Since pursuing a doctoral degree, I have involved myself in several academic and non-academic activities. Among them, I joined a research group focusing on researching learning analytics related to instructional design. I learned a lot from the group, especially in doing a systematic review, a type of research I had never done before. The presence of instructional design makes me more interested in the group since I might be able to find gaps for further study. In addition to that, I joined a conference as another professional development activity outside campus. I was fortunate as the conference was free to attend and about language education and technology. The conference brought AI in language education as a theme, and I gained insights into the current research in AI and language education. Further, I also joined some workshops and seminars where AI was the theme. From what I observed, 2024 will become the year AI is booming. Therefore, topics such as learning analytics and AI are available to explore further and are on my research checklist. The systematic review also becomes a possible research approach I want to know. These experiences have broadened my research horizon. I believe that I have a good start.
In my other blog post, I highlighted my scholarly interest, where Technological Pedagogical Content Knowledge (TPACK), Community of Inquiry (CoI), and instructional technology were intertwined. From the experience to the date, I want to explore the adoption of AI as technology for instructions that can foster pre-service teachers' TPACK mastery framed by CoI as the foundation. The pre-service teachers became my interest since I want my research adapted to an authentic context. They became my immediate community and target groups due to my position as a faculty member in the teacher training department. In addition to taking classes and doing professional development, I am reading references related to the area with the hope of producing a literature review or a systematic review of research. For example, the article about Padlet, an educational technology tool with AI, drove me to some research gaps. Another research article about community of inquiry, particularly in language education, presents a systematic review and argues that studies in the area are limited. Those articles open vacancies for further research, and I plan to do so.
I am blessed that I have the chance to pursue education until the graduate level. I will use them for a greater use. Somehow, the above quote, which is very inspiring and powerful, aligns with what I am doing and will always do – learning. One of the reasons I decided to pursue a doctoral degree is to continue learning, earning, and sharpening my knowledge and skills in education to support my career as an educator. I hope to contribute to a greater society by using education as a means. Aiming for that goal, I always learn within classrooms and beyond. The interplay between TPACK, CoI, and educational technology should support my community, the pre-service teachers, to a different level. Again, my research should translate to the real world, addressing their needs since I hope that once my students graduate and become teachers, they can adopt what they have learned to their classes. I will keep teaching my students – the pre-service teachers- by providing services to others through training, seminars, or workshops, doing research, and continuing professional development. I can share what I have with others, and at the same time, I can also learn from those various activities.
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