This blog topic may be of interest to all learners who occasionally experience self-doubt and fear about their ability to achieve the doctoral degree.

By the end of this series of blog posts on learner fear, you will be able to:
• Identify at least one non-productive fear that you may be experiencing
• Know the impact of fear on your learning
• Understand the sources of learner fear
• Develop strategies for better managing fear so that goal achievement is more efficient and certain.

What is Fear?
Fear can be described as “an emotional state in the presence or anticipation of a dangerous or noxious stimulus and is usually characterized by an internal, subjective experience of extreme agitation, a desire to flee or to attack and by a variety of sympathetic reactions” (Reber, 1985, p. 271).

Do you relate to that definition? Do you ever feel a desire to leave your doctoral program? If you do, well, plenty of other doctoral learners welcome you to this emotional reality! You’re not alone.

IMPACT OF FEAR ON LEARNING
What impact does fear have on academic success? Some of the ways fear affects learning, such as the cognitive implications of fear, will be more fully examined in subsequent blogs. Here are a few effects of learner fear:

Affective Impact of Fear
• Our ability to trust ourselves, trust our mentor, and trust the process of teaching and learning, in general, may be impaired—Doubt can be pervasive and can manifest in counterproductive ways, such as not completing tasks in a timely way.
• When we’re in a state of fear and experiencing the fight or flight response, it may be difficult to take risks, to trust ourselves and our mentor, and trust the doctoral-journey in general.
• We may feel anger, apathy, and resentment—It is easy to understand how fear can evoke these sympathetic emotional reactions.
• We may feel defensive and readily look for others or circumstances to blame—We may feel closed to constructive feedback.
• Our perception of formal education, in general, may be affected—A cognitive explanation of the effects of fear suggests that fearful and anxious individuals might have a problem with misinterpretation in that they are more likely to misinterpret neutral or ambiguous situations as threatening, thus contributing to the maintenance of fear and anxiety. Thus, problems with selective attention, selective recall, and misinterpretation could, according to the cognitive perspective, lead to the erroneous beliefs or cognitions that can be the cause of an individual’s fear and anxiety states (Binder, 1999). Distrust may distract us from our course. If the mind focuses on looking for problems, and if we implement a wary vigilance, we could divert our energies to areas that may keep us from moving forward.

Cognitive Impact of Fear
• If our ability to cognitively process information is impaired, applying course content or completing the dissertation proposal may be difficult or overwhelming.
• We may experience lower scores on papers, exams, final course grades—If fear affects our cognitive abilities, it stands to reason that we may not perform optimally. Fear and anxiety may manifest in an individual’s thoughts, actions, and physiological responses that inhibit learning.
• We may experience challenges in our commitment to completing the journey—It is understandable why we would not want to continue doing something that is intellectually challenging and demanding.

However, not all fear carries a negative impact:
• Fear can lead to self-reflection and insight—You may be able to leverage your self-reflection to your advantage; you may find implications for  your doctoral journey from these insights.
• Increased motivation—Fear can jump-start or sustain our motivation to write, research, and succeed.

Can you relate?
Can you add to this list? How does fear affect your academic success?
In December’s post, we’ll explore some of the sources of learner fear. Stay tuned!

References:

Binder, E. (1999). Fear and anxiety. Retrieved on November 16, 2009 from http://www.csun.edu/~vcpsy00h/students/anxiety.htm

Reber, A. S. (1985). The Penguin Dictionary of Psychology. New York: Penguin.

In the introduction to his now classic work How to Read a Book, Mortimer J. Adler addresses the role of reading in the early years of mass media. Writing in 1940, Adler recognized that film, radio, and television could legitimately convey information and entertainment to people. But the dilemma he identified is that the rapid proliferation of media forms enabled the popular assumption that reading a movie, a song, or radio program was an inherently passive act, that the reader sits moon-eyed and inert while information is poured into her head. Adler rejected this. He argued that all reading is active and that it is precisely a reader’s ability to strategically deploy different techniques to process different kinds of texts that pulses the heart of true learning.

Adler explains that reading can be broken down into three cumulative levels that each learner must strive to master: elementary reading, inspectional reading, and analytic reading. Whereas the first level pertains to basic literacy, the second and third levels are of interest to us here. Adler describes inspectional reading as “the art of systematic skimming” (18, emphasis original) that builds upon basic reading skills to allow the reader to ask what a book is about. In short, inspectional reading allows the reader to move beyond a surface knowledge of the book and to begin to develop a deeper understanding of what information it contains and what it argues. Analytic reading builds upon this process of understanding a book by equipping the reader with the proper approach, mindset, and tools to probe and interrogate a book. “Reading a book analytically is chewing and digesting it” (19).

Nearly seventy years later, Adler’s insights are even more important in the accelerated age of Twitter, for the written word is still the dominant form of knowledge production in academia.

At the doctoral level you will alternate between inspectional reading and analytic reading. Knowing when to gut an article or a book for its content, and when to spend more time with pen in hand, unpacking each paragraph to gain a keener understanding of the inner workings and nuance of an author’s argument, will behoove you. Indeed, practicing how to take notes in the margins and how to use note-taking to demonstrate an argument’s progression will prepare you to flourish as a scholar.

To begin addressing the questions that introduce this entry, I encourage you to check out How to Read a Book from the library. I also want to push the Reading Strategies module in the Academic Success Center on iGuide. This module provides in-depth multimedia that illuminates the reading habits and techniques of a highly successful doctoral learner.

What are some reading techniques that you have found successful?

]]> http://blogs.capella.edu/askdoctoraladvising/2009/11/10/learning-how-to-read/feed/ 1 http://blogs.capella.edu/askdoctoraladvising/2009/11/03/november-is-national-career-development-month/ http://blogs.capella.edu/askdoctoraladvising/2009/11/03/november-is-national-career-development-month/#comments Tue, 03 Nov 2009 12:50:29 +0000 Sharon Balke http://blogs.capella.edu/askdoctoraladvising/?p=467 Each year, the National Career Development Association celebrates November as National Career Development Month to highlight the importance of life-long career development. Managing your career is an ongoing process, not just something you do when you’re actively in a job search. It’s akin to maintaining a schedule of moderate physical training year-round for a marathon, rather than waiting until a couple of weeks before the race to start training. The runner who exercises two or three times each week will be much better prepared for the race than the one who tries to do all of her training at the last minute. Likewise, a job seeker will fare much better in a job search if he’s laid the groundwork by maintaining good relationships with colleagues in his field over time, and kept his resume updated with his ongoing professional development activities, than if he only begins conducting career management activities when the job search becomes imminent.

The Career Center at Capella University invites you to take the month of November to reassess your career management activities. There are a number of steps you can take now, while you’re still in school, to position yourself well for your future job search. Consider engaging in some of the following activities:

• Review the state of your network, and commit to reconnecting with one professional contact each week to nourish your network and strengthen your collegial relationships;
• Update your resume or curriculum vitae and cover letter, and have your documents critiqued by a professional career counselor;
• Join a professional association to develop connections and establish yourself as an expert in your field;
• If you are in job search mode, compile a list of common interview questions, create answers that will differentiate you from other applicants, and practice with a colleague or friend;
• If you are re-entering the civilian workforce from the Armed Forces, review resources that may have been provided to you before your discharge, and explore the O*NET translator site to create your new resume;
• If you are seeking work and are 40 years or older, make use of resources for “mature workers” (such as the AARP website); and
• Participate in career development classes or seminars.

The Career Center has developed a series of free, one-hour webinars, on a variety of career-related topics, including:

• Interviewing for Success,
• Job Search Strategies for the Mature Worker,
• Job Search Strategies in a Tough Economy,
• Online Social Networking: Cutting edge tools to manage your career,
• Professional Portfolio: Differentiate yourself in the job search, and
• The Teaching in Higher Education Job Search.

The webinars are facilitated by professional career counselors, who will provide tips and strategies for managing your career and conducting an effective job search.

Register here for a free one-hour webinar through Capella University.

Capella learners may also register for a free, 10-day Career Exploration and Planning seminar. This seminar will help you to:

• articulate your skills, interests, and work values
• create a list of possible career outcomes
• establish a list of related professional associations
• generate a list of skills and knowledge areas necessary for desired career outcomes
• develop a plan for conducting informational interviews
• create an action plan that includes steps to take towards achieving your career goal

Register here for CPL5100: Career Exploration and Planning.

There’s no better time than now – during National Career Development month – to establish effective career management habits and strategies. When it’s time for your job search, you’ll be well prepared!

I’m employing a stipulative definition for “academic leadership.” By “academic leadership”, I mean the internal qualities of learners that disposition them to demonstrate outward skills that distinguish them form others. Plato provides insight that will permeate learners to move in this direction. How?

Plato’s Apology captures the significance of asking the right questions and being committed to a life mission.  In the Apology, Socrates is accused of leading the youth of Athens astray by teaching them about other gods, not the gods of the city states. Standing before the Athenian court, Socrates exhibits the apotheosis of leadership. What can learners glean from Socrates about “academic leadership?”

First, Socrates received a mission from the Oracle of Delphi. The Oracle of Delphi charged Socrates with finding others who were wiser than him. It was Socrates’ life mission to question the wisdom of others and to examine himself, and he died for this mission. Likewise, learners need to discover their purpose for why they are doing a doctorate. That said, time is often the enemy. How? Technology, entertainment, and diversions gobble up time that could be used for self-examination. Socrates might say to us today, “Find a place where you can sequester yourself form tweets and Facebook, and spend time finding your life purpose.”

Second, Socrates used his skills to further his purpose in life. For Socrates, living for truth, using disputation, remaining teachable, and refraining from asking quotidian questions distinguished him from others. Likewise, learners can exhibit “academic leadership” in earning their doctorates. Will you be the one to submit work without errors? Will you be the one to engage the literature in a unique manner? Will you be the one to permeate learners’ minds with questions? Socrates found his purpose and used his skills to further his mission and separated himself from others. How can you find your niche in “academic leadership?”

Sometimes in frustration, learners will say, “Just tell me what to do and I will do it.” That, of course, is the wrong approach. A significant aspect of earning a PhD is experiencing trial and error. Mentors and committee members do not lay out a “cookie cutter” approach to learners’ dissertations. Faculty members provide guidance, suggestions and critique.  Critique should not be viewed as a negative word. Learners should gladly welcome constructive criticism.

I like to use the legislative process as a comparison. Constituencies or elected officials identify a potential problem and propose legislation to solve the problem. Legislation moves through various processes and receives much feedback and critique. Legislators work with one another to sort through their differences.The legislation’s authors make revisions and continue moving it forward until it is approved. Of course, some bills are rejected and need further revision. We are witnessing this process on a grand scale as healthcare reform is being debated and discussed.

The dissertation process, albeit on a much smaller scale and usually with far less rancor, has similarities. Doctoral learners advance their research proposals based on stated problems. Proposals move through the approval process and faculty makes suggestions for improvement. Sometimes, faculty differ on their approaches. It is up to learners, in consort with their mentors,  to manage the differences. Learners then revise and rewrite until they have new versions to present for discussion and approval. This process continues until each proposal is deemed to have scientific merit and meets academic standards.

Understanding the importance and value of the iterative nature of the dissertation process is one of the most important lessons learned in a doctoral program. The sooner learners come to this understanding, the smoother their journey will become.

In August 2008, I spoke of a pledge to greatness and the invaluable tool of owning your own contribution and this commodity of human potential – the value of honoring the potential of each person and enabling transformation. 

Today, some of my trusted colleagues and I were reflecting on a common question asked, “what is the most important piece of the puzzle needed to finish the PhD?”  The usual fare was offered: competency, knowledge of the topic, the “research gene,” a strong committee, resilience, time, etc.  But today, I say to all, what’s most important is knowing your needs and knowing your aspirations.

Rather than elaborating on that conclusion, I’d like to close this entry simply with an acknowledgement and recommendation.  Even before Capella was Capella (Graduate School of America days), there has been a recognition and commitment to a learner-centered (different than learning) educational philosophy. 

You possess a wealth of knowledge, experiences and maturity and if we, together, are to honor and build upon these attributes in your program, we need to collectively and explicitly recognize you as an active partner in the design and implementation of your academic experience.  To accomplish this, we need you to share your story.  We have a responsibility to hear your needs, to explore your aspirations.  But equally, you have a responsibility to share your story, to share your needs and aspirations with us. 

If you haven’t had the opportunity, I would encourage you to take the time to call and share with someone (faculty member, advisor, financial aid counselor, colleague, anyone) why you are here and where you’re headed.  Placing those needs and aspirations at the center of your educational experience, together, I believe we will expand on what is best in education and achieve a transformation that is more meaningful, more powerful than any curriculum, dissertation, or PhD program experience.

• pertinacious, persistent, stubborn, or obstinate.
• adhesive or sticky; viscous or glutinous.
• holding together; cohesive; not easily pulled asunder; tough

They could have said ‘almost completed with dissertation’ as an example.

I think this is the one characteristic that any PhD learner needs.

Thing is, the character of “tenacious” needs to be directed mostly inward.

When it is focused outwards, there tends to be a clash. No need to get stubborn or obstinate with the folks trying to move you forward. Persistance may be required in asking questions for clarification. Ask yourself the question: What is keeping me from moving forward? Your mentor and your advisor DO want you to move forward. They are on your side.

Most people would see words like “stubborn” and “obstinate” as negative.

When turned inward, towards your own actions, obstinate and stubborn are good. How can you be stubborn about moving forward and not letting something get in your way? What are the short term goals to accomplish this degree? What do you need to do after that? then after that?

I like the concept of adhesive or sticky.
What is sticking to you?
What are you sticking with? Is it the right thing to stick with?

What are you allowing to pull you away from your work on a dissertation? How can you be tenacious and stick to your tasks?

What is your one characteristic that is needed to accomplish a doctoral program?

Before learners can move on to the dissertation stage, they must complete the comprehensive exam. That exam is not only a test of one’s ability to employ critical reading and thinking skills, but it is also a test of one’s writing skills. The completed exam goes to faculty readers who determine if the learner answered the question completely, if the organization of the response makes sense and if the writing rises to a scholarly level.

Whether the learner is writing a course paper or the comps exam, the learner should always take the time to reread, revise and rewrite. We all make mistakes in our writing. Even the best writers need editors. Once learners move into comps, their writing is evaluated by someone other than the courseroom instructor and sometimes that feedback is tough to take. When learners complete their dissertation, their work is uploaded to a database where it will be available for anyone in the world to see and to read.

Don’t limit your best writing efforts to your comps and dissertation. Practice your writing skills each time you send an email to your advisor or your mentor or to any professional connection. Take your writing seriously.

It is easy to become so focused on each course every quarter that you do not see the forest for the trees. That is to say, you put up a valiant effort to do your work. You read and post and research and write to keep up with the weekly demands and the final assignment. And yet, this is not enough. Such attention to important details will certainly get you through each course, and hopefully with A’s. But it is important to leaven this intensity of microscopic focus with practices that foster a sustained contemplation of your overall intellectual development as a doctoral learner. In other words, you want to keep your eyes on the prize—the Ph.D.—and what you need to do to get you there.

Drawing from my own experiences as a graduate student, I encourage doctoral learners to take up certain practices in order to have as integrated a coursework experience as possible. This is opposed to the atomized or fragmented coursework experience I describe above. To have an integrated coursework experience is to endeavor to see how your courses fit into a larger picture and to always ask yourself, whether interacting in the courseroom or researching for projects: “Where am I going with this? How can I use this? How is this relevant to my dissertation?”

There are four tools for creating an integrated coursework experience:

1) Keep a notebook with you at all times, and write in it regularly.

Not only does this provide a physical space, separate from your computer, in which you can keep track of your thoughts about your dissertation as they come to you (and they will, at the most random moments). It also will allow you to—as my advising colleague Dr. Vera Kovacovic likes to say—trace the evolution of your thinking as you figure out what your intellectual passions are and how you want them to factor into your dissertation.

2) Utilize RefWorks, which can be accessed through the Library Home Page.

RefWorks is a free service that allows you to accumulate and organize citations and to format them into APA-style bibliographies. This not only is useful for individual projects, but if consistently used from quarter to quarter, this will also be an invaluable resource come time for your Comprehensive Exam. You will have at your fingertips a wealth of citations you have used on past projects, and you will be able to draw from this as you craft your Exam responses.

You can sign up for a free Library webinar on how to effectively use RefWorks here.

3) Begin a Scholarly Research Log, which can be accessed through the Library Home Page under “Guides and Tutorials.

A Scholarly Research Log functions in the same spirit as RefWorks. It is a formatted Excel spreadsheet into which you can enter author names, titles, and other pertinent information about articles and chapters you will read throughout coursework. Doing so will create a personalized record that not only systematically maps out all that you’ve read, but will provide a template for you to efficiently revisit and reengage readings when you are writing your Comprehensive Exam responses.

You can download the Scholarly Research Log halfway down the “Resources for Doctoral Learners” section found here.

4) Keep a folder on your computer’s desktop in which you save everything.

In this folder save everything you write for courses along with every syllabus and every PDF of course readings. Regularly back this folder up on a flash drive or external hard drive. In keeping a folder, you will create a personal archive of your intellectual development that you can access at any time as you are determining the parameters and focus of your dissertation. And this folder will save you much time when writing your Comprehensive Exam responses, as you will have everything that you’ve ever done at Capella at your fingertips.

Through discipline and habit, creating an integrated coursework experience will pay off not only come time for your dissertation, but will propel you ahead in your intellectual endeavors.

You may have received advice from faculty members or colleagues that you should join a professional organization, but you may not be sure how to act on that advice.  Even if feel like you have an accurate understanding of what professional associations are, other factors may be inhibiting you from participating. Often people worry about the time commitment involved, or membership dues and conference registration fees may feel prohibitive, especially for students. As a result, people often question whether joining a professional organization is worth it.

In my experience, many individuals also have trepidation about professional associations for an even more basic reason: they seem scary. This is definitely the case for me. I prefer to meet people one-on-one rather than in a group setting. I also prefer to be introduced to new people by mutual acquaintances, instead of meeting people “cold.” As a result, attending professional association meetings or conferences – group events where I don’t know anyone – is really stressful for me.

Me too! So what’s the point, then?
There truly are significant benefits to becoming involved in a professional organization. Despite the fact that it might seem hard to break in at first, professional organizations are a great way to meet people in your field. It can be intimidating to attend a board meeting or roundtable discussion where you don’t know anyone, and even more nerve-wracking to attend a networking event hosted by the organization. But by attending a few events, you can very quickly go from not knowing anyone to making connections with some of the people in the organization. (The challenge, however, is to make yourself go in the first place, and then to talk to people once you’re there. More on that in a minute.)

Professional organizations are also fertile ground for finding mentors and colleagues outside of your own organization with whom you can share best practices and learn new approaches to your work. They foster collegiality and give you an outlet to talk about your work with like-minded professionals.

Active participation in a professional association is also an important strategy for becoming known in your field. As a doctoral candidate, you may be seeking to establish yourself as an expert in your field. Professional associations, where you can become known by your peers and share your expertise, offer a great venue for accomplishing this.

Finally, professional organizations are a rich source of information about job openings and other career advancement opportunities. Employers frequently post job openings on listservs or websites maintained by professional organizations. Additionally, by networking with association members, you are well-positioned to hear about job opportunities that may never be posted anywhere at all and are filled instead through word-of-mouth.

But which organization should I join?
If you are unsure which professional association(s) you should join, you’ll need to do a little research. One simple strategy is to ask your colleagues, supervisor, or mentors which professional organizations they belong to or they recommend you join. You can also review the list of professional associations contained on the “What Can I Do With a Degree In…?” document for your Capella program for a list of organizations related to your academic discipline.

Alternatively, do a keyword search for your job title, career field, or industry on LinkedIn (you’ll need to join LinkedIn first), and review the profiles of the people who fit your criteria to see what organizations they list. Finally, a quick Google search by keyword (your job title, industry, or career field) and the phrase “professional association” should also return a list of possible organizations.

Once you develop a list of possible organizations to join, review their websites to determine if they seem like a good fit given your job and your career aspirations. Also investigate whether there are local or state chapters in your area. Becoming involved on a state or local level is often much easier than involving yourself in the national chapter. Opting to join the local chapter allows you to more easily meet people and identify activities or opportunities for you to participate or assume a leadership role.

It’s expensive! I can’t afford this!
All professional associations levy annual fees for membership. The amount depends on the organization, although as a general rule, membership in state and local organizations costs less than membership in national-level associations. Regardless, the fees may seem prohibitive, especially while you are a student. There are several strategies you can employ to minimize the financial burden posed by membership.

First, make sure you fully investigate the benefits that membership affords, and make sure they align with your interests and career development goals. If not, you might want to continue searching until you find another organization that better meets your needs. If an organization looks promising but you aren’t convinced you want to commit, email a board member and ask if you can attend a few board meetings to try out the organization before joining.

If you see value in joining an organization, but are still worried about cost, you can explore options for reducing the membership fees. Ask about a student membership rate, or the possibility of need-based scholarships to would-be members. Inquire as to whether volunteer opportunities with the organization come with a discount on annual dues or conference registration fees. Finally, if you are considering joining a professional association related to the work you are currently doing, see if your employer will finance all or part of your membership.

Okay, I joined. Now what do I do?
Professional organizations shouldn’t just be a line on your resume or CV. To make them worth the membership fees, you need to participate. Involvement is also the only way to actually meet your fellow association members. Make sure your email address is added to the organization’s distribution list, so you are notified about organization events. Attend monthly board meetings, roundtable events, or brown bag presentations the organization sponsors. When you attend these events, participate! Ask a question at a roundtable discussion, or offer your perspective at a brown bag event. Volunteer to serve on the board or one of the board committees. Propose a presentation at the organization’s annual conference or other continuing education forums.

A common misperception is that professional associations don’t need volunteers for their board or committees. Another is that the criteria for having a presentation accepted at a conference is stringent. Usually just the opposite is true – associations are always looking for energetic new members to join in, and conference organizers often scramble to find enough presenters to fill out their conference schedule. It is much easier to join a committee or get a presentation accepted at a professional association conference than many people realize. (Remember to add any presentations you give onto your CV.)

I’m still nervous. Help!
If you are introverted like me, there are a number of ways to ease your involvement with a professional organization. After you’ve joined a professional association, see if the organization maintains a LinkedIn group, and join it as well. Start participating on the group discussion board, or asking and answering questions in the Q&A feature. Joining these online conversations can be a “safe” way to reach out to others in the organization and start building relationships with them.

Schedule informational interviews with a few key leaders as a way to learn more about the organization. Board members are a good place to start, and their contact information is usually listed on the organization’s website. This will allow you to educate yourself about the organization and to build relationships with a few people before jumping into a meeting or other group environment without knowing anyone.

After you’ve connected with a member, ask if you can attend your first few meetings with them. Request that they introduce you to colleagues and friends as a way to meet people without having to introduce yourself cold.

Finally, consider volunteering for one-time commitments to test the waters before committing to board membership or other ongoing responsibilities. Volunteering has the added bonus of giving you something to do at a conference or other event, so you aren’t just standing around hoping someone will talk to you. Bonding with another volunteer over a shared task, or chatting with a conference attendee who asked you a question while you were working at the registration table is a great way to break the ice and help you feel more comfortable in group settings.

While joining a professional association can be intimidating, challenge yourself to work past your anxiety and get involved. Your career will thank you for it! For more tips and strategies on managing your career, visit the Capella Career Center.