The Learning, Design, and Technology doctorate program at the University of Georgia has exceeded my expectations.  I was not familiar with my own specific research interests before I applied to the program.  I knew that I was interested in learning engagement and innovative uses of technology. A pronounced strength of the program is its interdisciplinary nature, where students from different branches of knowledge are given the opportunity to collaborate and communicate with each other.  While many other programs have a very specific path for students to follow, the LDT program gives its students more ownership to follow individual research interests.  The vast range of topics include gaming theory, creative uses of technology, higher education reform, K-12 reform, and developing online environments, to name a few.  I will further elaborate on the strengths of the program, which include faculty mentorship and program structure.  Following that, I have listed my suggestions for improving the program.  





​Faculty Mentorship


The faculty in the LDT program has been welcoming in letting me elaborate on my interests.  They have challenged the areas of my ideas that need refinement, and suggested not only supplemental readings, but also different solutions to addressing my concerns. 



My meetings with my adviser, Dr. TJ Kopcha, have been the most meaningful time in the program. He has mentored me in developing my interests, and set time aside to listen to my ramblings.  I’m learning that, often times, graduate students just need to talk things out.  While I knew what my interests, were, I really did not know how to develop them.  Dr. Kopcha helped me organize a flurry of ideas into a more cohesive structure.  We share a common background in teaching mathematics, which has helped to frame much of our discussion.  Also, we both have an interest in introducing student-centered strategies into the classroom.  With Dr. Kopcha’s advisement, we wrote a proposal for AECT.  Also, he has helped me in my graduate assistantship, by offering unique solutions to schools throughout the state.  In fact, he has accompanied me on some road trips to these remote areas, which shows his dedication to my development. 



Meetings with Dr. Kim and Dr. Deissler have also been beneficial in forming my research interests.  Both were very patient while they let me bounce around various ideas.  In fact, Dr. Kim has helped me write a rough draft of a literature review related to my research interests.  Before I began the literature review course, I was still unclear on what I desired to research.  Dr. Kim gave me several ideas to read about, and practical advice about organization, discipline, and writing. 

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The LDT faculty strives to create an authentic community within the program.  For example, when a faculty member or graduate student has a need, he or she will immediately post it on our shared email group.  Within a very short time, there is an influx of emails offering help and suggestions.  People do not feel alone in this program, which echoes the tireless work that the staff and students contribute. 





​Program Structure


The structure of the program exemplifies the freedom that is given to students as they are pursuing the doctorate degree.  Instead of demanding each student to take an unneeded set of prerequisite courses, the path to the doctorate degree is adaptable.  Students can take classes pertaining to topics such as gaming, web development, or learning engagement.  A critical component of the structure, however, is the EDIT 8990 seminar course, which allows first and second year students to learn about the more complex details of major milestones, professional development, and life in academia.  The seminar helps students to forge an authentic community of peers. 

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Suggestions



​Research Opportunities: As my first year comes to a close, I would have preferred to have collaborated on more research opportunities with the staff.  While it’s difficult to consistently have available opportunities for graduate students, being involved in a study would have helped me to understanding some of the finer details in research.  Also, since the program averages only four to five years, development of graduate students in their first year is critically important.  The help could be major, like contributing to the methodology and data interpretation, or minor, like gathering data and working through logistics.  In either case, greater exposure to research studies would help graduate students develop their skills. 



​K-12 Connections: I believe that there can be a greater K-12 influence in the LDT program.  While all the incoming graduate students are not focusing on K-12, I have struggled to identify and collaborate with my peers who have similar interests.  One suggestion is to have solidified relationships with neighboring schools, so that graduate students can offer help, and perform research.  If relationships form between the LDT program and K-12 schools, the graduate students would get increased exposure to the possibilities of our research.  Also, the graduate students would be meeting a need in the school by offering help and support.  Furthermore, I would suggest that our program offer more courses that relate to K-12 teaching and learning.  The courses that I have taken in the program have allowed me to individually choose K-12 as my focus area, but I would appreciate being in an EDIT course that was specifically catered to addressing the flaws of our school system. ​



​Professional Mentorship: I would have preferred more meetings to talk about the demands of life in academia, and professional development.  Since I do not have a background in research, the idea of giving a presentation at a conference is extremely intimidating.  Also, I did not have a clear sense of making a poster for a presentation.  I had very little expertise on developing a paper, publishing in a journal, or reviewing literature.  I would have preferred more guidance with these tasks.  My suggestion would be to have more mock conference presentations, where students can prepare their work.  Also, I would like for the LDT program to host its own conference, and invite graduate students and faculty in local colleges to present information that relates to our field.  This would not only be a resume builder for graduate students, but also give them experience in conference settings.​













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