My PhD Saga
This is where I'm going to detail what I've done and what I've been through on this strange and winding road to obtain a PhD.
Deciding to Pursue a PhD
I started the path toward my doctorate somewhat reluctantly. I did not have a clear purpose for pursuing a doctorate or a clear goal in mind at the end of the process. I had a full time job already, and I was rather content at the time to continue along that career path. The doctorate was something to do. It was a way to keep my mind active, and to engage in something new, even if I didn't have a clear vision of why I was doing it. Those aren't bad motivations. They did make it a bit harder, though, once I reached the dissertation stage, at which point personal motivation is the only way to ever get through the process.
Perseverance
There were times when I thoroughly enjoyed the classes and felt completely motivated to finish the process. There were other times when I was ready to say "thanks for the experience, but I'm going to go do something else now," regardless of the fact that I had not yet finished. And, well, I'm still not done. But I'm still working on it, albeit slowly.
Coursework
As I started the coursework, I found that some of the courses were very stimulating. Others less so. The more stimulating ones opened my mind to new areas of thought in politics, education, and world affairs. I became an enthusiastic learner again. My political views are quite different than they were before I started the program. They are more mature, more informed, more reasoned.
Working Full Time While Pursuing a Doctorate
I took classes at Utah State University while working full time at WebAIM, at the Center for Persons with Disabilities at Utah State University. I was able to balance the courses and work most of the time, but there were definitely times when it was difficult or nearly impossible. One semester, when I was feeling particularly ambitious, I over-extended myself and signed up for too many classes. I had to drop two of them in order to survive. I signed up for the courses in a later semester and was able to make it work with my schedule.
During the dissertation stage (which is where I am now), I have been working at George Mason University full time. I started out at the College of Education, then switched to the Law School, and continued to teach in the College of Education as adjunct faculty. Free time has been a bit hard to come by, and, to be honest, when I do have it, I usually want to spend it doing something other than work on a dissertation. But I have been able to find pockets of time here and there.
I enjoy working, and the thought of quitting my job to pursue a degree did not appeal to me completely. For one thing, I enjoy the material comforts that come with a full time salary. That may be the biggest factor. But there is something else about work that appeals to me. Work allows me to do practical things. I can start a project and finish it. I can create things, work with people, and get things done. People count on me to do things, and I do them. School work is more selfish and theoretical. I fully recognize the usefulness of a good theoretical foundation, and even the necessity of selfishly pursuing intellectual pursuits. I wouldn't pursue a doctorate at all if I didn't feel those things were important. Still, there is satisfaction in work that I was reluctant to give up entirely. So I did both, sometimes to the detriment of both, but sometimes to the benefit of both. I'm not sure if I would do it the same way if I had to do it over again, but what's done is done.
The Comprehensive Examinations
The comprehensive exam consisted of writing well documented, research-based responses to questions posed by my committee. The questions were given to me on Friday, and I had to turn in the written responses on Monday. Writing at a doctoral level under a tight deadline proved to be a challenge. I turned in my responses just as the time expired. I spent nearly the entire weekend writing and researching. The committee reviewed my work and asked for further clarifications and revisions, which I had to supply in another tight deadline. My chair asked for additional clarifications before the process was over. I didn't really enjoy the comprehensive exam, I must admit.
My Committee
The members of my committee are:
- Nick Eastmond, Utah State University (Chair)
- Cyndi Rowland, Utah State University
- Deepak Subramony, Utah State University
- Martha Whitaker, Utah State University
- David Wiley, Utah State University
My committee underwent a few different metamorphoses. The first changes came when some members of my committee left Utah State University. I found some replacement committee members at George Mason University that I felt were a good fit. The second set of changes came when I was told — several months later — that all committee members had to be Utah State University faculty. The third major change came when my chair at the time, Martha Whitaker, decided to no longer chair the committee. I asked her to continue as a committee member, which she agreed to do. Fortunately, I was able to persuade Nick Eastmond to chair my committee.
My Dissertation Proposal
The working title of my dissertation is: Disability Access to E-Learning: Applying the "Capabilities Approach" to the Instructional Technology Curriculum. Read my dissertation proposal.
Writing the proposal turned out to be a much more difficult process than I had anticipated. I changed the focus of my dissertation several times as I was writing the proposal, requiring that I essentially start over each time. It was easy to get lost in the literature, and was difficult to condense the literature review into only the most relevant parts for a proposal with a page limit of 30 pages. Designing the research was challenging as well. I wanted to make sure that my research questions were meaningful and that the methods matched the research questions. I think my proposal achieves both, but it is an ambitious research project, as early reviews of my proposal by my committee chair have pointed out. I'm still waiting for the proposal to be approved.
Thank You
Thank you to the people who have contributed generously to my doctoral research fund. I will put the contributions to good use. Do you feel the urge to contribute too? If so the donation link below is for you!