped in a command-and-control environment. To Gates’s point, however: The flatter the corporate hierarchy, the more likely it is that employees will communicate bad news and act upon it.
“A change in corporate attitude, encouraging and listening to bad news, has to come from the top,” writes Gates.
He offers several tips applicable to today’s leader caught in making tough decisions daily:
- Take the initiative to create an environment that fosters open discussion
- Reward failure and allow experimentation
- Embrace bad news to learn where you need the most improvement
- Communicate bad news quickly
- Make informed decisions with reliable data
- Then, free up virtual teams to work on solutions quickly
You’ll recall the book was written in 1999 — before Slack, Zoom, and social media. Texting was just surfacing as a business tool, so email was king. Notice the way Gates describes the good practices of shared leadership and authentic communication between teams — things we desperately need right now:
“These independent explorations led to dozens and dozens of great ideas. Quickly, over e-mail, people offered their opinions, fleshed out the issues, considered the options. The amount of e-mail was just fantastic. E-mail discussions led to many small group meetings — often loud, informal ones in the hallways — to hammer out recommendations.”
At a time when people at all levels — including and especially those on the frontlines — need the information to make decisions quickly, great leaders will take off their masks, communicate what they’re feeling and seeing, and push the bad news to the forefront. They do this because they trust in the ability of those who they hired to come up with the answers to problems.
by nurazaliah | Mar 18, 2020 | HowTo
A useful page for all the graduated, soon graduating PhD & Masters Student
https://cheekyscientist.com/
by nurazaliah | Mar 12, 2020 | HowTo
The Pomodoro Technique is a time management method developed by Francesco Cirillo[1] in the late 1980s. The technique uses a timer to break down work into intervals, traditionally 25 minutes in length, separated by short breaks. Each interval is known as a Pomodoro, from the Italian word for ‘tomato’, after the tomato-shaped kitchen timer that Cirillo used as a university student.[3][4]
The technique has been widely popularized by dozens of apps and websites providing timers and instructions. Closely related to concepts such as timeboxing and iterative and incremental development used in software design, the method has been adopted in pair programming contexts.[5]
There are six steps in the original technique:
- Decide on the task to be done.
- Set the Pomodoro timer (traditionally to 25 minutes).
- Work on the task.
- End work when the timer rings and put a checkmark on a piece of paper.[6]
- If you have fewer than four checkmarks, take a short break (3–5 minutes), then go to step 2.
- After four pomodoros, take a longer break (15–30 minutes), reset your checkmark count to zero, then go to step 1
For the technique, a Pomodoro is the interval of time spent working.
After task completion, any time remaining in the Pomodoro is devoted to overlearning.
Regular breaks are taken, aiding assimilation. A short (3–5 minutes) rest separates consecutive pomodoros. Four pomodoros form a set. A longer (15–30 minute) rest is taken between sets.
A goal of the technique is to reduce the impact of internal and external interruptions on focus and flow. A Pomodoro is indivisible; when interrupted during a Pomodoro, either the other activity must be recorded and postponed (using the inform – negotiate – schedule – call back strategy[8]) or the Pomodoro must be abandoned.
The stages of planning, tracking, recording, processing and visualizing are fundamental to the technique.[citation needed] In the planning phase, tasks are prioritized by recording them in a “To Do Today” list. This enables users to estimate the effort tasks require. As pomodoros are completed, they are recorded, adding to a sense of accomplishment and providing raw data for subsequent self-observation and improvement.
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