Category: ADL Program

Action Research, ADL Program, Advising, Goals, Growth, Growth Mindset, Leadership, Learner's Mindset, Learning, Personal, Professional, Reflecting, Research, Why

Research Fatigue

The Advisor That Cares
Top of a wooden pole is pictured with lines/wires coming from almost every direction in a tangled fashion.
Screenshot of zotero organizing software for research sources.

I am stuck in this place where I keep seeking more and more research. I keep questioning my search terms and the relevance of the results. I thought I was sure about my research topic, but the more I read, the more lost I felt. Every article appeals to me because I do this as my career and for personal interest in graduate school. The topic of advising is a personal passion—making the connection between research and my belief that flipping advising can improve the prescriptive aspects (terminology picked up in the research process). As a result of flipped advising, additional time becomes available to dig into developmental aspects (more understanding learned through research) of the advising relationship.

I can tell that the advising relationship is important to me. My innovation is about creating a stronger advising relationship. My frustration with the prescriptive aspects of my role drives desperation to find an effective alternative solution. I am searching to find ways that creating space by limiting information transfer components will improve advising interaction through student empowerment. Relationships and empowerment are the answers to why I am doing this research. I am proposing this innovation, and why my initial step of action research has to focus on the first prescriptive step of course registration as the example of student agency. The administration is always going to focus on enrollment. Advisors want to help students get enrolled to begin fostering an advising relationship that can guide them through their educational pursuits and also help them explore their goals and aspirations.

I struggle to find specific sources for advising’s impact on student agency. Still, several sources reference student ownership and self-efficacy, making the connection clear enough to support the literature review and my research.

When I was initially researching what a literature review is, the Smart Student suggested that writer’s block indicates the need to do additional research, so then I go and read more literature. The cycle begins again!

I’m blogging through this process because I am determined not to let it break me (this time). I am determined to see through the purpose and meaning of this research process. I feel like I’m right on the cusp of understanding the point of this torturous exercise… errr I mean, I am embracing this authentic learning opportunity.

ADL Program, Evolution, Goals, Growth, Growth Mindset, Humor, Learner's Mindset, Learning, Personal, Research, Tips

Paraphrasing – Pros in Prose

The Advisor That Cares

Calling all paraphrasing pros!

First, I am looking for all of your tips and techniques for effective review of literature (literally, how you take notes while reviewing it).

  • Do you take notes as you go, one article at a time?
  • Do you make notes across multiple articles based on themes/topics? Do you create a page of notes on multiple articles under those different headings?
  • Do you write a summary as you review the piece of literature?
  • Do you record quotes that strike you throughout the review process or highlight those of particular relevance or interest?

Second, what is your method for synthesizing the information without stating someone else’s idea as your own?

  • Paranoid of plagiarism, my papers turn into direct quotes galore.
    • How do you paraphrase an article?
    • Do you summarize each section of the literature?
    • Do you summarize the overall point of the literature?
    • How do you review the article with your research topic in mind yet avoid biased material selections?

No, really. I want your tips and input.

I am desperate to improve in these areas.

Action Research, ADL Program, Advising, ePortfolios, Evolution, Goals, Growth, Growth Mindset, Humor, Innovation Plan, Leadership, Learner's Mindset, Learning, Personal, Professional, Professional Learning, Reflecting, Research

Academic Writing & Mindset

The Advisor That Cares

I greatly appreciate Dr. Meeuwse holding office hours. This has rejuvenized the collaborative aspect of learning that I enjoy (and miss) so very much. I love that we have a facilitator who genuinely wants to help us be successful in our writing. I have picked up some great tips for approaching this literature review. I already feel more comfortable and familiar with the content of my research. I still really struggle to articulate how I believe my innovation plans are innovative and are the first of many steps toward a better experience for students and advisors.

Last week, Dr. Meeuwse shared a tip on her research approach during her doctoral experience.

She gave a beautiful nugget of knowledge when she suggested we approach paraphrasing by making bullet points of no more than two words (citing the source as we go) while reviewing relevant literature.

Tonight she gave additional details.

Read the article through, read it aloud, making bullet points with in-text citations, then put it away (the source material). Go and write sentences from memory (trying not to return to the source material so you aren’t tempted to reuse the authors’ words or meanings instead of expressing your learning).

This program’s craftsmanship never ceases to amaze me. I have a very specific visual image in my head of Dr. Harapnuik telling us how sneakily he manipulates us into learning.

Embarking on this course, I really had to give myself a pep talk. I dreaded whichever class had another one of those dang lit reviews. I forced myself to reflect as those old patterns of panic tried to creep in. Almost immediately, I recognized that I had to own whether or not I had embraced and accepted a learner’s mindset. Would I let research and academic writing scare me away from the authentic work I have been doing throughout this program to bring flipped advising to life?

Looking at the work I have completed up to this point in the program made me recognize that I am very familiar with my innovation plan. I am approaching my research efforts with much more specificity than my first attempt at a literature review. I definitely have a better understanding of the point of the darn thing. I am still struggling to explain what I hope to do with flipped advising and how students accurately identifying coursework for registration is the first significant step forward for our advisors and students.

Nonetheless, by standing on multiple means of support found in the literature, I will have a clearer picture of exactly how action research will guide the process toward revolutionizing advising.

Action Research, ADL Program, Advising, ePortfolios, Goals, Growth, Leadership, Learner's Mindset, Learning, Personal, Professional, Professional Learning, Reflecting, Research

Professional Learning Plans

The Advisor That Cares

In my quest for research for my action research literature review, I came across an article that immediately made me think of my professional learning plans. Specifically when looking to the future of professional learning and how an innovation to advising could transform advising interactions.

Screenshot of "Looking to the Future" section of linked webpage.

Academic Tutors/Advisors and Students Working in Partnership: Negotiating and Co-creating in “The Third Space”

I did not even realize it, but this is an exciting “perspective piece” to find as a wonderful confirmation of what I envisioned throughout my professional learning plans that include this type of peer partnership.

Reference

McIntosh, E. A., Steele, G. E., & Grey, D. (2020). Academic tutors/advisors and students working in partnership: Negotiating and co-creating in “The third space.” Frontiers in Education, 5. https://doi.org/10.3389/feduc.2020.528683

Action Research, ADL Program, Advising, Evolution, Goals, Growth, Growth Mindset, Humor, Learner's Mindset, Learning, Personal, Reflecting, Research

Am I a researcher?

The Advisor That Cares
Image of authors workspace. A pair of reading glasses is resting on a spiral notebook with a background of a full box of pens, a highlighter, John Dewey's book, and a cup of cream topped coffee sits on a coffee warmer.

The strangest thing is beginning to happen. As I read literature, I recognize authors I have previously read, cited, and studied. This recognition of source material is a very entertaining phenomenon as I am reviewing and searching for new resources and information on my innovation topic.

Action Research, ADL Program, Advising, ePortfolios, Goals, Growth, Growth Mindset, Influencer, Innovation Plan, Leadership, Learner's Mindset, Learning, Personal, Professional, Professional Learning, Reflecting, Research

Relevant Research

The Advisor That Cares

So I really feel like I have been on a quest for precisely the type of information I just found.

Transformations in academic advising as a profession

For the first time, I have found a recent piece of literature that connects directly to the goals of my innovation plan. Let me see if I can explain this connection and my excitement at finding it.  

I struggle to accurately explain why an innovation involving blended learning (Horn & Staker, 2017) could revolutionize advising. An advising innovation will impact students and advisors at my institution for all reasons cited in this body of work.

My innovation plan seeks to create more time and comfortable space within advising appointments for meaningful interactions (Troxel et al., 2021). Until we find an effective way to get the course registration and degree plan requirements out of the way, advising will continually miss potentially life-altering opportunities. 

My action research study will utilize a quantitative design to narrowly focus on any correlation between study agency over accurate course registration and a blended learning advising module on the same topic. 

  • Variable one:
    • A blended learning advising module covering how and where to find degree plan requirements, degree progression plans, course registration procedures, and other registration-related tasks such as holds, balances, or action items needed for course registrations. 
  • Variable two: 
    • Student agency, as evidenced by the ability to outline course plans accurately and effectively before the advising session for the upcoming registration period. 

Methods:

  • Student pre-advising Likert and Likert-like questions regarding upcoming course registration, advising module information, and overall perceptions of readiness for next semester’s course registration
  • Advisor post-advising Likert and Likert-like questions regarding the accuracy of course selections made by the student, the quality of questions students ask during advising sessions and the advisor’s perceptions of the student’s preparedness for course registration. Advisors will rank the accuracy of registration plans and relevance to the student’s degree program. Finally, advisors will rate the overall advising interaction and depth of conversation. 

References

Horn, M. B., & Staker, H. (2017). Blended: Using disruptive innovation to improve schools. John Wiley & Sons.

Troxel, W. M., Bridgen, S., Hutt, C., & Sullivan‐Vance, K. A. (2021). Transformations in academic advising as a profession. New Directions for Higher Education, 2021(195–196), 23–33. https://doi.org/10.1002/he.20406

Action Research, ADL Program, Advising, Evolution, Goals, Growth, Growth Mindset, Learning, Personal, Professional, Reflecting

Research Rabbit Hole

The Advisor That Cares

I am embarking on my second literature review ever in my forty-six years of life, and I am actually excited about it. We have been challenged and encouraged throughout the ADL Program to make our projects authentic. There is just something amazing that happens when your passion and your practice align.

(I reserve the right to panic and freak out at any moment)

The most significant benefit of making this learning journey authentic is the genuine excitement to learn more about what we are passionate about in life. I am incredibly passionate about empowering college students to take the wheel of their academic journey. I want them to ask informed questions and know where to verify information accuracy. Humans are flawed and inevitably make errors and assumptions or give inaccurate information. My passion is showing people the path and letting them set the pace.

My action research proposal is a big step away from this passion project in many ways. Instead of understanding the heart of students or advisors, I am focusing on how a flipped advising approach could create space in advising interactions for the truly impactful conversations that keep students engaged in the learning opportunities and face any challenges life throws at them through that process.

Deep conversations about life changes, evolving interests, overcoming mindsets, and setting goals for the future are life-affirming for advisors and students. The only way to get to this deeper level of conversation is to move the time-consuming registration conversations to a blended learning environment. If students can research their degree audits and know how to sequence their coursework to meet prerequisite requirements, advising appointments become spaces for forming trusted relationships.

Deeper and deeper down the research rabbit hole, I am thankful that I get to research two topics near and dear to my heart: advisors and students.

Action Research, ADL Program, Advising, ePortfolios, Goals, Growth Mindset, Innovation Plan, Learner's Mindset, Learning, Personal, Professional, Professional Learning, Reflecting

Topics for AR

The Advisor That Cares

Here we are on the due date of the first assignment for the Action Research course, and I am still refining and finessing my action research question. The book and my literature review have made it clear that pinpointing the action research topic is critical. Failure to do so effectively will make me evaluate the wrong data or jump to faulty conclusions. I am doing my best to remove bias from my topic question (which is difficult to do when considering your passion project). I am really narrowing in on the topic to isolate specific variables. The vital behaviors process keeps coming to mind as I identify precisely who, what, when, and how this action research process will unfold.

In reflection, as I finalize my action research question, I thought I would share some of my questions:

What might I be able to do differently with my advisees that could facilitate agency and preparedness for advising appointments/course registration?

What might I be able to do differently with my advisors that could facilitate their knowledge, accuracy, and confidence?

Is there a difference in advising effectiveness between traditional and flipped advising for freshman and sophomore university students?

To what degree does the use flipped advising tools and strategies impact student readiness for advising.

Does a flipped advising module on how to read your degree audit increase student agency in course selections?

To what degree do advising ePortfolio resources impact students’ progress through their degree plan requirements?

What are the attitudes of students toward the use of advising ePortfolios/Flipped advising tools/strategies? (Qualitative study option)

What is the nature of the relationship between college students’ academic course selections toward degree completion and their advising experience?

What is the effect of flipped advising techniques on incoming cohorts of college students on the development of student agency?

What advising practices are most closely associated with effective advising? (too broad)

How does a personally curated advising ePortfolio improve student preparation for course selections made during advising appointments? (rejected for bias)

How does using advising ePortfolios increase student agency over course selections during course registration advising sessions? (rejected since we don’t know if it will increase agency)

How will using an advising ePortfolio stimulate student agency for/over/in first-year course selections?

How does the use of flipped advising (blended learning) increase student agency in course selections made by first-year college students?

In what ways is student agency impacted by a flipped advising module on degree requirements as evidenced by accurate curricular choices?

In what ways does a flipped advising module on degree planning impact student agency in making curricular choices?

In what ways does a flipped advising module on degree planning facilitate student agency in making curricular choices during the first year of college?

Action Research, ADL Program, Collective, Contributions, Evolution, Growth, Learner's Mindset, Learning, Personal

Plan-Do-Study-Act–ion Research?

The Advisor That Cares

I sincerely cannot accurately outline my learning process. Still, I could post a screenshot of the number of tabs I currently have open with articles, search terms, and related content as I wrap my head around the process of Action Research. I would like to share some interesting findings about one of these search trails in hopes of returning to it or having it be helpful to another.

I found this webinar and related resources in my search for literature on “student agency,” may it be useful to you.

Maximizing Student Agency
Implementing and Measuring
Student-Centered Learning Practices

https://www.air.org/sites/default/files/2021-06/Maximizing-Student-Agency-NICs-Report-Oct-2018.pdf: Plan-Do-Study-Act–ion Research?

As you will see, the Plan-Do-Study-Act cycles outlined in this framework, sound just like the phases of action research we are currently working through in the ADL program.

Maximizing Student Agency
Implementing and Measuring
Student-Centered Learning Practices
TECHNICAL APPENDIX

https://www.air.org/sites/default/files/2021-06/Maximizing-Student-Agency-NICs-Technical-Appendix-Oct-2018.pdf: Plan-Do-Study-Act–ion Research?

Beginning on page 35, there is an example student survey, and on page 42 an example teacher survey.

Action Research, ADL Program, Learner's Mindset, Learning

AR – Questions

The Advisor That Cares
  • Think of a Problem
  • Pick a topic of deep interest
  • What do you want to know?
  • Formulate a research question
    • How (qualitative) and to what extent (quantitative) does (one variable) influence, change, improve, modify, decrease, choose a verb (another variable)?

Reference

Conexiones: The Learning Sciences Platform. (2019a, July 30). Action research: How to formulate a great research question by Tracey Tokuhama-Espinosa, Ph.D. [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WDUExnUNOZQ