A500.6.3.RB_MedinaM

Quantitative research is different from qualitative research. Quantitative research uses experimental methods and quantitative measures to test hypothetical generalizations. It also seeks causal determination, prediction, and generalization of findings (Hoepfl, 1997). According to Marie Hoepfl, qualitative research uses a naturalistic approach that seeks to understand phenomena in context-specific settings (Hoepfl, 1997). It’s basically a method of research in which results are gathered by other non-statistical process or quantification means. Qualitative research is mainly used to: better understand any phenomenon in which little information is known, gain new perspectives of already known information, and to gain more in-depth information about those difficult contexts (Hoepfl, 1997). This method looks at the important variables of the issue in their respective natural settings. Since qualitative research is about exploring problems, questions, and issues through open-ended questions, the researcher must provide direct quotations of the new discovered information.

A qualitative method involves the analysis of data through interviews, pictures, videos, or artifacts. Such information can be gathered through focus groups, in-depth interviews with the samples, the analysis of unstructured data, audio recordings, and even through the use of the Internet. According to Hoepfl’s findings, the following are some of the descriptions qualitative research has:

·      The researcher must observe, describe, and interpret the natural setting of the source data.

·      Use a human as a data collection instrument. Humans are capable of: responding to environmental cues, interacting with the situation, collecting multiple sources of data simultaneously; processing data, and more

·      Use inductive data analysis

·      The research must be written in a descriptive and expressive language

·      The research must have an interpretive character, discover the meaning of events to the individuals who experience it, and the interpretations of those meanings by the researcher

·      Researchers must pay attention and seek the uniqueness of the case

·      The research must have an emergent design, and the researchers must focus on the emerging process as well as the outcome of the research

·      The qualitative research must be judged through the special criteria of trustworthiness

   Hoepfl, M. (1997). Choosing Qualitative Research: A Primer for   Technology Education Researchers. DLA History - About the Scholarly Communications Project and the Digital Library and Archives, University Libraries, Virginia Tech. Retrieved July 5, 2012, from http://scholar.lib.vt.edu/ejournals/JTE/v9n1/hoepfl.html 

A500.5.3.RB_MedinaM

My critical thinking abilities have changed for the better throughout this course. Being able to understand what critical thinking is and how to accomplish it has begun to lead me to success in my personal, and professional life. As of right now, I feel like I can express or question things more in depth than before. Learning about the 8 elements of reasoning has helped me understand far more simple and complex subjects in detail. The 8 elements of reasoning have showed me how to break down the subject or topic into more specific questions making it easier to understand what is being asked of me. This has also allowed me to gather more information and details about the subject or topic at hand. For example, for these assignments I have now begun to break down each question in order to comprehend its purpose. Some of the questions I begin with are: What is the purpose of this assignment? What do I need to comprehend, learn, and accomplish? What information do I have or need in order to complete this assignment? Compared to the past, where I would just do the assignment and not worry about whether I truly comprehend it or understand its purpose.

Being able to understand and comprehend what critical thinking is and how to accomplish it through: the 8 elements of reasoning, SEE-I, the difference between claims and facts, the analyzing of a piece of reasoning, the concept of logic, fundamental and powerful concepts, discipline, point of views, and the standards of reasoning has led me to far more success in my class assignments that I have ever had during my bachelor studies. This deeper need to understand, to self-reflect, be aware of my fallacies and of those committing them around me, and be able to reason out certain ideas or concepts has allowed to find logic and comprehension to certain decisions managers have made or make each day. In order for me to make lasting and positive changes of my way of thinking, I need to continue exploring my weaknesses or faulty reasoning’s in order to begin understanding them and begin turning them into strength or something positive. I will also need to continue practicing all the steps of critical thinking, whether it’s through questioning a topic, understanding each detail or just following the 8 elements of reasoning, preferably all of the above. I’m sure that learning about critical thinking and understanding it will continue to lead me to success in both my personal and professional life.

A500.4.3.RB_MedinaM

According to Dr. Sheena Iyengar’s TED video on the art of choosing, she assumes that Americans believe the following when it comes to making choices:

1)    Make your own choices,

2)    More options leads to better choices, and

3)    Never say no to choice

On Dr. Iyengar first assumption, it seems to be used as one person being true to himself or herself, which I agree. Why wouldn’t we make our choice or decision if the outcome directly affects us? In my point of view, if I’m expecting a certain outcome then I must be the one to make the choice. I don’t feel comfortable giving someone the responsibility of making the choice for me because the outcome might turn out to be different than expected. What if the outcome turns out to be the complete opposite of my expectations? Would I be able to fix it? There are too many uncertainties and possibilities of outcomes of our decisions when someone else makes them. To me personally, it’s a sense of having control of the future or of the expected outcome. I can’t control the little bumps I might encounter in the way if someone else has taken charge. That person’s point of view might not be the same as mine. For example, a vegetarian person would go to the supermarket and make their own decision of what to buy according to his or her own eating habits. But a vegetarian person cannot expect someone else to know what his or her eating habits are even when it has been explained to them. Why? Well, because we all have our own ways of doing things, of why we do things, and we all like them to be done a certain way. Maybe the vegetarian person only buys certain brand name products because he or she knows they are made specifically for vegetarians.

Dr. Iyengar second assumption is not one that I completely agree with. In my point of view, the more choices we have to choose from the more the complicated the decision of choosing becomes. Why? People get overwhelmed on the types or varieties that one product has. Some products have better quality; others are made for the price conscious consumer, while others have more choices or options within them. For example, when I go to Wal-Mart, I honestly choose the brands that my parents have bought for me in the past. I once stood in one aisle for over 30mins trying to decide which brand and what type of make-up would look best on me. For me there were too many choices, too many similar colors that I just couldn’t decide what was best for me. Therefore, I don’t think that always having more options results on a better choice, at least not for certain things such as make-up.

The third assumption made by Dr. Iyengar is one that I personally agree with. As she states in the TED video, it goes against everything that we have been thought growing up. It goes against everything we believe in, and even against our fundamental principles. How can we be true to ourselves and become our own person or individual if we are not given the choice to choose freely? From the time that we are born we are given choices, such as either we behave or we continue on “time-out”. The simple notion of being given choices allows us to shape who we are and who we want to be. For example, in the past parents wanted their child to become either a lawyer or doctor. Now in the modern world, parents have allowed their children to choose what they want to study and what they want to do when they grow up. In your opinion, would we be as successful as we are today if we had told our parents to choose our future for us because we said no to having choices? Would it have been the correct future or choice for us?

A500.3.4.RB_MedinaM

The Jack R. Hunt Library – Worldwide site consists of many different scholarly informational sources of any topic. It’s just like the city library but online. This online library, made for ERAU Worldwide students, allows students from anywhere around the world to find scholarly articles or books at any given time of day. Any searched information can be found in 6 different forms. It can vary from books with hard covers, to full text resources to even DVDs and videos. If by any chance the searched information isn’t available or found, there’s an “Ask a librarian” help area located at the right side of the main page. The “Ask a librarian” area allows students to call, chat or send an email to the worldwide librarians asking for the unavailable information. Typically, librarians respond within 48 business hours with at least 5 different sources of the asked information. On the main page, students can also recommend websites, articles, or any new material to be available in the library. They can also access websites recommended by the librarians. For example, they can find links about any subject such as Aviation, Engineering, Business and so on. The Hunt library also allows students to request and borrow information from other libraries.

When using websites, such as Google or Bing, to find research on broad topics, too many results come up with just the searched term in them. Google can be very handy for certain quick need-to-know information that might not necessarily be needed for creditability purposes. Unfortunately for students, many of these articles or websites shown as results are not creditable websites or peer-reviewed articles for proper research. For example, when I search the word leadership on Google, I find a variety of results. These results vary from the definition of the word, to quotes, to even magazines with articles containing the word leadership. Websites such as Wikipedia containing “everything” about the term leadership come up. Some students use this site for research purposes, when in reality non-experts of the subject have posted the information. Some users of Wikipedia also manipulate the information for their own purposes. When I search leadership in the Hunt Library, I find many peer-reviewed articles on leadership and even about the different leadership styles studied. Therefore, it is always best to use creditable websites, such as the Hunt library, to find creditable, peer-reviewed information on the topic of research.

As a graduate student of the Masters of Science in Leadership program, I will find the Jack R. Hunt Library – Worldwide to be very useful towards my studies. This library is full of ready to use scholarly information available at any time. It saves the students time and a trip to the local library to find articles and books that in the past have already been researched and reviewed. All of the articles and books found through this library are creditable, and peer-reviewed information made for students by experts. Therefore, throughout my studies I will be taking advantage of the Hunt library sources to find creditable sources for my research. A library always beats Google on creditability on any topic any day!