Internship - privilege and responsibility

A new phase has just started this past week. I feel privileged to have been awarded this opportunity to be an intern as part of the Students for Development (SFD) program funded by CIDA (Canadian International Development Agency). From my home university (AKU-IED, EA*) I have traveled to the University of Alberta in Edmonton to spend one term as a visiting exchange student. There are so many people who have made this possible, who have believed in me and the program even when I was not seeing this as a possibility. It is humbling and at the same time makes me realize the responsibility that I owe to my community and society.

When we started our MEd course we were informed that we were part of a very small group of privileged people in our country who could pursue their second degree - if I remember correctly only 1% (or less) of the population  in the East African countries manage to do this. Now two of us out of 31 have been given this added opportunity. It is my desire to use this opportunity well so that I may be in a better position to improve education for the good of the larger community. The metaphor of Mwalimu** Julius Kambarage Nyerere, the first president of Tanzania, who was a great educationist comes to my mind. He compared the responsibility of educated people to a person who had been given all the food left in a starving village to give him/her sustenance in the travel to fetch food for those who remain. Truly, the two of us (Sospeter and I) have traveled very far. We have traveled as representatives of our country and our institute. These resources could have been used in a different way to help the larger community. Entrusting it to us was done in the belief that upon our return, working with others and for others we can be of service to raising the quality of education and ultimately the quality of life for the society. This internship is indeed a privilege and at the same time a  great responsibility!

                     

*Aga Khan University Institute for Educational Development, Eastern Africa
** Swahili for teacher

Field plan

Soon I will be in the field. One thing I realised (after speaking with my supervisor) is that I need a detailed field plan.

Well, naturally I did have a time frame for the proposal and I had even indicated what I will do for the different weeks. However, a detailed field plan includes break-down per day and even the type of data collected and participants. I am a little hesitant in making a detailed plan not because I do not value its importance but because I may get hang up on trying to follow it. At the same time, I am cognizant of the fact that the situation in the field is unpredictable. My design is qualitative case study and so it should be flexible enough to accommodate unexpected and unplanned situations. The question is, "will I be flexible enough?"
I already had to change one detailed field plan due to the delay in going to the field, it will be interesting to look back and see how how the final time log will compare to the proposed field plan. In a way, I have already learnt something about research and myself ... be flexible and open to change, research is going into the unknown!

Getting permits

It is not easy to get ethical clearance and then get the permit to conduct a research. However, it makes sense to have checks and counter-checks in the process. A research has the potential both for doing good as well as harm.  No matter what the research, even if it is not a new drug trial, due diligence is justified. At the same time, being on the waiting side is sometimes tense. Nevertheless, I am glad that other people have gone over my tools and  proposal to check for ethical issues. It is also very clear that gatekeepers starting with the Ministry of Education must give permission. A researcher may be independent in the field but ethics must always guide and bind us! Hopefully, all permits will be obtained soon and then I can proceed to "the field".

Informed consent

Just trying to catch up with all research tools for submission on Monday for the Ethical Review Committee.

One of the things that just struck me is how serious the whole issue of informed consent can be. For instance, it would be so simple to 'gloss' over some of the facts of the research that may make participants think twice before accepting to become part of the study. Should I outline all the lessons that I would observe? Won't it better to say "some" of your lessons? Well, it may seem better but it is definitely not ethical. Somehow, I am starting to see things from the "other side". Yes, there is so much that hangs on this research but that does not allow me to leave out important information, for example the fact that I may require to look at a teachers' lesson plans (if I were a participating teacher I may not be too happy with that).

In essence, informed consent means that the participant is in possession of all pertinent information about the nature of the research study as far as it concerns him or her and still chooses to take part. Wow! That is commendable! At the same time, it also binds me as a researcher to respect the rights of every participant and protect their identity. I suppose one can do research without following all ethical guidelines but the best (even if not the easiest way) is by making sure that all ethical issues are addressed. An important aspect of this is getting informed consent of participants whose participation is voluntary.

Information is power!

Resting on the journey

Just completed my e-portfolio and although I am exhausted, I am also in a reflective mood. It is always good to take stock of what one has done, and this is the first time I have actually put together an e-portfolio. Learning is great, and although my work is not as good as I would have liked (is perfection attainable?) I am humbled at the journey that I was able to make with assistance and encouragement from others. For all those who suggested this learning experience and everyone who has been supporting me, thank you!
I realise that the journey is far from being over, but I need to take time to catch my breath and admire the scenery. In resting, I gain strength and insight for the great adventure that still lies ahead!

Just found the widget above on the website for International Pi day! A cool way of using ICT to promote Pi (and mathematics). At the same time there is an interesting application on another website that finds a string of numbers within Pi. Where is 3112011 (today's date)?  At 6,532,234 digits after the decimal point! Check out your birth date or any other date of interest! Happy Pi Day everyone!

ICT and the 'fun' element

Continuation on my post, as I reflect about Second Life. Many articles discuss the fun element about ICT and hence its attraction to users (especially younger ones). I am not complaining as an 'older' user, I am also glad to take advantage of the fun aspect of using ICT. Enjoyment makes the frustration of figuring out new things (such as teleporting) worthwhile.