McKinney p26-27 SoTL Project Planning Questions_Aracelie

Posted by on February 7, 2010 
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McKinney p26-27 SoTL Project Planning Questions

Issue, problem, or question. How will veterans transitioning from a wartime military to colleges and universities learn and function in an environment that is less structured and where there is not a clearly defined chain of command?

What do you know about it and ways to study it based on existing literature. I do not know anything about the question through literature or discipline.  I know of my own experiences and those of colleagues by word-of-mouth.

Types of info, artifacts you already have to help answer question. See answer to question #2.

Types of info, artifacts you will need to help answer question. Some of the factors that may shape the answers to my question follow.

    1. Differences in how new non-vets view classroom environments and administrative procedures compared to how a veteran sees them
    2. Home lives (marriages, dependents, etc.) and support systems of individuals
    3. Childhood upbringings and experiences
    4. Work experiences and learning histories (brand new, previous classes online but none on a physical campus, etc.)
    5. How the type (public, private) and size of schools play into servicemembers decisions to attend in the first place and consequently, into the decisions to stay and complete the degree
    6. Military’s role in helping servicemembers with school plans prior to discharge
    7. Where VA fits into process.  How members become aware of the roles and responsibilities of their parent services (Army, Navy, Air Force, Marines)

Research strategies you might use. The VA and higher education institutions can provide existing data.  Education centers on military installations would also be a good source of information.  Interviews with current and prospective students, veterans and non-veterans would provide insight.  Finally, current veterans-focused programs and the staff who run them would be a source of information.

Timeframe. Four full-length semesters.

Possible problems and obstacles. Incomplete data or overwhelming amounts of data might be a problem.  The sources I mentioned may not track the data I would need or in a format that is usable.  There may be privacy issues when dealing with students’ information.  There may be few programs in place that focus on veterans.  There are many offices for counseling on higher education campuses, but how many have actual curriculum-based programs in place?

Ethical issues. I cannot think of any at this time.

Publishing opportunities, chances to receive feedback. The same sources for research strategies – VA offices, higher education institutions, education centers – would all also serve as outlets for the results of the project.

Comments



One Response to “McKinney p26-27 SoTL Project Planning Questions_Aracelie”

  • Darren Cambridge on February 16th, 2010 2:01 pm    

    I really like the analysis of factors that might influence your question here. The next step will be to connect each to particular, concrete forms of evidence that can shed light on them, a significant, but, I hope, welcome challenge.

    You’re also very smart to point to the potential challenge of having more data than you have time to digest. This is frequently a problem with complex, multidimensional research questions like yours, suggesting that you may need to focus it a bit more narrowly over time to ensure your project is feasible.

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