Final Draft of My Literature Review for IDT 8092

NOTE: Originally, I had posted the paper here but have decided to take it off the blog and from the Google Drive. However, I have left a list of the references section in case it can be of assistance to others. 

Thanks!

Open Badges for Self-Directed Teacher Professional Development: A Review of Literature

Wanda Terral

Dr. Carmen Weaver

IDT 8092, Summer 2015

The University of Memphis

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References

Abramovich, S., Schunn, C., & Higashi, R. M. (2013). Are badges useful in education?: It depends upon the type of badge and expertise of learner. Educational Technology Research and Development, 61, 217-232.

Ahn, J., Pellicone, A., & Butler, B. S. (2014). Open badges for education: What are the implications at the intersection of open systems and badging?. Research in Learning Technology, 22(2014). doi:10.3402/rlt.v22.23563

Antin, J., & Churchill, E. F. (2011). Badges in social media: A social psychological perspective. Paper presented at the CHI 2011 Gamification Workshop Proceedings (Vancouver, BC, Canada, 2011).

Avalos, B. (2011). Teacher professional development in teaching and teacher education over ten years. Teaching and Teacher Education, 27(1), 10-20. doi:10.1016/j.tate.2010.08.007

Blazer, C. (2010). Teacher burnout. Information Capsule. 1003. Research Services, Miami-Dade County Public Schools. 1450 NE Second Avenue, Miami, FL 33132.

Borko, H. (2004). Professional development and teacher learning: Mapping the terrain. Educational Researcher, 33(8), 3-15. doi:10.2307/3699979

Brockett, R. G., & Hiemstra, R. (1991). Self-direction in adult learning: Perspectives on theory, research, and practice. New York: Routledge.

Brophy, J. E. (2004). Motivating students to learn (2nd ed.). Mahwah, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum.

Buckingham, J. (2014). Open digital badges for the uninitiated. The Electronic Journal for English as a Second Language, 18(1), 1-11.

Candy, P. C. (1991). Self-direction for lifelong learning: A comprehensive guide to theory and practice. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.

Cazan, A. M., & Schiopca, B. A. (2014). Self-directed learning, personality traits and academic achievement. Procedia - Social and Behavioral Sciences, 127(0), 640-644. doi:http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.sbspro.2014.03.327

Confessore, S. J., & Cops, W. J. (1998). Self-directed learning and the learning organization: Examining the connection between the individual and the learning environment. Human Resource Development Quarterly, 9(4), 365-375.

Dabbagh, N., & Kitsantas, A. (2012). Personal learning environments, social media, and self­regulated learning: A natural formula for connecting formal and informal learning. Social Media in Higher Education, 15(​1), 3­8. doi:10.1016/j.iheduc.2011.06.002

Daily, J. A., & Landis, B. J. (2014). The journey to becoming an adult learner: From dependent to self-directed learning. Journal of the American College of Cardiology, 64(19), 2066-2068. doi:10.1016/j.jacc.2014.09.023

Davis, K., & Singh, S. (2015). Digital badges in afterschool learning: Documenting the perspectives and experiences of students and educators. Computers & Education, 88, 72-83. doi:10.1016/j.compedu.2015.04.011

Deci, E.L. (1971). Effects of externally mediated rewards on intrinsic motivation. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 18(1), 105­115. Retrieved from http://www.quilageo.com/wp­content/uploads/2013/07/fn103.Deci_.pdf 


Dede, C., Ketelhut, D., Whitehouse, P., Breit, L., & McCloskey, E. (2009). A research agenda for online teacher professional development. Journal of Teacher Education, 60(1), 8-19. doi:10.1177/0022487108327554

Dengerink, J., Lunenberg, M., & Kools, Q. (2015). What and how teacher educators prefer to learn. Journal of Education for Teaching: International Research and Pedagogy, 41(1), 78-96.

Entwistle, N.J. (1981). Styles of learning and teaching. New York: John Wiley & Sons.

Fanfarelli, J., Vie, S., & McDaniel, R. (2015). Understanding digital badges through feedback, reward, and narrative: A multidisciplinary approach to building better badges in social environments. Communication Design Quarterly, 56.

Finkelstein, J., Knight, E., & Manning, S. (2013). The potential and value of using digital badges for adult learners. American Institute for Research. Retrieved from http://lincs.ed.gov/publications/pdf/AIR_Digital_Badge_Report_508.pdf 

Gamrat, C., Zimmerman, H. T., Dudek, J., & Peck, K. (2014). Personalized workplace learning: An exploratory study on digital badging within a teacher professional development program. British Journal of Educational Technology, 45(6), 1136­1148. doi:10.1111/bjet.12200 


Gibson, D., Ostashewski, N., Flintoff, K., Grant, S., & Knight, E. (2013). Digital badges in education. Education and Information Technologies, 20(2), 403-410.

Grant, S. (2014). Badges: Show what you know. Young Adult Library Services, 12(2), 28-32.

Halavais, A. M. C. (2011). A genealogy of badges: Inherited meaning and monstrous moral hybrids. Information, Communication & Society, 15(3), 354–373. doi:10.1080/1369118X.2011.641992

Hickey, D. T., Itow, R., Schenke, K., Tran, C., Otto, N., & Chow, C. (2014). Badges design principles documentation project: January interim report. Indiana University. Retrieved from http://dpdproject.info/files/2014/05/DPD-interim-report-v4-january.pdf

 Hickey, D. T., & Willis III, J. E. (2015). Research designs for studying individual and collaborative learning with digital badges. Paper presented at the Open Badges in Education (OBIE 2015), Poughkeepsie, New York, USA.

Hiemstra, R. (1994). Self­directed learning. The sourcebook for self­directed learning, 9­20. 


Higashi, R., Abramovich, S., Shoop, R., & Schunn, C. (2012). The roles of badges in the computer science student network. Paper presented at the Games, Learning, & Society Conference, June 2012, Madison, WI.

Hiltz, V. (2015). S​elf­directed learning: An approach to teacher technology professional development.​ Paper presented at the Society for Information Technology & Teacher Education International Conference 2015, Las Vegas, NV, United States. Retrieved from http://www.editlib.org/p/150446.

Itow, R. C., & Hickey, D. T. (2014). Considering the implications of assessment design for learning in digital badge systems. Paper presented at the 2014 annual meeting of the American Educational Research Association. Retrieved 6/7/2015, from the AERA Online Paper Repository.

Janzow, P. (2014). Connecting learning to jobs through digital badges. Catalyst (21519390), 42(2), 9­11. 


Jones, W. M., & Dexter, S. (2014). How teachers learn: The roles of formal, informal, and independent learning. Educational Technology Research and Development, 62(3), 367­384.

Khaddage, F., Baker, R., & Knezek, G. (2012). If not now! When? A mobile badge reward system for K-12 teachers. Paper presented at the Society for Information Technology & Teacher Education International Conference 2012, Austin, TX.

Kim, M., Jung, E., Altuwaijri, A., Wang, Y., & Bonk, C. (2014). Analyzing the human learning and development potential of websites available for informal learning. International Journal of Self-Directed Learning, 11(1).

Knowles, M. S. (1975). Self-directed learning: A guide for learners and teachers. New York: Association Press.

Knowles, M. S. (1980). The modern practice of adult education: Andragogy versus pedagogy. New York: Association Press.

Merriam, S. B. (2001). Andragogy and self-directed learning: Pillars of adult learning theory. New Directions for Adult & Continuing Education, 89(Spring 2001), 3-13. doi:10.1002/ace.3

McIlvenny, L. (2015). Open Badges - glorified award stickers or valuable learning credentials. ACCESS, 29(1), 30-40.

Mushayikwa, E., & Lubben, F. (2009). Self-directed professional development – Hope for teachers working in deprived environments? Teaching and Teacher Education, 25(3), 375-382. doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.tate.2008.12.003

Nakata, Y. (2014). Self­regulation: Why is it important for promoting learner autonomy in the school context?. Studies in Self-Access Learning Journal, 5(​4), 342­356.

Neubauer, B. J., Hug, R. W., Hamon, K. W., & Stewart, S. K. (2011). Using personal learning networks to leverage communities of practice in public affairs education. Journal of Public Affairs Education, 17(1), 9-25.

No Child Left Behind Act of 2001. Public Law 107-110. 107th Congress (2001). Retrieved from http://www2.ed.gov/policy/elsec/leg/esea02/107-110.pdf

O'Byrne, W. I., Schenke, K., Willis III, J. E., & Hickey, D. T. (2015). Digital badges: Recognizing, assessing, and motivating learners in and out of school contexts. Journal of Adolescent & Adult Literacy, 58(6), 451-454. doi:10.1002/jaal.381

Riconscente, M. M., Kamarainen, A., & Honey, M. (2013). STEM badges: Current terrain and the road ahead. New York: New York Hall of Science. Retrieved from New York Hall of Science website: https://badgesnysci.files.wordpress.com/2013/08/nsf_stembadges_final_report.pdf

Siminică, M., & Traistaru, A. (2013). Self-directed learning in economic education. International Journal of Education and Research, 1, 12.

Song, D., & Lee, J. (2014). Has web 2.0 revitalized informal learning? The relationship between web 2.0 and informal learning. Journal of Computer Assisted Learning, 30(6), 511-533.

U.S. Department of Education. (2009). Race to the top program executive summary (Rep.). Washington, DC: US Department of Education. Retrieved from http://www2.ed.gov/programs/racetothetop/executive-summary.pdf

Zellner, A. (2015). 21st century rewards: A case study of Khan Academy and digital badges from an educational psychology perspective. Paper presented at the Society for Information Technology & Teacher Education International Conference 2015, Las Vegas, NV, United States. http://www.editlib.org/p/150260

Zichermann, G., & Cunningham, C. (2011). Game mechanics: Designing for engagement (part II) Gamification by design: Implementing game mechanics in web and mobile apps (pp. 55-59). Sebastopol, CA: O'Reilly Media.

Done

What a journey this month has been! I can say that my literature review (at least for the purposes of IDT 8092) is done. It is far from perfect and is likely to undergo massive dissection and modification over the next year but that is to be expected. In a short five weeks I have read probably well over 100 academic journal articles about self-directed learning, open badges, adult learning, and teacher professional development. I most certainly have a clearer understanding of the existing body of literature on my topics but know that I have a long way to go before I can call myself an expert. I have gained more experience in writing in an academic voice but also have a long way to go before I would ever consider submitting anything for publication. I feel I have turned a bit of a corner when it comes to APA style. With my final draft, I only felt the need to consult the guide a couple of times. However, it will remain by my side until my defense is completed.

My favorite part of this past week was getting a chance to meet face to face with Dr. Weaver. We discussed my review and what needed to be accomplished for the final draft but, more than that, we discussed the degree program as a whole and my past year in it. I have a great advisor in Dr. Mims but I have known Dr. Weaver for much longer (we used to teach at Millington Central High School together) and I had forgotten how much I missed just bouncing ideas off of her. This class was a nightmare, yes, but she was by our side the entire time, cheering us on, keeping us on track, and even giving us a few good laughs along the way.

I do hope that, in the future, this course is not again squeezed into five weeks. Even seven weeks would have been better but a full semester would have been incredible. It was nearly impossible to reach the point of synthesis in my writing without having had the time to synthesize in my own mind everything I read. Of course, who is to say that I would have done any better in a longer class.

I do suggest, for those of you first year doc students who may be reading this (or those of you considering enter the doc program at UM), start reading and annotating now! Seriously. Even if you only have a cursory idea of possible areas of research, read everything you can get your hands on but especially peer reviewed journal articles. And, most importantly, start annotating. Even if it is just taking notes and summarizing. It will get you started and will help you tremendously later on.

It is hard to wrap my mind around the fact that, this time next summer, my cohort will be basically done with all of our coursework and we will be preparing for our comprehensive exams. Then the focus will be on the all important dissertation. Between now and then, I will continue to read and read and read although with a renewed focus and fervor.

I will continue blogging here as I continue my doctoral journey so, until next time...

Learned v. Learning

I really do like learning new things, especially things that I am interested in learning about. Knowing something new that I can put to use and share with others gives me a sense of purpose. I am also a supporter of the concept of learning through failure. Many times I have been working on a block of code or practicing a section of music and felt like I was hitting my head on a brick wall but I persisted and eventually made my way over the hump to some semblance of success.

This week I was definitely reminded of how painful learning can be. Have I learned this week? I have indeed. The process of peer reviewing was extremely helpful and I am wishing that we had done more of that prior to this point even if it had been with anonymous drafts from previous years. I think comparing a peer review we completed to one done by a professor with significantly more expertise in this area would be a valuable educational experience. We did a peer review in a previous course of the program but that was before really understanding what a literature review entailed. I'm not sure if that could be worked in to future instances of this course (probably not if it is kept as a four-week course) but I thought I would throw that idea into the mix.

I try to remember that while learning can (and probably should) be painful, the end result is worth it even if the final product is imperfect and incomplete. I shared one of my favorite videos in our Google+ community this week. I have seen it shared at many conferences but it never spoke to me like it did this past week. 

Austin's Butterfly:

My literature review has evolved from a collection of disparate thoughts to a sketch of an outline to a more developed outline supported by an incomplete annotated bibliography to being supported by a more complete annotated bibliography to an actual first draft (very, very rough and very, very incomplete) to a second draft (still rough and incomplete but with a little more clarity in structure) to the third draft in which I am currently swimming. I have gone from that initial drawing of a butterfly to one that at least resembles an actual butterfly. It's still not pretty. It's certainly not anywhere near ready for inclusion in a dissertation but it has begun and is likely to continue to evolve until I submit the dissertation for review. 
To any future UM IDT students, all I can say keep trying. It will be painful. There is no way around it. Avoid any procrastination. Start reading academic research about topics of interest NOW, even if you aren't in the program yet. You may even want to start keep some notes for a future annotated bibliography. Starting now will give you the freedom to absorb and digest the concepts and give you time to let the ideas marinate in your mind. Synthesis is so much easier and far less painful when it is allowed to proceed at natural pace rather than forcing it into a short course timetable. 
Off I go to continue writing. I am comforted by knowing by this time next week, the next draft will be completed and turned in and this course over. However, the journey continues as will this blog. I intend to continue to use this to document my journey through the program. 

Progress Not Perfection

I have discovered the way to overcome crippling perfectionism - the lit review.

The process of doing a literature review would normally be rather enjoyable: reading everything you can about a topic; total immersion; develop your own spin on the material. I cannot say that the last couple of weeks have been enjoyable. They haven't. They have been quite stressful but I, and my fellow doctoral students, have kept trudging ahead, one painful step at a time. We have stumbled and skinned a few knees along the way. I, for one, have consumed countless Tums and used up several bottles of lubricant eye drops. But, and what matters the most, I have learned. I have learned how much I didn't know and while it is comforting to know that I am growing and gaining expertise, the catastrophizer in me wonders what I still don't know and, if I don't find THAT article, will I look like a fool when writing my dissertation.

I must keep reminding myself that growth is painful. If I am making progress (even when that involves some steps backward), I'm doing ok.

This week I continued reading, finding new articles, and annotating. The outline for my Review of Literature was well-received and I was grateful for the reminder that it will change. As I write and read and synthesize and ruminate, as I grow, the outline will change. And it has.

Writing is the hardest part for me and forcing the first rough (very rough) draft out of me hasn't been a pretty sight. It is due tonight and it is far from complete. However, I am going to keep making progress, step by step, inch by inch, and seek the goal of progress and not perfection.

I began writing by trying to grab information from my very detailed annotations, plugging them into the outline. It wasn't working for me. I know what I've read and how it has helped me shape my thinking on my topics (i.e. self-directed learning, teacher professional development, and open digital badges). So, I decided to take advice from a friend to put the annotated bibliography aside and just write. Write my take on the literature. I know that what I write is backed up by the literature and I know that I will be able to cite those sources by digging into my notes but, for now, I write. My first draft will not be complete but it will represent progress. Progress, not perfection.

What comes next? No time to rest on my laurels. The second draft is due in three days, peer reviews are due in one week, and the final version (final version for this class, not the dissertation) is due in 11 days. Luckily, my schedule is not as full for the next 9 days so this can get a good bit of my attention when I'm not at work. I fear those final two days because on July 1st I drive to Louisiana to visit family and July 2nd I will be IN Louisiana. However, I do look forward to turning in that final assignment on July 2nd, having this course in the "DONE" column. That will make Independence Day weekend feel even more free.

Dribbling the Ball

This week has been rough. I wish I had known several months ago what this course entailed. I knew that when the lit review arrived it would be intense but if I had realized that this past 2 weeks involved acquiring, digesting, and annotating 60 peer-reviewed journal articles, I would not have committed to presenting at a two-day conference this past week. Add in a day driving up (to outside of Chicago) and a day driving back and it's not surprising I am waaaay behind on completing my annotated bibliography. 

I worked on my annotated bibliography ever spare minute I had. Honestly, you can ask my friends who attended the conference with me. One friend drove most of the way to and from so I could be reading and annotating with all my stuff spread out in the back seat typing into my offline Google Docs. Each day the conference started at 8ish and I was up at 3:30 am sitting in the hotel lobby reading and annotating so as to not wake up my friends. Still, I dropped the ball and am highly disappointed in myself.

I say dropped the ball, and I did, but I'm not letting it sit there on the ground. I am trying to dribble it. Keeping my ever-so-slow progress continuing. Even though I will be turning this assignment in late, I have started working on the next part, reworking my outline and planning my approach to the meat of the lit review.

I have read some really good articles that have helped me to gain much increased knowledge and understanding of research that has been done and ways my research can fit into the body of work regarding self-directed learning, teacher professional development, and digital badges. 

Unfortunately, I have a busy week ahead at work, a conference up in Milan, TN on Tuesday, and the UM EdTech Showcase on Thursday morning. There are just not enough hours in the day. Well, I guess there are. It is just that I have filled them up too much. 

As I have been annotating, I still think I am doing too much summary and not enough synthesizing. I am trying to do better. I think that as I gain more expertise in these areas, the synthesis process will become more natural. I just have to keep plugging away at it, even though it is not pretty. 

My next steps? Well, I have to "get 'er done" for one thing. I had printed out a number of articles before I left on my trip and have set about half of them aside because I don't think they are what I need any longer. The other half are still applicable and are sitting beside me as I write this, calling my name. I haven't had a chance to really dig into the "further reading" sections of my annotated bibliography work. There are probably another 100+ (probably more). articles / books / papers listed there that I expect to read before the whole dissertation process is over. While the research on digital badges is still limited, there is some incredible work going on out there. I plan to connect with the names I keep seeing pop up in my research and have already spotted a few conferences / symposia on these topics I would like to attend. 

So, for now, I keep dribbling. 

My Bucket Overflows

After many consecutive days of reading journal articles for my literature review, I feel like I can hold no more. My feelings of inadequacy are at an all time high and, while I enjoy learning about what I am reading, what is causing me so much anxiety and stress is my inability to read and comprehend more quickly.

It doesn't help that I suffer from dry eye and that makes extended reading sessions quite painful even with plenty of Refresh Optive handy. I have begun printing out the articles in hopes that not staring at the computer screen may help (it doesn't). I often close my eyes while I am reading which I can do because I often use the text-to-speech feature on my Mac to read PDFs aloud to me (when the PDFs aren't made of scanned pages that don't convert well with OCR).

I love reading but what I think is ADD makes it very difficult for me to stay focused as I do it. I frequently have to re-read (or re-listen) to passages and, sometimes, full articles. When you have to have 60 annotated references in less than three weeks, that kind of limitation makes for a pretty miserable time. I long for the day when I can again read without a deadline looming.

However, I do want to add that my professors are incredibly helpful and understanding of the pressures. It is part of their job to push us as well as provide us guidance and support along the way. And they do!

On another note, my guiding inquiries have morphed a few times since my last blog post in an effort to lay a solid, literature-based argument for my research. Here they are:

1. What are some of the current self-directed learning approaches in use in education?
2. What is the current state of the use of digital badges / micro-credentials in education?
3. What is the rationale for using digital badges / micro-credentials in professional development?
4. What are some of the benefits and barriers related to use of digital badges / micro-credentials in professional development?

Now, if you are considering working on your doctorate, especially in IDT at UM, I don't want to completely freak you out. I am finding it challenging and thought-provoking. Everything in life has pros and cons. I just wish I could speed read and remember everything I read like Dr. Spencer Reid on Criminal Minds!

Annotating Marathon

This week I feel like I have been drowning in journal articles. The first round of annotations for my annotated bibliography are due on Sunday. Yes, I had 22 in my IDT 8100 Annotated Bibliography but many just don't seem to address my Guiding Inquires.

My Guiding Inquiries (research questions) currently are:

1. What are some of the current autonomous learning approaches being used in teacher professional development?
2. What is the current state of the use of digital badges in teacher professional development?
3. What is the rationale for using digital badges in teacher professional development?
4. What are some of the benefits and barriers related to use of digital badges in teacher professional development?

I have no doubt that I will be turning in each assignment on time (at least, I hope I will) but I expect that I will age many years in the next 10 days. In 10 days the third and final set of annotations is do with a minimum of 60 references. The fact that I am working full time this summer and am attending/presenting at a conference next week only exacerbates my stress level. 

I am, however, grateful for the structure of the course and the degree program. There is no room for slacking and the professors are so incredibly helpful and understanding. They know their students well and are helping us make our way through the process. I just have to keep persevering and use every spare minute. It will be worth it!

I love reading the journal articles, particularly if the PDF is made of text and not an image so I can have my computer read the text aloud. One of my biggest challenges comes in becoming easily distracted when reading PDFs on my computer or tablet. Yesterday I made the decision to go ahead and print out hard copies. I am hoping that will help me along in the process more efficiently. It did last night. I notated on my paper copies as my computer read aloud. I feel like that work flow is going to be a better fit for me. 

I came across an article that gave me some great insights into self-regulated learning as it relates to autonomous learning, not only for students but in regards to the role the teacher plays in the process. I expect to revisit this one many times. 

Nakata, Y. (2014). Self-regulation: Why is it important for promoting learner autonomy in the school context? Studies in Self-Access Learning Journal, 5(4), 342- 356. http://sisaljournal.org/archives/dec14/nakata 

I will be continuing to tweak my work flow as it related to researching in an effort to fine-tune my learning environment. Now, if only my cats would cooperate!

Image Source: http://www.clipartbest.com/clipart-jTxpX58TE 

Graphic Organizer: Literature Review

Learning about literature reviews, I utilized these resources provided by Dr. Weaver:

• http://libguides.usc.edu/writingguide/literaturereview 
• https://goo.gl/k5CPND
• http://www.lib.ncsu.edu/tutorials/litreview

To help clarify my understanding of literature reviews, I have used Cacoo to create a graphic organizer. Click on the image below to view the Cacoo page.

I have certainly gained a better understanding of the structure and process of a literature review. I wish that I had known all of this when I wrote a literature review in my first semester in the program last Fall.

I believe that one of my biggest challenges will be keeping my own opinions out of the paper. I know that this portion of my dissertation is all about the literature and, while I must synthesize what I have read, it is not time for me to make judgements. I must limit myself to the content of the works and their connections (or lack thereof) to each other and the topic I've selected.

Another challenge I anticipate will be the management of notes. My tendency is to hang on to a resource and make it fit the topic rather than keeping an impartial view of the material and let it go if it doesn't apply. You see, my interests are varied and so I like to keep reading articles if they are interesting whether they relate to the topic of the paper or not. If I am to remain sane through these next two years, that must change!

FYI - I have recently chosen EndNote as my reference manager and am gaining a greater level of comfort with the program daily.

The Birth of a Journal

This reflective online journal will be used, for now, as a part of my work for the course IDT 8092 at The University of Memphis. Posts will utilize Peter Pappas's Taxonomy of Reflection, particularly the Reflective Student.

Peter Pappas's The Reflective Student: A Taxonomy of Reflection