Source (2/1)

Woods, Charlotte. "Researching and developing interdisciplinary teaching: towards a conceptual framework for classroom communication." Higher Education 54 (2007): 853-866. Electronic.

This article focuses on communication in learning encounters for interdisciplinary academics. After all, the "ability to understand and be understood by a diverse group of specialists is essential" when dealing with large, complex problems. The author outlines communicative abilities, drawing on two theoretical principles (Becher and Trowler's taxonomy of disciplines and Byram's Intercultural Communicative Competence). 


An academic culture is a set of "taken for granted values, attitudes and ways of behaving, which are articulated through and reinforced by recurrent practices,’, ‘‘inseparably intertwined’’ and ‘‘mutually infused’’, with their ‘‘territories’’ (the disciplinary ideas they explore), knowledge forms being largely ‘‘constituted and instantiated socially’’. 


In regards to my project, this article is helpful in defining what "academic communication" entails (attitudes, knowledge, skills of interpreting and relating, skills of discovery and interaction, and critical cultural awareness and political education). Just as it is difficult for two different disciplines to communicate with each, it is difficult for two different cultures to communicate in academics (as well as in other areas).

Time, time, time. See what's become of me (LJ 2/1)

There is a certain professor I know. He is the nicest, kindest man, and he is a great teacher. But he has a certain quirk which transforms him from a lamb to the beast: he is fastidious about time. Not only does he hold himself to strangely high expectation when it comes to time, he holds everyone to these standards. Brutality, at times. For example, if you are late (late being defined as the bell ringing or after), he will shout at you and publicly disgrace you. Even if you are literally a microsecond after the bell. Turn in your test after the strict 5:00 pm? You might as well not bother. He throws it away. If a guest speaker speaks over the allotted hour? He'll walk out.

This particular professor is most certainly a monochronic person. I'm not sure he would ever be able to function successfully in a polychronic culture. But why not? Is there really no way in which the two treatments of time can function together? E. T. Hall claims monochronics and polychronics are like oil and water in "Monochronic and Polychronic Time." While I get slightly upset and anxious when people are late or miss a meeting, I think it is possible to mix the two without frustrated. After all, it is possible to mix cultures without a civil war. You simply have to recognize what timetable others are running on and make adjustments from there. It comes down to not taking yourself too seriously and making allowances for the values of others.

Source (1/30)

Liu, Leigh Anne, Chei Hwee Chua, Gunter K. Stahl. "Quality of Communication Experience: Definition, Measurement, and Implications for Intercultural Negotiations." Journal of Applied Psychology 95.3 (2010): 469-487. Electronic.

The quality of communication experience affects dynamics and outcomes of intercultural encounters. In particular, this article focuses on sharing information, the uncertainty involved for both parties, and the need for a common understanding in context of a negotiation. The authors conducted several studies to research the effect culture has on clarity, responsiveness, and comfort in negotiations. This article is important to my project because of the close collaboration I will have with various professors and mentors. As far as I can tell, there are no explicit rules on how to deal with cultural differences in an academic situation, and there is most certainly a need for common understanding. While my negotiations will not be life or death situations, having clarity, responsiveness, and comfort in my academic conversations will be helpful in extending them to international contacts.

Southampton vs. London (LJ 1/30)

Will it be better to live in Southampton or to commute in regards to my project question? On the one hand, living in Southampton would immerse me in the culture of the university, allowing me access to academic life in England ‘round the clock. Or at least, academic life in Southampton. However, having a sample of size one is no good. Statistically, it is better to have a conglomerate of schools to draw upon to truly get a sense of what British universities are like.

In addition, my project question is not solely about the difference between American and British academic conversations. Instead, it is about observing how to create international contacts and maintaining them across the Atlantic. Therefore, it is not essential to live in Southampton. I just need to be able to establish a contact with Dr. Woods, which will be obtained through weekly meetings and email communication.

Source (1/25)

Rice, John A. Mathematical Statistics and Data Analysis. Belmont: Thomson Higher Education, 2007. Print.


This is a textbook on mathematical statistics. That is, this focuses on the math foundation of statistics. Specifically, the Experimental Design section covers the basics for interpretation and design.In the design chapter, Rice builds on the examples from previous sources to define some statistical principles. Because he use them to illustrate the principles, the examples are effective. Also, he literature review is impressive, indicating that Rice did his research well. His sources are credible, and his conclusions are logically sound. The theorems and subsequent proofs are straightforward and well laid out. Each step is justified and documented. As a result, I would say the author’s methods are appropriate, especially for a textbook. This book provided me with an idea of what I will need to understand and be familiar with when I begin researching experimental design. Mainly, this book provided me with the basic vocabulary and mathematical principles needed to understand experimental design. Thus, this reference is very useful for my project. However, my project will be much difference from the basic principles presented here because my project deals with more theoretical, not practical, applications of experimental design.

Source (1/23)

Gizir, Sidika, Hasan Simsek. "Communication in an Academic Context." Higher Education 50 (2005): 197-221. Print.


The stated purpose is to examine a qualitative case study to understand common communication problems in an academic setting. Mainly, the authors are looking at how faculty members define communication and the various problems with communication in and between departments.The authors interviewed various professors in both the ‘hard’ and ‘soft’ sciences. Then, using the definition of communication and the problems represented by the faculty, the authors listed the problems and a resolution to them.  Actually, I do not think the authors’ methods were appropriate. There was simply not enough research done. There was no initial definition of communication. Instead of an interview, there should have been more of a case study, as the abstract indicated it was. There should have been more observing and less interfering. The idea of the paper was too fluid to be conclusive, the case study too weak to observe anything truly problematic.


This paper deals mainly with the issues found at the Middle East Technical University in Turkey. Obviously, the Middle Eastern culture, and ways of communication, is not the same as the culture, and thus communication, in the US or the UK. However, this paper did give me an idea about the flexibility in communication. Because I do not agree with the way this “case study” was executed or the conclusion drawn, I realized I need to have specific questions when dealing with the idea of “communication”. In addition, I need to have a definite definition of communication, a sure foundation on which to build. In all, I need to be more exact.

Source (1/20)

Woods, D.C., Lewis, S.M., Dewynne, J.N. "Designing Experiments for Multi-Variable B-Spline Models." Sankhya: The Indian Journal of Statistics 65.3 (2003): 660-677. Print.


For many explanatory variables, different models are derived from the B-spline and monomial basis functions. Efficiency is an important factor when analyzing the various models defined. Woods presents an algorithmic model for designing experiments built from simpler models.First, the article begins by explaining the current modeling techniques, mainly low order polynomials or simple nonlinear functions. Then, using examples, Woods explains why such modeling techniques are not adequate for specific experiments. Drawing on research for different authors, Woods explains how the simple model has been built up into partitioning the polynomial into different splines. However, he shows when applying this idea of polynomial splines, the degrees and the number of knots is unknown, amplifying the complexity of the problem of modeling . After mathematically and statistically proving (complete with examples) how to extend the simple polynomial spline to the more complex class of experiments, Woods applies the mathematical theory to optimal design models. Finally, Woods concludes with two methods to construct part of the algorithm necessary to create the optimal design models.Like the previous paper analyzed, this paper was authored by the professor I will be working with in Southampton. Through reading his published works, I can better understand Dr. Woods’ background and areas of interest. Also, this paper provides me with a better experimental design understanding.

Source (1/18)

Biedermann, S., Detter, H. Woods, D.C. "Optimal design for additive partially nonlinear models." Biometrika 98.2 (2011): 449-458. Print.


The authors developed an optimal design for additive partially nonlinear regression models, showing Bayesian and standardized D-optimal designs can be used in one dimension. This helps solve the problem often encountered with dimensionality.First, the article lays a mathematical foundation for the statistical theory. Then using previous statistical theory, the authors build up to their results; namely, the optimal design for the partially nonlinear regression models. Finally, as a proof of the validity of the design, the authors give practical examples.This paper was co-authored by the professor I will be working with in Southampton. Though this paper does help me understand a little more about research design, mainly I was interested in this paper so I can understand Dr. Woods’ background and areas of research. 

Source (1/12)

Sheer, Vivian C., Rung, Timothy K. "Can email communication enhance professor-student relationship and student evaluation of professor?: Some empirical evidence." J. Educational Computing Research 37.3 (2007): 289-306. Print.


This article focuses on comparing emails from both professors and students and determining how email factors into professor-student interactions and intrapersonal relations, student evaluation of the professor, and teaching effectiveness.


The author conducted a voluntary-response survey at a university in Hong Kong. Using questionnaires gathered from 408 students, he then ran paired t-tests to determine significance. In my opinion, the procedure was not horrible, but it most definitely could be improved upon. First of all, this is not a random sample, and therefore it cannot be conclusive. Also, the data published was difficult to understand, so I am not sure even a paired t test would be effective.


As I am studying communication between professors and students, the ideas presented in this article were useful. As this survey was conducted in Hong Kong, however, the results are not applicable. Instead, the methods and background research are the most helpful connections to my project. In addition to studying email communication, my project also entails a comparison of email versus personal communication, i. e. the ratio of email communication to personal, what is more likely to be conveyed through email, etc. 

Source (1/11)

Winer, B. J.Statistical Principles in Experimental Design. New York: McGraw-Hill Book Company, 1962.       Electronic.

This is a reference book for the statistical principles in experimental design, focusing on the designs most useful in research. As I will be working with Dr. Woods, whose main interest and focus is experimental design, this book will be helpful in understanding the vocabulary of experimental design. Though it does not directly influence my project, this book will be helpful in getting up to speed with experimental design.

Dr. Heaton & the computer (LJ 1/27)

Each week, the statistics department at BYU invites a guest speaker to give a presentation on sometimes statistical. This week's speaker was Dr. Matthew Heaton from the National Center for Atmosphere Research. His talk was titled "Multi-Fidelity, Spatio-temporal Computer Model Calibration using Predictive Processes." In every day lingo? Dr. Heaton gave a presentation directly related to my project.

I'll admit; when I first heard from Dr. Reese (my mentor who got me in touch with Dr. Woods in Southampton) that Dr. Woods' research area was statistical computer design, I not only had no idea what he was talking about, but I also wasn't too excited. I wanted to work with DNA and RNA sequencing, not computer. In fact, I am not the biggest fan of computer programming. I just simply am not extremely talented at it. However, after listening to Dr. Heaton's talk, I understand more of what computer design entails. Moreover, I think it will be an interesting project--one I will not mind becoming my masters' project (see 25 questions).

Computer design is above and beyond experimental design. In some cases, it is impossible or impractical to obtain many data points. Sometimes you only have 10, but the system or model is vastly complicated. Case in point: Dr. Heaton was trying to model the effect solar storms have on the electrical grid. He has data from only one day. This is where the computer comes in. Using various mathematical equations (such as differential equations) and given inputs, the computer model is able to simulate data points to aid in helping predict whatever the end result is. However, this is only part of it. Next comes the stats. Running a complicated program can take an insane amount of time. Dr. Heaton got only 20 data points after running his program on a super computer for one month. Only 20. But, using statistics and mathematical reduction, he was able to compress the dimensionality problem. In one case, Dr. Heaton reduced a 2 billion by 2 billion matrix to a 5 by 5 and 4860 by 4860 matrix. Anyway, without getting bogged down in the muck of mathematics, computer design is not about computer programming; it is about dealing with small data sets and still being able to explain the bigger population. So, I will not be working with thousands of microarrays with DNA. Instead, I get to work with huge, complicated models like the atmosphere and global warming or a rare disease that only affects one in a million.

I realize this learning journal is probably very technical and boring, but by writing down what computer design is has helped me better comprehend the scope of my project.

How's that weather we're having? (LJ 1/25)

I should probably have this learning journal focus on statistics and experimental design--but I have already ODed on statistics today (actually, probably for the week). So instead of boring myself with an analysis on measurement error (which I have already done) or analysis of design (which I don't , I will try to enliven this post with CULTURE. Not my own, mind, but that of the English.

I think Watching the English is a fantastic book. Not only did I enjoy the assigned reading, I read ahead (slight gasp would be appreciated). When I did my study abroad in London a few years back, I did not exactly get involved in the culture. Living and travelling with forty other American girls and you tend to stay firmly American. Even when I ventured onto the Tube, I was always with another American or two. And I was too focused on not getting lost, which happens much too often to me, to pay attention to "the natives." In particular, I never paid attention to conversations. As such, skimming the chapter about Conversation Codes at times made me laugh out loud. But it was also helpful. As a small town girl, compounded by the awkwardness of learning to be a statistician, I am unfortunately a little off socially sometimes. Once in a while (every day). So it was relieving to read about how not to make a fool of myself. And it appears as though the English are just as awkward.

While I understand the 'rules' given are not cut and dry, they at least give me an idea to start from.  I am excited to try starting up a conversation with The Weather. I will be particularly observant when I introduce myself to various people in England. Especially as I am focusing part of my project on academic communication, it will be interesting to see how accurate Kate Fox's rules are when applied to stuffy old academics. Will they toe the line more or less often?

Communication Observations (LJ 1/23)

As I am focusing on communication as part of my project, I have been paying more attention to my interactions with my professors at BYU. Therefore, this journal will mainly focus on observations so that I may later draw comparisons for international contacts.

Encounters: I am most certainly an introvert. The first few times I first meet someone, especially an authoritative person, I find I clam up. This often leads to confusion on my part because I do not ask questions when given an assignment or task. My professors, assuming I understand, do not prod me to make sure I have a general idea of what is expected of me. First meeting graduate students is naturally at little different, but first encounters are a little stiff and unbalanced. However, a stereotype for the English is that they are quiet and also introverted. For my project, I need to make sure I am aware of the initial encounters with Dr. Woods and the other graduate students.


Groups & cliques: At BYU, we are already grouped by religion. How will that factor into the group dynamic at the University of Southampton?


Organization/Roles: How will my role as a student be different at the University of Southampton? At BYU, certain things, like talking to professors outside of class and office hours, are perfectly acceptable for a student to do. However, other things, such as interrupting, are not. How will the acceptability of different actions change as an international student in Southampton? How will professor-student relationships change? How is the organization of the school different from BYU? Unfortunately, it will be difficult to draw comparisons about the organization because BYU is a religious school, and thus the religious aspect may be a confounding variable.

Hmmm...

Project Question: What is the most effective way of creating an academic conversation across cultures? How does an international student establish contacts in a foreign country and how does one continue the communication after the initial footwork?

In regards to the statistical half of the project, what direction will experimental design have? How much can I extend the theoretical basis?

Evolution of the Field Study (LJ 1/20)

     After reading Babbie's section of "Qualitative Field Research", I realized how inadequate my project ideas are. My limited vision extended only to studying statistics in England--most likely in a tiny room shut of from air and people. The only difference between my field study and my current status as a student  statistician was being in a different location. To make my project more appropriately a field study, I need more than just a theoretical study of statistics. Instead, there should be a generation of a theory of a behavior. Yes, the focus of my field study is still beginning my master's project. However, I needed a reevaluation of the reasons why I wanted to complete a field study.
     A primary reason for wanting to complete a field study in England is to establish academic contacts, to open up a communication between me and professors in England. I wanted to obtain a more global outreach for my academic career. So what on Babbie's list of elements of social life is most applicable for me to observe? Because my main purpose is to establish contact and to learn how to best continue the academic conversation after I leave England, I decided to focus on encounters,  groups and cliques, organizations, and roles.

Practical or Theoretical (LJ 1/18)

I need to read up on Dr. Woods publications and ascertain where my base knowledge lies. Can I understand the statistical foundation for each paper?

As I will be working with experimental design, I need to decide if I want to study the theoretical side or the practical side of the design. If practical, in what area would I be best suited for researching?

25 Questions

1. How can I personalize my field study more
2. As this will most likely be my master's project, is experimental design something I won't mind spending all next year doing?
3. What are applications of experimental design?
4. Besides learning the basics, how can I best prepare for experimental design?
5. Will I be working with other students?
6. Should I be learning SAS or SQUL?
7. Will I be able to live in London and commute to Southampton because I will only be meeting with Dr. Woods once a week?
8. Will there we differences in professor-student communication?
9. How 'fluent' will I need to be in experimental design?
10. Does it matter that my project may have nothing to do with living in England?
11. Will I need to learn odds rather than proportions?
12. Will I have to communicate in terms of odds?
13. How practical will my project be?
14. Will it involve actual data?
15. Or just theory and mathematical statistics?
16. Will my project be more of a thesis?
17. Best way to establish contact with Dr. Woods? Email via Dr. Reese or through myself?
18. What is the best way to continue contact with U of Southampton after my project?
19. How long will I be working on experimental design after my field study?
20. What if I don't understand experimental design?
21. How can I appropriately represent the Statistics program (and BYU) at U of Southampton?
22. What specific parts of experimental design will I be interested in?
23. What types of computers do they use?
24. How difficult will it be to find housing?
25. How is the best way to establish a email interaction with Dr. Woods?

 

January 13

As I just found out that I will be working with a professor for sure, I still need to find out a lot of details about my project. For starters, what exactly will I be working on? I know it is experimental design, but what part? Designing, analyzing, fixing, etc.?

Because this will become my master's project and I won't simply be piggy-backing on another project, I think I will just focus on developing the statistics part of the original idea instead of focusing on communication between professors and students.

Goals of the Field Study:

• develop international relations to establish contact between University of Southampton and BYU
• start my master's projec

Intentions of a Field Study

Just yesterday in one of my statistics classes, my professor launched into a small tirade about odds and Americans inability to understand them (unless you're a compulsive gambler). The English, he said, only use odds whereas Americans use probabilities, making communication a little more hairy between collaborators. Not impossible, but just a little slower as both parties have to convert the numbers in order to understand the meaning. 


Neither odds nor probability is better than the other. Rather, they offer a different perspective on the same statistic. And that different perspective, a different awareness, is my intention in studying in England. Even though the language appears the same, the culture, and thus the underlying consciousness, colors the meaning and nuances of life.


The definition of culture in Culture Blends is the one I want to experience. "Culture is an awareness, a consciousness,  one that reveals the hidden self and opens path to other ways of being." I already know how I live life; how do others? 

It is time to change culture from a "distant object into a personal experience."

Plans

Currently, my field study is two-fold. I plan on studying the communication between professors as mentors and their students. Also, I will be studying experimental design under a professor at the University of Southampton.