Excuses found: "premature definition of variables"

Currently reading:

MURPHY E., DINGWALL R., GREATBATCH D., PARKER S., WATSON P. (1999). Qualitative research methods in health technology assessment: a review of the literature. Health Technology Assessment. 2(16), p.84.

http://www.journalslibrary.nihr.ac.uk/__data/assets/pdf_file/0008/64826/FullReport-hta2160.pdf

Marshall (1985) presented the flexibility of qualitative research as one of its strengths. She argued that, in qualitative research, the researcher does not assume that (s)he knows, at the outset, the exact nature of the research question. Rather, qualitative research offers the opportunity of discovery. In fact, researchers vary considerably in the extent to which they formulate the precise nature of the research question in advance of the study. Most seek to avoid what Silverman (1993) referred to as “premature definition of variables”.

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Ah, so this is what I've doing!

Yes, but for how long with h2cm, with Drupal...?

1997... 2007...  and counting... :-)

Book: The Empathy Exams & Michel Serres Institute

individual
INTERPERSONAL : SCIENCES
humanistic ------------------------------------------- mechanistic
SOCIOLOGY : POLITICAL

group

	The Natural Sciences
Local, Society & Socio-	-Economic

As recent posts reveal I'm overwhelmed with reading at present. Material that is essential for the TEL course and reading more tangential and yet potentially enjoyable titles. It will be a busy summer as all this is brought together(!?). Especially as I've a literature search in mind as a module submission - progress permitting.

The publication of Jamison's book this (N) spring sits well after the findings last year about the benefits of reading fiction in increasing empathy.

Since 2008-2009 I've lost touch with the work of Michel Serres:

Jones, Peter, Exploring Serres’ Atlas, Hodges’ Knowledge Domains and the Fusion of Informatics and Cultural Horizons (Aug 15, 2007). SOCIAL INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY CONNECTING SOCIETY AND CULTURAL ISSUES. Available at SSRN: http://ssrn.com/abstract=1842504 or http://dx.doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.1842504

- having only just found the Institute. I only scratched the surface of Serres' oeuvre in the above paper and must recharge my reflective capacity.

Book cover image: http://www.ew.com/ew/article/0,,20800427,00.html

My source: The Empathy Exams
FT Weekend, June 7-8, 2014.

L-earning a Living with McLuhan

individual
INTERPERSONAL : SCIENCES
humanistic ------------------------------------------- mechanistic
SOCIOLOGY : POLITICAL

group

In 1964, Marshall McLuhan predicted that the future of work would involve -

"learning a living"... .	production
communities of practice	earning a living

Source:
Parchoma, G. (2006). A proposed e-learning policy field for the Academy. International Journal of Teaching and Learning in Higher Education, 18(3), 230-40. (p.232).
Reading for module 2.

Lancaster University studies - residential past week

It's not listed in the sidebar, but by far the most significant h2cm related event I've attended in the almost eight years of Welcome to the QUAD has been the residential week up at Lancaster. I had just 41 miles to travel; fellow students in cohort 7 came from much further afield: UAE, Egypt, German, Japan, Canada, Saudi Arabia, Oman, Singapore and Isle of Man (Yo! there used to be users of h2cm there!) ....

I was late on the first day.

It was 0930 start last Monday, I arrived 1015. There was an accident at Preston on the M6.

It was great to meet people, fellow students and staff that I'd shared online learning tasks with since January. Strange to think - hope! - that we'd all be meeting again in a year. Meeting cohort 6, the group 12 months ahead of us was very informative. Also exciting that the group are considering an extramural residential in other climes: I hope this happens.

The presentations were a great help and included guest speakers - Prof. Charles Crook and Dr Debbie Prescott (cohort 1).

Now I've a research study to complete and Hodges' model is (will be) a key part of this. It's looking like there will be a literature search to follow.

Yesterday 0930 I thought the day was going to be wasted. It wasn't. I settled on Zotero now and it's a boon (at least I hope I don't have to start afresh!). There are other productivity tools to find, select and master into a workflow.

I hope to hear next week about a research conference in September that will further h2cm studies.

The study double bind is always an interesting one, being scared out your pants ... the 60+ mark: but also reassured - "You wouldn't be here if....".

I'd applied before for other programmes (Netherlands and thought about Italy), drafting a proposal and with subsequent efforts amazed at the demonstrated ineptitude. I think there's progress.

At the reception the progression of studies was stressed. The way, if we get beyond part one, we will be learning more and more about less and less.

How does that sit with Hodges' model and all it entails?

• A generic conceptual framework?
• A series of conceptual spaces?
• Is there such a thing as 'holistic bandwidth'?
• Can Hodges' model serve as the universal conceptual framework for health care, nursing and social care?

As the birthday of W2tQ beckons later this month there's no escape. Drupal 8 is going to throttle me soon as the pressure to introduce TEL technology enhanced learning to my studies takes hold.

To-do list and challenges ... 2014

...in no particular order of priority or level of challenge presented...

Graduate study - distance learning, assignments, supervision, residential week
Research question
Role of simulations - games?

Hosting

E-mail address (beyond yahoo and demon)

Video and Audio skills

 Drupal 8 (stable Windows install - Linux)

the Drupal stack (still)
Abandon/transition from this blogging platform to other

Complete and format recovery, recovery model and Hodges' model paper for submission to journal
Prioritise and relate conference attendance and presentations/workshops to post-grad studies
Complete remaining three books for review

focus, focus, focus...

Happy holidays a Healthy and Prosperous New Year to All!

Papers, *actual* post-grad studies and a visit to Brian Hodges

Early last month I posted about planned trips to Sheffield and Lancaster Universities.

On the 4th I visited Paula Procter at Sheffield Hallam University, spending two hours there. Paula and I have known each other through informatics conferences since the late 1980s or early 90s and the British Computer Society Nursing Specialist Group. (Sadly this group and its publications are not as active as they used to be.) I really appreciate Paula's time and her key conclusion that rather than thinking about Hodges' model I need to apply my knowledge and experience with the model and DO something with it. In doing something with the model in a certain community - most likely residential care and nursing homes - I would also have a potential community of users for the new website. This was quite something to hear as I'm at that stage of my career when, shall we say - other possibilities beckon.

In the afternoon I travelled the short distance to meet Brian Hodges at his home. It was great to meet with Brian again and his wife. It was a lovely sunny afternoon as per the welcome and some cake! We reflected on the respective changes over the past five years and current events. Hot-off-the-press of course was my sharing the discussion with Paula and the planned visit to Lancaster University.

We agreed to meet again and not leave it so long next time. Brian has a desire to write again and and a prospective topic in dependence - independence. I hope this is something Brian can do and forward a photo for the (still) promised site. Brian now has copies of the most recent papers and the latest draft on recovery in mental health and the model.

On the Wednesday, after work I drove to Lancaster to discuss their PhD E-Research and Technology Enhanced Learning (thesis and coursework) distance learning.

At the start of last week a reserve place - for January 2015 became an offer of a place next month.

So, as of next month I will make a start. There is a residential week to look forward to at the end of March. Three second hand books from the reading list are ordered. There is a recommended video link too that invites repeat viewing, Etienne Wenger on Communities of Practice:

http://www.239productions.co.uk/wenger/

- and in the Nursing Informatics book I'm reading for review, on page 189 box 11.1 is on the same topic and referenced source Wenger, E..

I predicted quite some time ago about the post count decreasing here ... now I have an excuse and I plan on this including Drupal.