ANSWER EACH OF THE FOLLOWING QUESTIONS. MUST BE 200 WORDS (PLEASE), WRITE IN 3RD PERSON. ONLY ONE REFERENCE CAN BE USED FOR EACH ANSWER.

DQ1

Berman and Hassell (2014) define the Doctoral Community Network (DC) as a learner driven, scholarly community designed to help online doctoral learners successfully complete their dissertation and program of study. The DC provides a comprehensive catalog of support services to guide and assist new researchers as they learn the process, terminology, tools, and norms to become independent scholars, capable of producing high-quality research.

My goal is to use this network to get through the dissertation process using this site. While on this network, I viewed some of the discussion links about the program and the positives and the negatives; located the directions to where the dissertations were located; and found the templates and forms that can be used throughout the dissertation process.

I will use the templates and the forum to answer any questions. My goal is to follow the attached template to stay on track. This program is different, there are classes and there is dissertation preparation all going on at the same time. It is easy to get caught up in the class work and not focus as much on the dissertation process. It takes balance of all activities while going through this process. My plan is to prepare for my first residency. The material for that is located on this site. After which I plan to work forward, using the templates and documents stored in this area. The tools that are needed are located on the site but you have to dig to find some of them. It is good to visit this site on at least a weekly basis.

The resources provided are a great asset. If someone shares ambiguous, incorrect or erroneous information, this would be an ethical issue. The site is very useful resource for all students in the program and to purposely misguide students would be a travesty.

Berman, R. and Hassell, D. (2014). Digital native and digital immigrant use of scholarly network for doctoral learners. Journal of Educators Online, 11(1).

DQ2

When I began my journey to obtain my doctorate, I researched several programs that would allow for flexibility for my involvement with my family and tending to professional duties. As concluded by Lassitter (2009) online programs retain students when quality facilitation is present and the instructor provides swift responses both in the discussion forum and in the gradebook. I had never taken an online course, and I was adamant that I attend a program that attempted to meet my desire to engage in the learning by allowing for academic interaction with my peers and instructors. Through scholarly discussions held in the discussion forums assist in addressing academic content which has prompted me to further synthesize my position and provide research that supports my assertions. As I continue my journey I look forward to being able to interact with peers outside of my doctoral area of study to provide additional perspectives using the DC Network as a resource.

In an attempt to recognize possible ethical considerations when using the DC Network, I believe that when participating in a discussion forum it is imperative that the posts are academically sound and respect the scholarly discussion of peers. Additionally, if a conversation aligns with an individual whose dissertation topic is of great intrigue the responder must note the researcher to credit an original thought or finding if restated within the discussion forum.

Lassitter, S. A. (2009). Establishing a relationship between virtual instructor and student in the online classroom. Distance Learning, 6(1), 53-57.

DQ3

This is continuing to be true. I went to the DC Forum and discussions and read some of the comments. Some learners seemed to be stuck on the dissertation but have completed their classwork a while ago. Traditionally students are focused on the classroom and the grades that they are going to receive. The dissertation process is new to everyone and they may not understand the effort, research and time that needs to be spent on this process while taking classes.

Cakmak, et al. (2015) indicates that the doctoral education consists of the following basic processes: (1) course work, (2) advisor assignment, (3) proficiency exam, (4) dissertation proposal, (5) evaluation of the dissertation by the dissertation monitoring committee and (6) dissertation defense. This can be achieved if there is a balance of time spent on classwork and dissertation simultaneously. If a student focuses on classwork versus dissertation or vice versa, difficulties arise. Time management and determination are key.

Cakmak, E., Oztekin, O., Isci, S., Danisman, S., Uslu, F., &Karadag, E. (2015). Overview of the Dissertation Process within the Framework of Flow Theory: A Qualitative Study. Educational Sciences: Theory And Practice, 15(3), 607-620.

DQ4

The Doctoral Community Network is designed to guide doctoral learners through the dissertation process by offering resources that each student can use to succeed in the program. The network offers information that doctoral learners can use to familiarize themselves with the process of becoming scholars, as well as a milestone guide, and templates that can be used as resources in the dissertation process. I find the resources will be crucial part of my dissertation process, especially as I advance and get closer to the actual writing process, hopefully this will prevent me from becoming derailed, as described by Aitchison, and Guerin (2014).

I also feel I must use the site with caution, otherwise I will find myself in a rollercoaster of emotions. Reading the blogs offers many stories that can help you through the process. Some of the stories are uplifting and encouraging. Unfortunately, you will also find stories that will make you question your decision. I will keep in mind that these are public forums and not everyone may post accurate information. In order to push forward, I will maintain a positive view and remember that the best things in life come through hard work and dedication. One of the main reasons I started this journey was the need to challenge myself to achieve difficult goals, to improve my ability to solve problems and become a better communicator.

Aitchison, C., & Guerin, C. (2014). Writing groups for doctoral education and beyond: Innovations in practice and theory. Routledge.